Yoyo Loaches

[Khuligirl93]

I got 2 yoyo loaches about a month ago, and I absolutely love the little guys. After reading more about them I realized they like to be in groups a bit bigger though, should I get 2 more?
36 gal tank
Lightly planted, with tons of driftwood, sand substrate
Other inhabitants: 1 angel, 1 BN pleco, 1 opaline gourami, 3 mollies.

My tank:

 

[Stewy]

With my limited experience with yoyo's, I would say that it is going to be preference. The first time that I had yoyo's, I had two and they were fine. I would say that the biggest issue is that they can be skittish and hide a lot. In a larger group they seem to tend to mellow a little bit. The two I had were very skittish and would dart across the tank and hide whenever I walked into the room. When I added more, they calmed...a little. They would still all scatter, but they did not remain hidden as often or as long. Looking at your current stock, I would say you are pretty close to the maximum side but again, this is going to be based on your preference as I have seen people keep tanks super overstocked in my opinion yet because they had a insane water change schedule, they never had a problem. If you have a filter that is sufficient, your loaches are not going to complain about more relatives for company. If they seem to be active and not spook super easy...its up to you. A lot of fish that prefer groups are often kept as singles or doubles without a problem. Cories are a prime example. Ultimately its going to be your call.

 

[Khuligirl93]

Thanks for the reply
Right now the 2 I have are pretty skittish. When I approach the tank they will dart behind their favorite rock and huddle together, sometimes one of them will peek his little face out to look at me, but if I stay still, after a few minutes they'll relax and come out again.
I really do love them so I would be inclined to get a couple more- but my main concern would be for their adult size.

 

[Delapool]

Thanks for the reply
Right now the 2 I have are pretty skittish. When I approach the tank they will dart behind their favorite rock and huddle together, sometimes one of them will peek his little face out to look at me, but if I stay still, after a few minutes they'll relax and come out again.
I really do love them so I would be inclined to get a couple more- but my main concern would be for their adult size.

I think mine are 10cm (4in) after 9 mths. I have 4 and 3 hang around together and will follow along the tank. I suspect having the 4 makes a difference but got the 4 as a group.

 

[toddnbecka]

Actually, add 3 more, odd numbers are much better. Not a problem with overstocking that tank, they don't grow too large, 3-4" average adult size. Personally I prefer the kubotai, have a group of 9 in my 220.

 

[Khuligirl93]

Actually, add 3 more, odd numbers are much better. Not a problem with overstocking that tank, they don't grow too large, 3-4" average adult size. Personally I prefer the kubotai, have a group of 9 in my 220.

Really? I've been reading 6" and have seen photos of really big ones. But that's encouraging, I'll definitely get at least a couple more next time I go to the LFS. Those kubotai are really cool looking, but I don't think anywhere near me carries them.

 

[toddnbecka]

Your mileage may vary, but I've rarely seen yoyo's that large.

 

[Khuligirl93]

Great, thanks
If anyone else has any tips or just stories about their experiences with these little guys, I'd love to hear them!

 

[Khuligirl93]

Some sources are saying yoyos aren't compatible with tetras- has anyone experienced this? It seems like because they spend 90% of their time on the bottom hiding in the driftwood or rummaging around in the sand, this wouldn't be an issue..

 

[Delapool]

Some sources are saying yoyos aren't compatible with tetras- has anyone experienced this? It seems like because they spend 90% of their time on the bottom hiding in the driftwood or rummaging around in the sand, this wouldn't be an issue..

I have them with neons and cardinals and they all get on fine. Even when I had a solitary cardinal in the tank they all got ok.

 

[Khuligirl93]

Thanks, that's encouraging since I'm considering adding a school of neons to their tank. I just can't imagine the little guys hurting any other fish!

 

[toddnbecka]

Ya, I kept tetras a bit larger than neons with some young kubotai a few years ago. The tetras disappeared one by one over a period of a few weeks. No corpses, they must have eaten them completely. The red-tail botia is also trouble IME. I picked one up for snail control in a 55, and it was fine for a good while, then I started losing rainbows. Couldn't understand how/why until I found a freshly dead male actually in the red-tail's "cave". Returned the red-tail to the lfs, and the strange deaths stopped.

 

[Khuligirl93]

Wow that crazy. I've even read the kubotais are less aggressive than yoyos

 

[kirstos]

I have three and they are fantastic! I love them and agree with the comment earlier that odd numbers are better

 

[Khuligirl93]

Hmmm I'm getting conflicting experiences here- haha. Maybe I'll try doing a school of WCMMs with them, since they stay towards the surface more than neons in my experience. My tank is pretty tall, and has tons of driftwood on the bottom for the yoyos to play in so maybe those factors will lower the chances of them picking off any small fish.

 

[Rivercats]

I kept yo-yo loaches in my 220g for about a year and a half with small fish and 12 big angels. I had some cardinal tetras that came in at about 3/8", I swear the tiniest I've ever dealt with and never had any losses from the yo-yo's or angels. Most of my fish are small in the 220g. I replaced the yo-yo's with Angelicus a few months ago. I have cardinal, rummynose, diamond, and kerri tetra's in the 220 and the loaches never bothered or killed any. I had a couple very small rams that were barely out of the fry stage in with them and Rachovii killi's that also weren't bothered. In fact I noticed if the yo-yo's pestered anyone it was the large angels. The yo-yo's would swim around the angels and tickle them with their barbels which drove the angels crazy. They were mischievous not aggressive.

 

[Delapool]

I kept yo-yo loaches in my 220g for about a year and a half with small fish and 12 big angels. I had some cardinal tetras that came in at about 3/8", I swear the tiniest I've ever dealt with and never had any losses from the yo-yo's or angels. Most of my fish are small in the 220g. I replaced the yo-yo's with Angelicus a few months ago. I have cardinal, rummynose, diamond, and kerri tetra's in the 220 and the loaches never bothered or killed any. I had a couple very small rams that were barely out of the fry stage in with them and Rachovii killi's that also weren't bothered. In fact I noticed if the yo-yo's pestered anyone it was the large angels. The yo-yo's would swim around the angels and tickle them with their barbels which drove the angels crazy. They were mischievous not aggressive.

Same here - more curious. Even fry are ok. I did get them to get rid of snails though and they are all gone but they were little pond snails.

 

[Rivercats]

I added the very small rams so they weren't fry in that tank. Now the yo-yo's always ate eggs if they could get to them but the Angelicus seem to leave them alone.

 

[Khuligirl93]

I do like the angelicus botias better, but they're so much more expensive :/

 

[Khuligirl93]

Well, I put my 5 White Cloud Mountain Minnows in the tank with them and they have been disappearing one by one.. I think I may have to return my little loaches