Tiger/Green loach = school?

[andyroo]

An importer is asking about green loach (Syncrossus hymenophysa ) - are they better as a single or in a crew?
Does a group offset aggression?

I had a single in something of a school with clowns & orange-fins some years ago, never bothered anybody. My general experiecne has been that the primary species of the school, in this case the clowns, set the aggression-standard, in this case "clown'y" and nice.
Thanks,

 

[Fallen_Leaves16]

I knoe berdmorei does better in large groups (8+; any less and targeted bullying is possible and may end in great injury) as they frequently bicker among themselves and form a hierarchy, paying less attention to other tankmates. Single specimens will try to murder every fish it comes in contact with IME. Large schools seem like the way to go with botids.

 

[Midwater]

Definitely keep as a group.

I have seen these caught. They only exist in medium to large groups, in the murks of the canals and rivers. They enjoy and need the politics.

With Thai and Malay loaches in general, I would suggest no less than twenty. Preferably many more.

You can keep them with other loaches, but they only inter react with their own.

 

[Stephen St.Clair]

I have kept a solo Berdmorei Tiger
Loach for about five years. Started out with nine of them. The dominant Berdmorei systematically killed all the conspecifics.
The Berdmorei does play well with other varieties of Botias.
Never heard anything bad about keeping the Green Tiger. S. Hymenopysa.
Stay away from the other Green Tiger S. Helodes. It was the most aggressive Loach species I've ever kept. Doesn't matter if kept in groups or solo, they are killers.

 

[Midwater]

Stephen St.Clair I have read reports similar to yours about tigers being aggressive. I have never seen it.

I am not saying that you are wrong. I am sure you have seen this aggression.

But I think it is totally unnatural. Loaches especially tigers, are highly social fish, and I have only heard of them being found in groups. Ordinarily, a dominant loach would want to lord it over his minions rather than kill them.

Does this aggression only manifest when there is considerable stress or unnatural conditions. Tigers are generally found in large rivers and artery canals, large warm bodies of water with lots of ground cover

Maybe tigers react badly to too small tanks, tanks without enough cover, or the wrong water conditions.

 

[Stephen St.Clair]

I did keep the group of five S. Helodes in a rather small tank, only 65 gallons. The Berdmorei were kept in a 120 gal. long.
The Helodes did a magnificent job completely eliminating a snail infestation. Afterwards they turned their attention towards butchering their non - Botia tankmates.
I couldn't get rid of them fast enough.
Besides the lone Berdmorei, I keep groups of Y. Modesta & YoYo's. I'm a big fan of the Botias & hope to add more varieties in the future.