Some questions about Dwarf Chain Loaches.

[Lavender]

So, first off, I just discovered these cute little fish today. Scrolling through aquahuna, found them. They’re adorable, and I want 12 of them in my 75 gallon. However, I need some clarification.

Would these fish be severe fin-nippers in a 75 gallon? I heard from some sites that they were, and some that they would be fine. I’m hoping for a betta in this tank, and while I’m willing to get a halfmoon plakat or female, I’d prefer a veiltail. It’s a standard-size 75, so it’s doubtful the betta will even see them half the time, but I do want to make sure. 

Would they get along with kuhli loaches? I heard someplace that loaches didn’t get along with other loaches.

Would a Bolivian Ram attack them? As far as I can tell, their only flaw is being a bit curious, but I want two pairs of Bolivian rams in this tank. I don’t care about breeding, and don’t want them to have fry. However, I also don’t want my loaches hurt. Will they attack?

Edited July 12 by Lavender

[nabokovfan87]

I'm not sure if you've read this, but I wanted to share.

https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/ambastaia-sidthimunki/
 

Quote

This species is generally considered to be an excellent choice for the community aquarium, but caution should possibly be exercised since conflicting observations exist. While some aquarists consider it to be peaceful over the long-term others report the opposite, with sedentary or long-finned fishes most at risk.

Typical injuries supposedly involve missing eyes or chunks of finnage, but it is unclear why this occurs in some cases and not others, and genuine proof remains lacking. It is therefore difficult to make recommendations; at the least we suggest that this species is unsuitable for smaller aquaria and should be maintained in as large a group as possible (see below).

Ambastaia spp. are gregarious and appear to form complex social hierarchies. They should be maintained in groups of at least 5 or 6 specimens, preferably 10 or more. When kept singly they can become withdrawn or aggressive towards similarly-shaped fishes, and if only a pair or trio are purchased the dominant individual may stress the other(s) to the extent that they stop feeding.

That said, they seemingly require regular contact with conspecifics, and this is exemplified by a number of behavioural rituals which have been recorded consistently in aquaria (see ‘Notes’).

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/11/2023 at 6:31 PM, Lavender said:

I heard someplace that loaches didn’t get along with other loaches.

Most cypranidae are this way.  These guys are part of the same order, Cypriniformes, and likely have similar behavior traits.  This is just trying to show dominance most of the time, but it can get really nasty and they don't have a quit button when they decide they don't want a certain fish in their territory.  This is where size of the tank and hardscape design can really help.  My RTBS was very intolerant of some of the SAEs that I had in the tank, especially the larger females.  This same behavior is also shown in barbs and other species of that same cypranidae family.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I have 12 in a 45 g. They share it with corys and plecos. They’ve done well. No issues. I have them With a dojo loach. They’ve controlled my snail population very well. 

What’s not to love! 

[Lavender]

Well, I think I’ve probably got a good chance of having it work out. It’s got heavy planting, lots of room, and I plan to have a lot of loaches on both sides. I do have a tank to relocate the betta if he gets nipped/stressed. Will be doing more research, however. Worried my Kuhli loaches will be intimidated with them.

Has anyone tried Bolivian rams or another similar dwarf cichlid with these?

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

They hide too well. I had a pair of kribs. They’d grab food and pull it just outside their cave. They’d then go off and while away the kuhlis would feed on their food and then in a nanosecond be gone like f’ing ninjas 🥷 and as soon as the kribs were gone again nom nom nom! I never saw them get caught.