Clown Loaches and Frontosa

[driftwood]

Fronts won't be really happy with very active fish swimming about.

Thats my feeling too. I'm moving them into another tank this weekend.

 

[cguarino30]

The pH of the tank won't really be ideal for loaches. I doubt loaches will bother the frontosa, but I don't recommend African Cichlids and Loaches together because of pH issues.

I've always thought so, too, but I've seen quite a few VERY healthy, and large clown loaches that had been raised in otherwise authentic Rift Lake setups (pH 8+). Everyone tells me that as long as they grow up in that water, they should be fine, but you can't acclimate older fish into it.

 

[ozz465]

I've always thought so, too, but I've seen quite a few VERY healthy, and large clown loaches that had been raised in otherwise authentic Rift Lake setups (pH 8+). Everyone tells me that as long as they grow up in that water, they should be fine, but you can't acclimate older fish into it.

I agree as well , i have a mix species tank with fronts and loaches , everyone is doing fine , feeding and all is good. most of the problems show up if the fish are wild cauth, captive breed fish seem to fair better( im talking about the frontosa) mine are not kept in a high ph water and are thriving.

 

[driftwood]

I agree as well , i have a mix species tank with fronts and loaches , everyone is doing fine , feeding and all is good. most of the problems show up if the fish are wild cauth, captive breed fish seem to fair better( im talking about the frontosa) mine are not kept in a high ph water and are thriving.

While reading some replys on this post I started thinking back to when i first got into this hobby many years ago. I had your standard 6 band frontosa in a 150 gallon tank with clown loaches and I kept this tank set up for years when all of a sudden all of the loaches died off. When i first posted this topic i was concerned about the loaches killing the baby frontosa but after reading some responses I realized my loaches died years ago and now i think i know why. They couldn't tollerate the PH after so long in the tank with the fronts. Anyway I moved the loaches into a south american tank just to be on the safe side. Every bit of info i get on loaches says they do best in a PH of 6-7.

 

[ewurm]

While reading some replys on this post I started thinking back to when i first got into this hobby many years ago. I had your standard 6 band frontosa in a 150 gallon tank with clown loaches and I kept this tank set up for years when all of a sudden all of the loaches died off. When i first posted this topic i was concerned about the loaches killing the baby frontosa but after reading some responses I realized my loaches died years ago and now i think i know why. They couldn't tollerate the PH after so long in the tank with the fronts. Anyway I moved the loaches into a south american tank just to be on the safe side. Every bit of info i get on loaches says they do best in a PH of 6-7.

I've gotten some loaches from a Rift Lake tank at the store, their skin was spotty with what looked like deposits. I don't think hard water is appropriate for these fish, and I think you made a good choice.

 

[Lupin]

pH isn't an issue and we refer to it as acidic/alkaline. KH and GH are hence soft to moderately hard water are much more preferred compared to the stone hard water needed by frontosas.

 

[driftwood]

I've gotten some loaches from a Rift Lake tank at the store, their skin was spotty with what looked like deposits. I don't think hard water is appropriate for these fish, and I think you made a good choice.

The loaches weren't messing with the Frontosa at all, just acting really skittish and freaking them out. I just remembered what happened years ago to my other loaches, i never really knew why they all just died off all of a dudden but now looking back i think it was the PH. Right now the baby Frontosa are doing much better now that the loaches are in another tank.