loach in cichlid tank

[NetMax]

"Denise" > wrote in message
...
>I have 2 golden loach in my gourami tank that insist on latching on to
>my goldies so I'm going to have move them. Don't really want to put them
>into my community tank as there are a couple of goldies there too. I
>have a rainbow tank but will they do the same thing with my large
>Australian rainbows?
> I also have a Malawi cichlid tank. The ph and hardiness is of course
> different but also will the cichlids attack the loach - much as I'm fed
> up with the bloody things, I don't want to be cruel to them! The other
> option is a tank with geophagus jupari and bush fish (Ctenopoma
> oxyrhynchus I think) in. The bush fish, despite opinions to the
> contrary are very placid so are they going to start latching on to them
> too?


Could you please identify what a 'golden loach' is. 'Common' names are
sometimes isolated to a single store!

If your loach are botia, then my experience has been that they are ok
with the hard water (mine are in 8.4pH 16dgH), though I would not
recommend this as ideal for their best growth conditions. As botia don't
'hang' on to fish, I suspect that you might have one of the algae eaters
which are sometimes called river loaches (very flat, sometimes called a
butterfly loach). I'm going to be guilty of the same thing as you and
not give you any scientific names, but then this is your post ;~). Of
these particular loaches, there are 3 types which commonly make there way
into the retail market and if memory serves, only one is herbivorous and
the other 2 are omnivorous. Adding some variety to their diet might
eliminate their habit of feeding off of the gourami's slime coat. I'd
suggest zucchini and then frozen brine shrimp or bloodworms. Your
loaches might just be very hungry. hth
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Denise]

I have 2 golden loach in my gourami tank that insist on latching on to my
goldies so I'm going to have move them. Don't really want to put them into
my community tank as there are a couple of goldies there too. I have a
rainbow tank but will they do the same thing with my large Australian
rainbows?
I also have a Malawi cichlid tank. The ph and hardiness is of course
different but also will the cichlids attack the loach - much as I'm fed up
with the bloody things, I don't want to be cruel to them! The other option
is a tank with geophagus jupari and bush fish (Ctenopoma oxyrhynchus I
think) in. The bush fish, despite opinions to the contrary are very placid
so are they going to start latching on to them too?

[Denise]

>>I have 2 golden loach in my gourami tank that insist on latching on to my
>>goldies so I'm going to have move them. Don't really want to put them into
>>my community tank as there are a couple of goldies there too. I have a
>>rainbow tank but will they do the same thing with my large Australian
>>rainbows?
>> I also have a Malawi cichlid tank. The ph and hardiness is of course
>> different but also will the cichlids attack the loach - much as I'm fed
>> up with the bloody things, I don't want to be cruel to them! The other
>> option is a tank with geophagus jupari and bush fish (Ctenopoma
>> oxyrhynchus I think) in. The bush fish, despite opinions to the contrary
>> are very placid so are they going to start latching on to them too?
>
>
> Could you please identify what a 'golden loach' is. 'Common' names are
> sometimes isolated to a single store!
>
> If your loach are botia, then my experience has been that they are ok with
> the hard water (mine are in 8.4pH 16dgH), though I would not recommend
> this as ideal for their best growth conditions. As botia don't 'hang' on
> to fish, I suspect that you might have one of the algae eaters which are
> sometimes called river loaches (very flat, sometimes called a butterfly
> loach). I'm going to be guilty of the same thing as you and not give you
> any scientific names, but then this is your post ;~). Of these particular
> loaches, there are 3 types which commonly make there way into the retail
> market and if memory serves, only one is herbivorous and the other 2 are
> omnivorous. Adding some variety to their diet might eliminate their habit
> of feeding off of the gourami's slime coat. I'd suggest zucchini and then
> frozen brine shrimp or bloodworms. Your loaches might just be very
> hungry. hth
> --
> www.NetMax.tk
Hi - the one thing they're not is hungry! They get frozen or live food every
afternoon (and get more than the gouramis do) and different wafers & fish
food daily. The gourami tank is also shared by 5 bumblebee gobies who will
only eat live food.
Must admit not tried zucchini (that's courgette in the UK, yes? I have some
in at the moment so will try).
These are the fish
http://www.sunrise1.plus.com/golden.htm

I'd be grateful to know the Latin name and I'd still rather have them in a
different tank.
Many thanks for the help

[Sue]

These are the little blighters!
http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/algeater.htm
Usually known as sucking loaches in the UK and Chinese algae eaters in the
US!

They get aggressive as they grow and prefer to feed on the slimecoat of
other fish.

I often see them in Malawi tanks - they are cheap and tough and more often
than not it is the only place people can put them. Horrible fish IMO.
If you visit the temperate house at Kew Gardens there is an indoor heated
pond that has loads of them - up to about ten inches long.

HTH
Sue

[NetMax]

"Sue" > wrote in message
...
> These are the little blighters!
> http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/algeater.htm
> Usually known as sucking loaches in the UK and Chinese algae eaters in
> the US!
>
> They get aggressive as they grow and prefer to feed on the slimecoat of
> other fish.
>
> I often see them in Malawi tanks - they are cheap and tough and more
> often than not it is the only place people can put them. Horrible fish
> IMO.
> If you visit the temperate house at Kew Gardens there is an indoor
> heated pond that has loads of them - up to about ten inches long.
>
> HTH
> Sue


Hmm, I wasn't even close.. a golden CAE. Stick em in with the Malawians.
They are much more compatible with each other.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[§tudz]

those would be algae eaters.

not botia

"Denise" > wrote in message
...
>>>I have 2 golden loach in my gourami tank that insist on latching on to my
>>>goldies so I'm going to have move them. Don't really want to put them
>>>into my community tank as there are a couple of goldies there too. I have
>>>a rainbow tank but will they do the same thing with my large Australian
>>>rainbows?
>>> I also have a Malawi cichlid tank. The ph and hardiness is of course
>>> different but also will the cichlids attack the loach - much as I'm fed
>>> up with the bloody things, I don't want to be cruel to them! The other
>>> option is a tank with geophagus jupari and bush fish (Ctenopoma
>>> oxyrhynchus I think) in. The bush fish, despite opinions to the contrary
>>> are very placid so are they going to start latching on to them too?
>>
>>
>> Could you please identify what a 'golden loach' is. 'Common' names are
>> sometimes isolated to a single store!
>>
>> If your loach are botia, then my experience has been that they are ok
>> with the hard water (mine are in 8.4pH 16dgH), though I would not
>> recommend this as ideal for their best growth conditions. As botia don't
>> 'hang' on to fish, I suspect that you might have one of the algae eaters
>> which are sometimes called river loaches (very flat, sometimes called a
>> butterfly loach). I'm going to be guilty of the same thing as you and
>> not give you any scientific names, but then this is your post ;~). Of
>> these particular loaches, there are 3 types which commonly make there way
>> into the retail market and if memory serves, only one is herbivorous and
>> the other 2 are omnivorous. Adding some variety to their diet might
>> eliminate their habit of feeding off of the gourami's slime coat. I'd
>> suggest zucchini and then frozen brine shrimp or bloodworms. Your
>> loaches might just be very hungry. hth
>> --
>> www.NetMax.tk
> Hi - the one thing they're not is hungry! They get frozen or live food
> every afternoon (and get more than the gouramis do) and different wafers &
> fish food daily. The gourami tank is also shared by 5 bumblebee gobies who
> will only eat live food.
> Must admit not tried zucchini (that's courgette in the UK, yes? I have
> some in at the moment so will try).
> These are the fish
> http://www.sunrise1.plus.com/golden.htm
>
> I'd be grateful to know the Latin name and I'd still rather have them in a
> different tank.
> Many thanks for the help
>
>
>