7 replies to this topic

[diannpf]

I have my loaches now yipppeeee. I also have tiger barbs (anyone wnat them, i think they are like paranas and i dont like them...) and 2 silver sharks and 2 bristlenoses. We have a malowie tank but the electric blue girl is a bit smaller than the rest and seems to be getting bullied. We have put her into a small tank on her own till she recovers but i was just wondering can i put her in my tank or will she be too aggressive with my fish, especially my loaches?

[rwillox]

What loaches?

Personally I would not suggest mixing them. Loaches are placid fish and cichlids are not so much. Especially if the loaches are small they are likely to get bullied a lot by the cichlids.

Must remember also that loaches are from Asia while Electric Blues are from Africa. People keep clown loaches in cichlid tanks all the time but it is not something a lot of people recommend.

[diannpf]

i have clown laoches and soon will get some pakistani ones too but they are quiet small at the moment. I just thought id put the blue in there because she is getting bullied by the bigger fish in the other tank.

[rwillox]

I would not put Botia almorhae (pakistani/yoyo loach) in with them - Most of what you can buy are tiny and will get bullied or perhaps even killed. If it is only a small female then it might (stress might) be ok for a short time (a day or so) but not over the long term.

The water requirement for them both are quite different. Loaches can be stressed very easily if not in water conditions that suit them and this can lead quickly to disease. Changing the temp etc around to accommodate the eb could stress them.

Click Here for an article from loaches.com about why not to keep loaches and malawi's together.

[dazzabozza]

With african cichlids in general if you can spread the aggression evenly you'll be okay (meaning a large number of fish). Put a couple of cichlids into a tank with timid community fish you're likely to get issues. I keep clown and paki loaches in with my malawis and have no issues, if anything they make great scavengers. All these tanks are heavily populated though.

Daz

[dazzabozza]

Had a read of the loach article and its written quite well. Most of it refers to the conditions found in the wild though. If you check your pH, hardness & temperature of your current tanks are they that different? Many hobbiest's keep their tanks pH the same or similiar to their tap water. So if your tanks have similar conditions as each other already then there's going to be little impact to the fish if you were to relocate it. Aggression will be the key factor.

Instead of moving the EB have you considered keeping her in a small enclosure/breeding trap in the same tank as the rest of the cichlids?

This is what I use -



Daz

[rwillox]

With african cichlids in general if you can spread the aggression evenly you'll be okay (meaning a large number of fish). Put a couple of cichlids into a tank with timid community fish you're likely to get issues. I keep clown and paki loaches in with my malawis and have no issues, if anything they make great scavengers. All these tanks are heavily populated though.

Daz

Kept large clown loaches in a malawi tank (was quite well stocked) and they were fine. If they tanks are kept in similar conditions then yeh doubt it would be an issue.

Dazza's suggestion of the breeding net in the cichlid tank is a good suggestion.

[Neakit]

i have found that clown loaches can keep their own in an agressive tank, i have had some tiny ones in with some sub adult polystigma and the loaches are still with me today(sold the poly's).