Species mixing

[raecarrow]

Hello everyone!

Wow it has been FOREVER since I've been on here.

I have a question about mixing species of loaches and other fish. I currently have an overstocked 30 gallon tank from which I will be removing a number of medium/small loaches and placing them in a larger tank.

Current Stock:
5 yoyos (2, 4inch and 3, 2-3 inch)
1 zebra (botia striata)
1 kubotai (3 inches)
3 black Kuhli loaches
4 baby bristle nosed plecos (ranging from 1-2 inches)
and an ever changing number of guppies


I will be placing the yoyos, zebra, kub and two of the plecos in the new tank. When thinking about this, I came to realize that my tank will look rather bare and empty.

My question is as follows, I currently have 5 baby sids (less then an inch long) biding their time in a quarentine tank. Will the sids work well with the remaining plecos, kuhlies, and guppies? Also, what will be good to put in the new tank as dither fish? Would splitting up my guppy stock be a good idea or are there other fish that would work out better? To be more specific, the new tank will be a 5ft long river tank.

Thanks!
Rae

[raecarrow]

PS - In answer to any questions about why I have only one Kub and one Striata,

1)My little Striata is my original loach who I bought for snail control with out consideration for the poor little guy's need for companionship. I have tried to find buddies for him but I have not been able to find any healthy striatas ANYWHERE! The only ones I have seen were so hollowed out with skinny disease that their belly fins were lifted off the bottom of the tank and they couldn't hold them selves upright. I would have tried to rescue them but I didn't have the resources at the time.

2) The Kub was a sell back to my favorite LFS and was apparently kept as a single loach. He is a nice sized, pudgy, healthy guy who the LFS owner sold to me for $5 (when other LFS sell them for $12 and up a piece). I felt sorry for him and figured that my loach friends would be better then no loach friends at all. He was really shy at first but has since buddied up with my Striata and smallest Yoyo.

[Diana]

Hi Rae, welcome back!

Yes, the 30 is a bit full.

I would try to keep species together, and move the larger species to the larger tank, just as you are planning. Sids in a 30 is good, and they are fine with Kuhlies, Guppies and similar sized fish.
Keep the Guppies together and get a different dither/schooling fish for the larger tank.
Did you want a small dither, similar size to the Guppies? Or something a bit larger? My Yoyos ate Neon Tetras, so I would suggest larger fish.

Brilliant Rasboras, Harlequin Rasboras, Lemon Tetras, X-Ray (Pristella)Tetras, Pentazona Barbs, Ruby Barbs and others are similar or just a bit bigger than Guppies. You could easily get around 1-2 dozen. Problem is that they are 'bite size' when they are young.

Congo Tetras, Dwarf Neon Rainbows, Boesemani Rainbows and many others, Bleeding Heart Tetras... many more get larger, perhaps start with less than a dozen.