loach stocking help!

[shrew]

i am cycling a 260l tank and planing my stock tank. tank is 128x45x54cm i has a filter in the hood and an external fluval 305 with foam, bio max and carbon. some bog wood, plants and some plastic pipe for hiding covered in java moss. my stock is going to be
10 zebra danios
10 green tiger barbs
a plec (not sure what type yet)
1 ruby shark
and pos other as i go on the problem i have is i really want clown loaches but with most tanks i dont have enough room i would like some help in chosing a loach i would like a group of 3-8 can some one help thanks (i not adding till my tank has cycled)

[mickthefish]

i would pic either sidthimunki or striata for that tank if that helps.

mick

[shrew]

could i have yo yo loaches?

[mickthefish]

yo yo's grow to well over 6 inches and if you had a group of them they would overstock your tank pretty quickly,
have you tried looking at the small loaches like Schistura and Nemacheilus, you could have a decent number in your tank, but which ever species you decided on ask the people here would they be ok.

mick

[shrew]

how many striata could i put in my tank

[mickthefish]

at least half a dozen and give them plenty pieces of bogwood to make them feel secure.

mick

[shrew]

could i add some kuhli loaches with the zebras if yes how many would you suggest.

[mickthefish]

i would'nt add kuhli's they area bit soft and could be attacked, i would go with ,if you can get the crimson loach and add up to six of them.

mick

[shrew]

i have spent the last few days on the internet and phone looking for crimson loaches but no joy anywhere. is there another loches i could keep with zebra loaches.

[Diana]

Kubotai would be another species that usually works well in a community tank of small fish.

Instead of Tiger Barbs look into Ruby Barbs, and pentazonas. Much less nippy.

If you wanted one school of slightly larger fish, then Yoyos would work. They do get about twice as large as the other options, so this would indeed severly cut into the bioload.

Very good plec for algae is the Bristlenose.
Not for algae, but interesting fish are the wood eating Peckoltias.
An interesting and different one is the Farlowella, but I would not risk one with Tiger Barbs.

The shark might be too territorial for some of the other fish. Let the Loaches be the bottom fish, skip the shark.