Banded Tiger Loaches and Berdmore Loach

[TheEelKing]

Has anyone ever kept them? Tank mates? What was your experience with them? Etc...

https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/syncrossus-berdmorei/

and

https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/syncrossus-helodes/

 

[Stephen St.Clair]

I currently keep one 3" Berdmorei Botia along with four Y. Modesta Botias in my African Cichlid tank. I originally started out with eight 1" juvenile Berdmoreis. The biggest most dominant male bullied it's siblings so intensely that they refused to come out of hiding even to eat, and eventually starved. I've read similar stories about Berdmoreis.
I once kept five S. Helodes. They grew fast and were incredibly "mean" & fearless. Those Tigers will attack anything big or small. I couldn't rehome them fast enough.
My lone Berdmorei gets along great with the Modesta Loaches and the Cichlids.

 

[beau1990]

I agree with Stephen St.Clair i have a solo tiger and he’s incredibly ballsy over all very beautiful fish very active oh and btw Stephen St.Clair thanks for helping with the Id bud I can’t remember if I told you but my lfs sold mine to me as a yo yo. My tiger is presently the smallest fish in his tank but he doesn’t know he’s the smallest he pals around with my 8-9” dojo loach or he chases, yes the tiny tiger chases my oscars

 

[TheEelKing]

I currently keep one 3" Berdmorei Botia along with four Y. Modesta Botias in my African Cichlid tank. I originally started out with eight 1" juvenile Berdmoreis. The biggest most dominant male bullied it's siblings so intensely that they refused to come out of hiding even to eat, and eventually starved. I've read similar stories about Berdmoreis.
I once kept five S. Helodes. They grew fast and were incredibly "mean" & fearless. Those Tigers will attack anything big or small. I couldn't rehome them fast enough.
My lone Berdmorei gets along great with the Modesta Loaches and the Cichlids.View attachment 1349016

What did you keep the Helodes with that they were attacking? Would these two loach species attack a clown knife, datnoid, endlicheri bichirs, and severums if they all grow up together?

I agree with Stephen St.Clair i have a solo tiger and he’s incredibly ballsy over all very beautiful fish very active oh and btw Stephen St.Clair thanks for helping with the Id bud I can’t remember if I told you but my lfs sold mine to me as a yo yo. My tiger is presently the smallest fish in his tank but he doesn’t know he’s the smallest he pals around with my 8-9” dojo loach or he chases, yes the tiny tiger chases my oscars

So, this sounds like a fish species that would not confine the aggression within a school if you got a large number of them. A question to both of you, what size tanks do you/did you keep these fish in when they gave you so much trouble? I'm just wondering if a large tank plus a large school of them would help to mellow them out.

 

[Stephen St.Clair]

I kept the Helodes in a 65 gal tank with a male juvenile Rivulatus, juvenile male Jack Dempsey a few Salvinis and various large Tetras. The Berdmoreis were kept in a 120 gal.
I don't think Helodes will coexist with any other variety of fish upon reaching adulthood. You probably wouldn't have trouble with a Berdmorei regarding the listed group of fish.

 

[TheEelKing]

I kept the Helodes in a 65 gal tank with a male juvenile Rivulatus, juvenile male Jack Dempsey a few Salvinis and various large Tetras. The Berdmoreis were kept in a 120 gal.
I don't think Helodes will coexist with any other variety of fish upon reaching adulthood. You probably wouldn't have trouble with a Berdmorei regarding the listed group of fish.

Thanks.

How large is your berdmoreis now? Would you say he's too large to be eaten by an adult clown knife? Do they grow large enough to live with large bichir species like the encheri bichir and large clown knives?

 

[Stephen St.Clair]

My Berdmorei is a little more than 3". They are incredibly fast swimmers, can squeeze into tiny holes & crevaces and can hold their own against most varieties of aquarium fish. I'd start out with one of at least 3". At that size not much chance of being an expensive dinner. Lol.

 

[TheEelKing]

My Berdmorei is a little more than 3". They are incredibly fast swimmers, can squeeze into tiny holes & crevaces and can hold their own against most varieties of aquarium fish. I'd start out with one of at least 3". At that size not much chance of being an expensive dinner. Lol.

Thanks for all your information!

 

[Rdurha1]

Berdmorei loaches are awsome! I have a Shoal of 12 (+ a big Blue that thinks hes a berdmorei). Have kept them with Exodons, Rope Fish, King Kong Parrot, Synodontis, Belly Crawler SP. They are a sight to see and hear in a shoal, zipping and clicking around the tank expecially around feeding time. My biggest ones are probally around 6-7".

 

[Rdurha1]

Just out of curiosity does anyone know the breeding habits of Berdmorei, I know that they are not known to breed in captivity, "but" I swear 2 from my shoal have paired off chasing each other in circles and flashing against each other. I only ask because it so closely resembles what it looks like when my cichlids do the deed!!!