Lots Of Loaches

The funny thing is that none of the Kuhli loaches that I keep in my 10 gallon ever glass surf. However, the ones I have in the 40L are out all the time (not just at night when the lights are out) swimming around and glass surfing on occasion. In over 40 years of keeping fish, I've learned that fish do what they want, when they want and no two fish of the same type have to act the same. Getting different results than what is the accepted "normal" happens all the time. That's what makes this hobby so much fun.

Yes, I am aware of how big SAE get. I didn't put the fish in the tank or keep it in there once I got it. It came to me that way from my coworker who was getting out of the hobby. I rehomed him with my LFS within days of getting him.

I currently have 4 Kuhli Loaches (Pangio Kuhli) in a 10 gallon with a male Betta for company. The tank is heavily planted and they are doing great. I've had the tank running for over 3 years without any problems. I also have another 10 gallon that I was given by a coworker getting out of the hobby (her kids lost interest). It contained 3 Black Kuhli Loaches (Pangio Oblonga), 1 Red Eye Tetra, 1 Glow Tetra and a Siamese Algae Eater. Before I could make a decision which of my tanks to put them in and quarantine more Red Eye Tetras, the Kuhli Loaches decided to give me about (I forget the exact number) 50 babies. I think they were pretty happy in their tank considering they decided to breed. I'm not a Kuhli expert but I don't believe mine are unhappy with the footprint of a ten gallon. Everyone experiences different results in this hobby so make your decision based on your best educated guess. Good luck with your tank!

He looks like a common pleco (Hypostomus Plecostomus) to me. I like adding canned french cut green beans or sliced organic zucchini, rubber band to a rock, for my plecos once a week just to give them a change from algae wafers. It might surprise you how many of your other fish enjoy the veggies as well.

@Mattlikesfish36 Makes sense to me and they look good on top of it all. I'm off to the big box stores to look at shelves, just in case. Thanks for the information and posting the pictures. It's always a good thing to know there is more options out there than what come to one's mind.

@Mattlikesfish36 The stand looks like it worked out like you wanted in the beginning. They look strong enough to handle the job with the added benefit of being lighter than shelves made out of wood. I'm just curious, how did the price of the shelves compare to what you would have spent on wood to build your own design? Just in case I find myself in need of more shelves to accommodate my wife's MTS addiction.

Like Lefty-O, I'm no engineer either! I have built several tank stands though and thought I'd tell you what I've come up with that has served me well over the years. For my top and bottom shelves, I frame them with 2x6 and add 2 supports evenly spaced left to right running front to back. I use 3/4" plywood on stands that are larger than the tank sitting on it. For legs I use doubled up 2x4s. I realize that I'm probably going way over what I need for the tanks but I figure if I do that I'll never have to worry about anything happening to the tanks in the future. Best of luck to you with your project and I hope you will post a picture of what you create with the tanks in place.

I love the look of your tank and can see how amazing it will look once the plants fill in! I will always suggest Kuhli loaches for any community tank but I also love having a school of Striata Botia. They have a great pattern and work well with so many fish. How about Marble Hatchet fish to add some movement at the top of the tank? Maybe a school of Columbian Tetras for the middle? There are so many options out there, it's hard to choose! Please post some pictures as you make additions and the plants grow up.

This is a great idea to try. The maintenance of tanks can pull the fun out of the hobby quick for someone that isn't truly interested. Be prepared for this to backfire on you! I tried it and now my wife has 13 tanks! If it wasn't for the floor structural integrity of our 2nd floor apartment, she'd have a lot more. MTS is real!

@Lennie Wish I could help! Unfortunately, I don't deal with the cold water loaches much as it gets to hot here in Texas and I don't want to pay the electric bill trying to keep my home cold enough for them. @beastie If your tank could maintain your expected summer time temperature then I would recommend a school of Striata Botia (zebra loach) for your tank. Their pattern is striking and they won't get to big for a tank your size. Khulis would be another great choice at that temperature and you could keep 10 of them IMO. Since I don't keep my loaches, to include my khulis and Striata Botia, below 78f/26c I can't say how either species would do at 22c. I feel ich might/would be a problem but can't guarantee it. Sorry I couldn't help more. Best of luck and I think your tank looks great!

I agree with what @TOtrees said. Patience and practice go a long way towards success with fish netting as well as understanding the habits of the species you are trying to catch. For me, I was able to get better at it by working in fish stores during the 80s, having to catch a particular fish for a customer hundreds of times a day. I still have vivd memories of having to catch a certain goldfish out of a tank with a 1000 feeder goldfish in it because a child got a free goldfish coupon at their school field day. What a joy that was!

Baby khulis are so cute! My last spawn produced over 50 babies and watching them swarm on sinking wafers is a sight to see. Now, if I could just get them to spawn in a controlled environment where I can separate them from their parents for proper grow out, I'd be thrilled! Supposedly, they usually have a hundred or more eggs per spawn but I haven't had any luck with planned breeding of them.

I've always run UGFs with power heads in my tanks for the past 40ish years and love them. My tanks look great and I use a gravel vacuum at each water change to remove waste and mulm that has built up since the last water change. Granted, I can't have sand in my tanks but that's ok as I keep gravel as substrate and don't keep any live plants that need to be planted.

It has been my experience that Khulis find a way to survive no matter what. Finding uneaten food is their specialty and they are good at it. I have khulis in a 40 long with other loaches and tetras and they have no problem thriving. As I increased their numbers in the tank, I definitely noticed that they spent more time moving about during daylight hours and competing for food during feedings. @TOtrees Congrats on the khuli spawn. I've been the recipient of a few and am always grateful it has happened (I can't have to many khulis).

Clown loach + pygmy cory. A clown loach that never gets over 1 1/2” in length. Then I could have a huge school of them!😬

My adventures in fish started in the 70s keeping minnows out of the creek behind my house. I'm pretty sure my turtles ate most of them but I don't remember. My first job was in a pet store in '81 selling tropical fish and small animals. I wish it wasn't true but back then the advise we gave new fish keepers was terribly inaccurate. Too many fish and only monthly water changes was the standard advise and unfortunately I'm sure a lot of fish paid the price for that. I kept a few tanks with African cichlids and different loaches until '88 when I went to work for Uncle Sam but still managed to keep a tank wherever I was stationed. I now have 3 tanks that I enjoy with a bunch of different kinds of loaches (I'm color blind so their antics and patterns are what I like), a pink tail chalceus, a brichardi, a gold calvus, and a red tail shark. I'm going to say the red tail shark is favorite type of fish but my loaches (especially clown loaches) are just as loved.

The instruction are terrible for such a great product. I would suggest you go on youtube and watch some videos. There are plenty to choose from that will make it easier to set up. I have to do it every time I need to make a change on mine. Good Luck!

IMO there isn’t a single answer for how yo-yo loaches act. One of mine was always hiding for the first 3 months I had it while the others I got at the same time were always out exploring. The one that hid is now the most outgoing of my yo-yos and loves to annoy my Pinktail Chalceus. How long have you had them? How many do you have? Usually, the more you have the more comfortable they will feel in your tank, especially if you provide numerous hiding spots for them. My yo-yos are not afraid of any other fish in my tank and seem to enjoy messing (playing not hurting) with them. This includes a few African cichlids as well as my Chalceus. That being said, this might be the reason your guppies have no interest in the lower part of your tank. Maybe they aren’t interested in catching your yo-yos attention and then having to deal with their antics. who knows, I’m just throwing out a guess. I hope your guys start coming out more as it is so much fun to watch loaches play around with each other and investigate their home.

Unfortunately, they don’t eat the shell along with the snail. IMO the zebra loach (Striata Botia) is going to be the least likely to bother your discus. They don’t get very big but will always eat snails. It has been my experience that dwarf chain loaches can be a bit nippy to other fish but maybe I just had the bad luck of picking the bullies.🤷‍♂️ I hope you find something that works well and your discus are happy!

Great looking fish kid! What’s it’s name?

I’m sorry to hear one of your clowns is in the heater cover. IMO it won’t get stuck or hurt and it will leave the cover when the heater comes on. I’ve seen my loaches wedge themselves into Texas Holly rock that I just knew they couldn’t get out of only to see them swimming around as soon as the water change was over (not exactly the same problem but addresses the stuck part). Fingers crossed that this is what happens with your clown. I hope someone can speak about this with more knowledge as I would be interested in their input. Maybe @Cory has some input based on their research and development tanks? I don’t know if this helps ease your mind but I currently have 2 tanks full of different types of loaches with 2 co-op heaters in each tank. I haven’t had any problems since buying the new co-op heaters months ago and none of my loaches have shown any signs of heater burns. Even my kuhli loaches that get everywhere are o.k. I’ve got my fingers crossed your clown will be fine! Please let us know what happens.

Exactly!! Has anyone ever kept one that didn’t need a time out at least once?

Striata Botia, golden zebra loach, yo-yo loach, Dario loach, red fin botia, and Tiger botia all enjoy water current and snails. Depending on what other fish you have or are planning to get will dictate which ones listed above you should look into. Striata botia are my favorite for community tanks as they don’t get huge, are usually outgoing if kept in groups of 6 or more, don’t fight with each other, and love to eat snails. There are a lot of tetras that enjoy water flow as well and will provide you fish towards the top of your aquarium to balance out the loaches on the bottom. Thank goodness the hobby provides so many options of fish to make all of us happy. Happy fish keeping!

I’ve had this happen as well and I did the 2 part epoxy as well with great results. Usually the frame is siliconed in a couple different spots and getting it off to epoxy the joint deeper is a pain. I’m no expert but I think it should be fine. I hope you get to the easier fishy place you want to be at soon. Good luck!

Makes perfect sense to me! MTS with a plan of action. Outstanding!!