Loachaholics: Express yourselves freely.

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Lupin

Viviendo la vida loca!
MFK Member
Dec 7, 2006
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Lupin Information Super Highway/Goldfish Informati
When you first entered into this particular hobby pertaining to loaches, did you expect keeping the fish to be any easier and fun or did you not like the challenges of keeping these fish at all? From your mistakes, what have you learned so far since you kept them? Do you have any particular reason why you buy loaches? Perhaps to eliminate pesky invertebrates or simply because you adore them?

If you cannot find or afford a particular species you desperately want, how do you hope to get them? Do you like the idea of crossbreeding species of loaches particularly the breeding programs in Russia and Czech Republic where yoyos and clowns have been known to be crossbred (not by natural means but by fertilization in-vitro/DNA splicing whichever method has been done to accomplish such feat)? This is not a debate but a way to get our thoughts across and freely.

Everyone who have short and long term experiences particularly those new to these fish are free to discuss and share their thoughts.
 
I never heard of the cross breeding. That sounds interesting, although I dont really agree with it. Loaches are awesome how they are, there is no point messing them up. I have some good and some bad loache experience stories, but dont have time to tell them right now. I will later tonight, I look foreward hearing to everyones loache stories/experiences/oppinions.
 
I originally got into the "Loach" world by not being able to get syndontis for my Old World Tank (mid 1980's) Got some Skunks and Red Tails (Modestas) and fell in love. Have had all the synodontis and decided to wave by/by to them in favor of my loachs, I do not keep them with Old Wrold due to the water params, but keep them with my New World Warm water tanks...

My 220 has 6x-Modesta(s) and 14x-Skunks(s), they are crazy, and I know what the aggression can be, Skunks are nuts, and Modestas are ok, if you agree with them, but piss em off (mine - at least) and they will show you the door.

I can not afford a big school of Sidthemunki, but am getting a group of 9 anyway....

Spread out over my 5 tanks are:

 6x-Yasuhikotakia modesta (Red Tail Botia)
 14x-Yasuhikotakia morleti (Skunk Botia)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 6x-Botia kubotai (Angelicous Botia)
6x-Botia dario (Queen Botia)
7x-Botio striata (Zebra Botia)
 10x-Botia almorhae (YoYo Botia)

Not to mention at the coming GCCA Swap I have Pre Ordered

10x-Botia almorhae (YoYo Botia)
9x-Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki

and have a buddy bringing me up from Texas some

 10x-Golden Zebra (Botia histrionica)

 I have learned from my many talks with Rallysman that there is a few Loach Freaks here, (ewurm, JDMan, Lupin) and I come here for advice and the best way to keep my babies happy. I have a true Loach Addiction! There is something so relaxing about loaches man, in this economy, with all the stress that comes from the 9-5, even keeping a job (lucky I still have one) I find that my most enjoyable "Chi" time comes when I just mellow the "F" out and watch my shoal(s) and my Geos....

I don't know how I would feel about the hybrid, as it is a forced hybrid unlike some of the things that happen in our many tanks, I never would consider myself, Main-Stream and anti hybrid, but this one would confuse me, I'd have to think about that one...

Oh why don't I have Clowns? Clowns are super kewl, I love em, but everybody has clowns, and when I do start a shoal, It will have to be oddballs/spots/rare...Plus I am a different egg...I love my loaches, too much my wife will tell you...

 This is just my .02, hope I stayed on course, I love my Lil Shoal!

 Nuthman~
:D
 
When you first entered into this particular hobby pertaining to loaches, did you expect keeping the fish to be any easier and fun or did you not like the challenges of keeping these fish at all?
NOpe.

From your mistakes, what have you learned so far since you kept them?
Never keep them with bichirs and cichlids
Do you have any particular reason why you buy loaches?
They look cool
Perhaps to eliminate pesky invertebrates or simply because you adore them?
I adore them

If you cannot find or afford a particular species you desperately want, how do you hope to get them?
I don't know

Do you like the idea of crossbreeding species of loaches particularly the breeding programs in Russia and Czech Republic where yoyos and clowns have been known to be crossbred (not by natural means but by fertilization in-vitro/DNA splicing whichever method has been done to accomplish such feat)? This is not a debate but a way to get our thoughts across and freely.
It is just ok

Everyone who have short and long term experiences particularly those new to these fish are free to discuss and share their thoughts.
 
Almost 30 years ago, we tried to keep a clown loach in a 29g :banher:our "big second tank". Poor thing got ick & died. Tried again, same thing. Then our LFS suggested we try chain loaches. There were only 2 but we fell in love :hearts:. Next we had 2 skunks but they were little monsters :FIREdevil

We gave away our fish when we moved cross country & for more than 20 years we asked about our beloved sidthimunkis. Most shops shrugged, a couple said "I think they're endangered".

We became better fish keepers & successfully kept clowns but again gave them away when we had to move :cry:

When it was time for fish again we thought we saw sids in a new lfs but they turned out to be nigrolineata, a new species to us. I did a lot of internet searching, found loaches.com. A year later we found sids :WHOA:! Skinny tiny sids! Then more new species! Zebras & tigers & mooseheads, oh my! I am careful to research new loaches, passing up "panther loaches" when I couldn't identify them, don't want any more little monsters (without knowing anyway :naughty:).

As far as hybrids go... I'm not sure I want to own any. But without hormone injection there would be virtually no sids at all. I'm not sure "mini-clowns" are a bad idea but I think fish buyers should KNOW what they are getting & choose for themselves.

After over 20 YEARS of waiting for sids, I can say I've got gratification postponement down pat :D
 
I feel your pain on the Sid's....I have not waited as long as you, but looking forward to my shoal of 9...joining the mellow loach tank....

Loaches, they are my "Chi" man.....
 
im new to loaches.. always enjoyed them just never kept them.. i decided to start with clowns simply because
-they are very active
-shouldnt kill each other
-work well in large groups
-wont kill anything/everything i put with them
-shouldnt eat my plecos eyes
-they play well with others
-they click which i still think is the most amazing thing ever
-they use the whole tank
-someone is always looking for them if i ever decide to go with something else
-they like to explore
-they all look the same so its sorta like having my own clone army
 
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