Loaches and water flow.

[clownloachfan]

Hello again. I have been keeping loaches for 4 years now. I know that it is recommended that you have extra powerheads in your aquarium since this will mimic their natural environment. Does everyone here do this? I find that my loaches seem to like it quite well without it. Thats not saying that i would not like to add a powerhead though.

[Rocco]

Hey CLF, yes, they do enjoy additional powerheads. Mine currently have 1 each but this sunday, they're going to get their river manifolds installed.

I believe the consensus is that no flow is too strong for loaches. I could be wrong.

[chefkeith]

Extra water flow is great and they'll appreciate it. Be sure they still have many calm resting places though.

[wasserscheu]

My loaches did not care much about stream (only occasionally), however, I recently changed setup, added another tank, and was surprised how nice surf partys they had, even Raphaeal occasionally joins. I made a video, need to cut and upload sometime, it´s fun to watch their activity. The fun part is, that the clowns mix with other (Y.Caudipunctata) when surfing, and its impressive when the entire botia gang is going for it, my daughter just said WOW, was a new experience for me. My Sewellia still don’t do much, sit close to outlet occasionally, but in the new tank stays a lot on the bottom…chaseing Striatas and Stiphodon Cats like Otocynlus (juvenile) and an Ancsitrus even, joins as well. I´ve Stiphodons, that check the stream also occasionally.

Like Chefkeith, I find it absolutely important, for them to have a choice, don´t force them into one or the other… I´m working on a setup with water rushing around on the bottom, and have a calm center with plants… I´m not done yet need to put other pump in, I will update…

[Emma Turner]

Botiid species (and hillstream/brook loaches) all enjoy powerful flow and do best with high O2 levels, so yes, I would definitely recommend that you add a powerhead or two to your tank if keeping these. The difference you will see in your fish will be quite amazing.

There are some loach species which prefer a much calmer environment though, such as kuhlis (Pangio sp.) so it very much depends on what type of loaches are being kept.

If you post the dimensions of your tank, and what type of loaches you have (I'm assuming from your name it's clowns? ) then people may be able to recommend you particular make/models of powerheads to have a look at.

Emma

[wasserscheu]

I need to change that powerhead from my youth, its in there anyway just temporarily, for testing flow. howeveri It shaved my clowns snout., it’s a shame for Eheim, to do such a dumm design (the propeller that open), this product should have been recalled. It´s almost healed in the meantime…



Here the video, make sure you catch the first second, when it BLOWS AWAY VERTICALLY the Y.Caudipunctata

[Mark in Vancouver]

Great short video. I see what you mean about the power of the flow!

[clownloachfan]

Well, if i do decide to add one, i will have to move some plants around. Maybee in that new 75 i want to set up at christmas?

[clownloachfan]

oh, forgot to ask. Is there a way to turn the powerhead down while feeding so the food doesnt go everywhere?

[crazy loaches]

oh, forgot to ask. Is there a way to turn the powerhead down while feeding so the food doesnt go everywhere?

Not really, just unplug it, thats what I do. I think some are controllable (like the Tunze) but I am not sure to what extent, and they are very pricey. Some do have some mechanical flow adjustments built into them, but then youd have to reach into the water and fiddle with em twice per feeding, I'd just as soon turn them off for a moment.

I had about 3 powerheads in my tank, a MJ-1200, a Powersweep 228, and MJ800 that is on only after lights out. The odd thing is that with these the loaches never seemed to swim in the current. I would not have beleived anyone if they told me they like fast current. But possibly due to the fact that these pumps were all mounted nearer the top of the tank for the most part. But as soon as I added a Koralia 4 pump they instantly began swimming in place in front of it. It was amazing. Not sure if it is because of the much wide dispersed flow of the Koralia versus the small jet like stream from the traditional ones, I assume this has at least something to do with it. I also place it nearer the bottom.

[helen nightingale]

i like to keep a shape small internal filter in my loach tank - it gives some flow and it means that there is always a filter prepared for the Q tank.

is it a problem that the food goes everywhere?

when i first got fish i found that if i left the filter on, they wouldnt feed, as there was very little water flow in the shop tanks and they didnt seem used to moving food. now i just put the food in, and the rasboras are quite happy chasing flake or frozen foods all over the tank. sometimes they get brave and go down to see if they can get to scraps from the loaches pellets.

[Diana]

I generally have about 10x the tank volume in flow, whether from the filters or powerheads.
The fish do sort themselves out according to who likes more water movement, and who prefers calmer water. Some fish will surf the water flow, swimming directly into the outflow from the filter or PH. Most do not, they simply hang out where the water movement suits them.
Feeding is not a problem, the fish will chase the food, but they generally do stay at their own feeding level. Fish that prefer the upper levels grab whatever food they can while it is up there. Mid-level feeders snag the food on the way down, or when it lodges in a plant, and bottom feeders chase the food as it blows across the bottom.

[clownloachfan]

that makes sense crazy loaches. why would i want to put my hand in the tank several times a day to adjust the flow when i could just unplug it.

[Blue]

I wonder why my loaches have a habit to eat at the top instead.

[clownloachfan]

Yeah, my yoyos and clowns do that too.