Short-bodied Loach

[littlelouie]

After reading some info on www.loaches.com I would like to compare photos of my loach with yours. I wonder if my guy is a short-bodied one.

Thanks
Louise
ps thanks to Alli for the link


Here's a photo of my loach.

 

[Allivymar]

He (she?) looks ok to me

I noticed the short belly ones kinda look arrowhead-like. Yours has a nice curved topline before it reaches the dorsal fin.

I had wondered about mine as well at first. Then I realised it was just a fat fish LOL:

 

[littlelouie]

Jeez ur quick on ur posts Alli 8O

Looked at both our pics side by side and my one looks a little squared off along the bottom where your one has that fish shape about him/her. U know what I mean?

I have seen them in LFS too and they all seem to have a fish shape.

btw... appx length is 2" not including the tale.
Louise

 

[Allivymar]

LOL Thats cause your guy isn't the greedy fat pig mine is LOL He's the biggest fattest loach in my tank, and I actually thought there was something wrong with him cause his shape is closer to the mature clown shape then my other 2. I wound up posting on loaches.com for some advice LOL

I personally go by the topline, not the bottom. Slender loaches who do not require Weight Watchers generally are straighter on the bottom, but have a curve from the nose to the dorsal fin. Those funky small bodies look like arrows; a straightish line from nose to dorsal. I added another pic of the piggies; maybe it'll be clearer there.

Heh, my timing is occasionally very good. Very Occasionally LOL

 

[littlelouie]

Ok I see now. Must be piggies at the LFS too, or maybe a little older than mine.

Thanks for you response Alli, what do you feed your loaches. I feed mine a variety of flakes, brine shrimp, blood worms, cooked veg eg zucchini & peas.

Louise

 

[Allivymar]

I dunno if its so much what I feed them, as it is what they eat LOL

I got them to take care of my snail problem. Boy, did they ever. I actually keep snails in my QT atm so they have snacks; I initially think thats how they got so fat LOL

I purchased Hikari Tropical sinking wafers for them specifically. Not only do they eat that, they also eat the foods I give the other fish (Bio-Blend pellets, Spectrum pellets, Tetra flake, Hikari algae wafers, freeze dried bloodworms, frozen bloodworms) and they also go rooting for nematodes in my substrate. Actually, there isn't anything they DON'T eat LOL although the sinking wafers seem to be a fav; gets em all clicking. Tomorrow I'm going to try some blanched zucchini (its actually for the plec, but I have a feeling the loaches will be taste testing that too *grin*). The tank is fed 2x a day; occasionally 3 when I throw in a little frozen bloodworm.

Its hard to see in my pics, cause its near impossible to get a decent pic of them in a group, but the largest one is a diff shape then the 2 smaller ones. The smaller ones look more like yours...more stream-lined. The big guy more resembles pics I've seen of mature loaches on loaches.com. Is why I posted there; I thought something was wrong since he didn't look like the others. Apparently, because he's the dominant loach (and there is NO question about that) he is getting more food, so he's fatter and larger then the other 2. Not that they are near maturity; the big guy is almost 3 inches and the smallest about 2.

 

[littlelouie]

Guess its his size then.

Thanks for the info on food, I'll try mine on the Hikari Tropical sinking wafers.