Any loaches smaller than Chains with social behaviors?

[larcat]

Hi.

I'm setting up a 12 gallon long (36"-9"-8") right now. Over filtered and heavily planted with C. Parva and moss. Fair amount of rock work.

Too small of a tank for Dwarf Chain Loaches.

I'm wondering if there are any loaches that are even smaller that exhibit the complex social behaviors chains and clowns do?

I don't think there are, google has been fruitless. Figured I would ask here.

Thanks!

[Jim Powers]

This is the only loach of can think of that might fit what you are looking for. I have never kept this species so I can't speak from experience.
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/yu ... -cruciatus

[DainBramage1991]

Many of the pangio species (often called kuhli loaches) would be quite at home in a setup like yours. They are small, colorful, and quite social.

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/pangio-kuhlii

[NancyD]

I have both Y. cruciatus & "rosy loaches" (so called tuberoschistura) in a 30 inch x 12 x 12 tank. Either,if you can find them, would be nice ...the rosies are favorites along with celestail pearl danios (formerly galaxy rasboras), rosy loaches' natural "ecomates". I'd recommend at least 6 of either loach.

I've had some other tiny loaches, lepidocephalicthys furcata (spelling?), but they were not very social with each other. Pangios seem, IME, to need more tank height for their dancing.

[larcat]

We've had really good luck with CPDs, successfully raising some fry to adult hood

Can you maybe do me a favor and compare rosy vs. cruciatus behavior to me? And maybe clown vs. cruciatus?

I'm really looking for something that will have *interesting* behaviors, especially social ones, for this tank. The other potential fish I am looking at is Rainbow Darters, which do some pretty neat stuff.

I have a great source for cruciatus, a seller I trust completely, so that would be a good choice for me if their behavior fits what I am looking for. How many would you recommend as the max for the oddly-sized tank I have? Do they prefer high flow or more gentle flow?

Thanks for taking the time! Appreciated!

Just as an aside, Khuliis are out. Fiancee is a fish nut, and absolutely adores clowns, but has a mortal distaste for anything even mildly resembling a snake or eel

I have both Y. cruciatus & "rosy loaches" (so called tuberoschistura) in a 30 inch x 12 x 12 tank. Either,if you can find them, would be nice ...the rosies are favorites along with celestail pearl danios (formerly galaxy rasboras), rosy loaches' natural "ecomates". I'd recommend at least 6 of either loach.

I've had some other tiny loaches, lepidocephalicthys furcata (spelling?), but they were not very social with each other. Pangios seem, IME, to need more tank height for their dancing.

[NancyD]

Well, the rosy loaches have been in the tank much longer & aren't super shy, always first to food. The cruciatus have an interesting 45* head down lounging posture. The smaller cruciatus, possible males, are thinner bodied than the 2 "females", those are larger than I thought they'd get. Both species hang together & the CPDs swim lower now than in the friend's tank I got them from.

The tank has a Aqua Clear 50 HOB, a piece of wood & many plants so not lots of current. The guy I got the cruciatus from said they sometimes nip at snails if they weren't fed for a couple days. I'm not sure, I see empty shells but my water is pretty soft, it could just be they died.

This tank is not near where I sit all the time unlike when I had clowns next to my computer, so the little loaches are more shy. The clowns behavior was much more interactive with me, I miss their dancing, feeding, occasional spats & just watching me compute. The smaller loaches sometimes all shoal low along the front before lights on with the CPDs midwater. They seem more day active than clowns but to me, a long time botia lover, not quite as "fun", but really, it's just different & interesting...I wish all my tanks could be close by, lol.

It sounds like maybe 10 or 12 would be a good number if it'd just be cruciatus & CPDs. Do you have other fish in mind for the tank?

[larcat]

Thanks so much for all the info! Really appreciated!

Thanks for the stocking advice here. Read the PM before I read this, so sorry for redundancy!

Didn't have plans for other fish if I do these guys in the tank. Would want to maximize the number I could keep.

Might get a colony of scuds or Malawa shrimp (they breed like roaches for me) going before introducing them to give them a live food source. I also usually throw some black worms in my substrate, so that is another in-tank live food source for them.

Thanks again for the time and information! Digital footprint on these guys is miniscule!

Well, the rosy loaches have been in the tank much longer & aren't super shy, always first to food. The cruciatus have an interesting 45* head down lounging posture. The smaller cruciatus, possible males, are thinner bodied than the 2 "females", those are larger than I thought they'd get. Both species hang together & the CPDs swim lower now than in the friend's tank I got them from.

The tank has a Aqua Clear 50 HOB, a piece of wood & many plants so not lots of current. The guy I got the cruciatus from said they sometimes nip at snails if they weren't fed for a couple days. I'm not sure, I see empty shells but my water is pretty soft, it could just be they died.

This tank is not near where I sit all the time unlike when I had clowns next to my computer, so the little loaches are more shy. The clowns behavior was much more interactive with me, I miss their dancing, feeding, occasional spats & just watching me compute. The smaller loaches sometimes all shoal low along the front before lights on with the CPDs midwater. They seem more day active than clowns but to me, a long time botia lover, not quite as "fun", but really, it's just different & interesting...I wish all my tanks could be close by, lol.

It sounds like maybe 10 or 12 would be a good number if it'd just be cruciatus & CPDs. Do you have other fish in mind for the tank?