what loachs or catfishs, can they live with fancy goldfishs

The forum for the very best information on loaches of all types. Come learn from our membership's vast experience!

Moderator: LoachForumModerators

Post Reply
robinson230
Posts: 59
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:18 pm
Location: SW London, England

what loachs or catfishs, can they live with fancy goldfishs

Post by robinson230 » Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:21 am

:?: hey guys only me again! I was wonding what or if any loachs could live with fancy fantail Goldfish & black moores? If so what would you suggest? My sister as a catfish its sliver with darker grey spots not sure the breed, many moons again, I did have a catfish with goldfish, they all lived happly together for 8 yrs. My room temp is 24c - 25c, so I set the heater at same temp, so heat remains same even if temp drops in room. If the catfish is not suitable is there any breed of loach I can put with them? I have a clown loach jewel rio 400 tank, but want to really keep that for the clowns. Advice needed plz for dumb bum me! Thanks a lot. :)
Fish c r a z y!

User avatar
Ravenmoon
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:10 pm
Location: West Lafayette, IN

Post by Ravenmoon » Sat Mar 07, 2009 10:14 am

I was under the impression that we're not suppose to mix the goldfish and loaches due to the fact that loaches need warmer water than goldfish. I may have misunderstood though...I"m sure the experts will come along and let us know.

mickthefish
Posts: 3281
Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2006 7:20 pm
Location: manchester, england

Post by mickthefish » Sat Mar 07, 2009 10:20 am

weather loaches would be about the best to go with the goldfish, as they are both temperate species.

mick
never take people at face value.

robinson230
Posts: 59
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:18 pm
Location: SW London, England

fancy fish & catfish

Post by robinson230 » Sat Mar 07, 2009 10:32 am

:) Hi there thanks I contacted maidenhead aquatics morden, they say as I'm useing heater on my external filter it should be prob as long as same size which they are. I using heater as my room temp with out heater is 25c, I just put it on in case temp drop the heater will come on, so the temp remains same, causing less stress, I hope. & to mick just like to say lol my 5 clown loachs I have in jewel rio 400, lol the same one does the I'm dieing n sick act every even round 8:30pm, weird or what, lol they crack me, if anyone ever feel low get some clown loach, they cheer u up no end! Thanks every one, happy fishing
Fish c r a z y!

adam
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Apr 22, 2006 9:37 am
Location: Bronx NY

Cold

Post by adam » Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:49 pm

I keep Dojo/Weather loaches in my unheated rubbermaid tub. They have been in there for years with a whole slew of constantly reproducing white clouds. The tubs main function is for keeping java moss and theres a ton of it for the loaches to enjoy and the white clouds spawn in it.

User avatar
helen nightingale
Posts: 4717
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2006 7:23 am
Location: London, UK

Post by helen nightingale » Sat Mar 07, 2009 2:48 pm

i am not good on catfish, but i think your description may be a little vague, there are thousands of different catfish :shock: have a little look at the pictures on this website, and try and work out which type it is.

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/top100_images.php

just to clarify things, how big is the tank you have your fancy goldfish and moors in, and how many do you have? the size of tank, and number of fish in it can influence which fish you may be able to put in

ALX
Posts: 60
Joined: Sat Apr 19, 2008 8:26 am
Location: Michigan US

Post by ALX » Sun Mar 08, 2009 5:27 am

I second the dojo(weather) loach goldfsih combo. They get get large enough so that they are comparable in size to goldfish and are good in the same temps. I keep dojos with my fancy goldfsih and they get along great and I think they have nice complementary personality to the goldies.
-ALX

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Post by Diana » Sun Mar 08, 2009 9:29 pm

24*C = 75*F

This is a mid range temperature for many tropical fish. There are certainly some Loaches that would work at this temperature, and it is about right for the fancy golds. Many catfish are great in this temperature, too.

There are several cats that are silver or grey with dark spots. Perhaps something in the Synodontis group.

Do a little more research about species and keep these concepts in mind:

Golds are social, but small numbers work OK.
Each goldfish counts about as much as an 18" fish as far as waste, oxygen needs and so on. Golds (fancy or otherwise) seem to produce more waste than a similar sized tropical fish.
Fancy Golds are usually a distorted body shape and may have some special needs because of this. Some cannot swim very well, and are out-competed for food.
They need plenty of oxygen in the water, but many cannot swim well with a lot of water movement. The best answer is to not over stock a tank so there is less fish-mass per gallon (or per liter).
Golds have big mouths and are willing to eat just about anything that fits, including tank mates.
Golds grow faster than Loaches, so start with larger Loaches.

Loaches are social fish and need at least 5 in their group to have a proper social structure.
Many appreciate caves, driftwood and sand substrate. They often dig. (Some species more than others)
Different species have different temperature requirements.
Most Loaches need a lot of oxygen in the water, and this generally means more water movement than the fancy bodied Golds can really handle. Under stocking will allow more oxygen in the water because there are fewer fish to use that oxygen.

Most Catfish hide under driftwood, rocks or even the substrate (so do many Loaches) but cats can hide to the point you do not know they are there.
Most cats are armed with spines in their fins and along their sides so that if a goldfish tries to eat them you are likely to lose both fish.

Choose species that are roughly the same size. Since they grow at different rates you may need to move fish in and out to maintain an overall balance of similar sized fish.

Have a REALLY big tank as the ultimate set up, with something like 20 gallons (80 liters) per adult fish.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 178 guests