Questions about Loaches - Availability in Australia and Compatability

[Tessa]

Hi everyone, one of my tanks is a 120G containing 3 (soon to be 5) small clown loaches and 2 (soon to be 3) yoyo loaches. I really like loaches as a species and would like to get more. I plan to eventually get a 200G+ tank as the clown loaches grow.
In a 17G tank I have 5 kuhli loaches - I would like to move them to the 120G and add some more kuhlis so they are a bigger group.. are they likely to get picked on by the clowns or yoyos? There are plenty of plants and hiding places..
Also, I have been looking around for more loach breeds and as far as I can tell, the only other breeds allowed/available in Australia are dwarf chain loaches and hillstream loaches. Does anyone know if their are any other loaches available in Australia? And would hillstream or dwarf chain loaches be compatable for my tank?
Thanks

 

[Tessa]

I realise most members here aren't from Australia so won't be able to answer what loaches are available here, but I was hoping someone would have knowledge/experience about keeping different loaches together..?

 

[toddnbecka]

The kuhli's aren't likely to get picked on by the other loaches as long as they have suitable cover, they work the night shift.
Any social species, but more particularly botine loaches, really should be kept in odd-numbered groups of 5 or more.
The dwarf chain loaches are generally more active/aggressive than clowns or yoyo's, not sure how well they'd mix.
Hillstream "loaches" are a different family of fish altogether. Unlike the other types some have been spawned in aquariums. That's simply never going to happen (successfully) with botine loaches, though the kuhli's have also spawned in aquariums a few times.

 

[cheeky_monkey]

The only loaches I've seen available are those you've already mentioned.

My local stocks clown loaches, kuhli loaches, yoyo loaches and dwarfs. Perhaps ask your local what they are able to order in for you.

 

[Tessa]

The kuhli's aren't likely to get picked on by the other loaches as long as they have suitable cover, they work the night shift.
Any social species, but more particularly botine loaches, really should be kept in odd-numbered groups of 5 or more.
The dwarf chain loaches are generally more active/aggressive than clowns or yoyo's, not sure how well they'd mix.
Hillstream "loaches" are a different family of fish altogether. Unlike the other types some have been spawned in aquariums. That's simply never going to happen (successfully) with botine loaches, though the kuhli's have also spawned in aquariums a few times.

Thanks for that info, I might up my group of yoyos from 3 upto 5 then. I'm not even thinking of trying to breed any loaches (yet!), I just want to create an environment that they will be happy and healthy in . Though I would love for my clown loaches to breed, I think that'd make me pretty famous haha.

The only loaches I've seen available are those you've already mentioned.

My local stocks clown loaches, kuhli loaches, yoyo loaches and dwarfs. Perhaps ask your local what they are able to order in for you.

I have been asking all my lfs this, even tried ringing up places over 2 hrs away but so far no luck . One place near me has a beautiful loach with a blue body and red fins (botia modesta?) but unfortunately he is not for sale and the owner of the shop said they're not allowed to import any more in.

I may try adding a school of dwarf chain loaches to my tank after I have finished stocking the clown and yoyo schools... any thoughts on whether it would be ok to add hillstream loaches to this tank?

 

[cheeky_monkey]

I will ask my local guy next time I'm in there if I remember.
I just googled the hillstream, never seen them before but they are gorgeous.

 

[toddnbecka]

Clown loaches have spawned in aquariums. Thing is, they release thousands of tiny eggs that actually absorb water and then increase in size. I'm not sure quite what happens to the eggs, likely eaten by other fish, but none have ever hatched and developed into fry in aquariums. Clown loaches are bred commercially in India in ponds along the sides of the rivers they live in naturally.
Hillstream loaches typically prefer cooler temps than most other aquarium fish, and do require a good turnover of the water to maintain O2 levels high enough for them. I have a group of them in a small tank (20 high) along with some LDA-08 Ancistrus and cherry shrimp. Filtration is a combination of 2 aquaclear HOB filters that do around 200 gph even with the sponge prefilters to keep the shrimp safe and an air-driven sponge filter. They're all fed NLS Grow pellets and occasionally spirulina flake. They all seem to do well enough together, but no fry yet. No heater in the tank, room temp is generally around 70 through the winter, warmer in the summer.