Unpopular Opinions: Loaches

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

It’s obvious that you have some sort of obsessive compulsion with loaches. But they simply are not monster fish outside of royal clowns, clowns and blue botia.
dojos can be cool especially the ones that Wes sells with the yellow body and black spots.
The others may require stream like conditions and large tanks- but those fish aren’t monsters.
Royal clowns max out around around 18” that’s kind of the min. size for a monster.

Oh yes I do! Couldn't be more proud of it

Depends on what your definition of monster is. My definition for size is a minimum of 20-30 cm (which qualifies weather loaches exactly, for example).
But a fish smaller than this can still be a monster fish in my eyes if it needs a reasonably large tank (at least 243 liters and 1.22m in length, based on Seriously Fish tank size recommendations) and/or is commonly kept on here. That's why I consider, say, pictus catfish or roseline sharks as monster fish even though both are less than 20 cm, and it also applies to the vast majority of loaches less than 20 cm.

Ultimately, no matter what anyone else thinks of loaches being or not being monster fish, now that you explained your point of view, agreeing to disagree is fine.
I'll just go and satisfy my obsessive compulsive loachaholicism by stuffing my 1056 liters of tanks with loaches

 

[Deadeye]

It’s obvious that you have some sort of obsessive compulsion with loaches. But they simply are not monster fish outside of royal clowns, clowns and blue botia.
dojos can be cool especially the ones that Wes sells with the yellow body and black spots.
The others may require stream like conditions and large tanks- but those fish aren’t monsters.
Royal clowns max out around around 18” that’s kind of the min. size for a monster.

To add, size isn’t always what makes a monster. There is a temperament associated. An exodon is more of a monster to me than a clown loach.
And there are monster loaches, but most of them just don’t play on the same field as the big cichlids, pacus, arowana, etc.

I don’t have anything against loaches, just not my cup of tea or go to fish.

 

[PhishMon84]

To add, size isn’t always what makes a monster. There is a temperament associated. An exodon is more of a monster to me than a clown loach.
And there are monster loaches, but most of them just don’t play on the same field as the big cichlids, pacus, arowana, etc.

I don’t have anything against loaches, just not my cup of tea or go to fish.

I would agree with your examples but cannot agree with Denison barbs or pictus cats being monsters. Convicts- absolutely, salvini 100%
Some of these threads should be on aquaria central not MFK

 

[Fishman Dave]

Hahaha, I must admit that when I saw this thread originally I thought started and finished in one day!
But there have been a number of thread messages and to be honest that is a good thing as it brings out discussion and opinions. All of which is good and, as we know, we don’t all have the same.
Such as, learning that you consider monster fish to be anything greater than 20 cm and monster tanks to be anything greater than 1.22 m and 250l then this explains a lot. But is nothing like what I would consider monster, in either case.
A monster fish to me is something around the 18”mark or bigger (and it’s not that simple I know but I’m talking size( I know a fish can have a monster personality but I’m only considering monster in size)). Tank wise, I have two of 250l two of 400l and three of 675l, none of which I consider “monster” tanks, and of course none could house a monster fish.
Just goes to show how opinions differ.
All of this is of course also why I consider that loaches generally do not fall in the class of monster fish in all cases other than the royals.
I still love loaches in all types, and have kept many types over the years and still do, but in my other , “small”, “standard”, “medium” or “large” tanks and not with my monster fish or in my monster fish tank (which is >5000l).

 

[fishdance]

Any fish under a meter isn't a monster fish but there isn't any reason to catagorise and most hobbyists keep lots of different size fish. For example I have around 60 loach tanks as I prefer species only tanks. An aquarium is only 5 panes of glass glued together.

I know people like to think their fish are monsters and no harm doing that if that improves their enjoyment. I think this webpage describes monsterfish moderately well.

Keeping Monster Fish

The aim of this article is to discuss the basic setup and maintenance of Monster fish, those that get over a foot in length (often, much more than two feet)

www.fishlore.com

 

[Midwater]

What has not come up yet, and where loaches become monsters, is that their full character does not show until they are in large groups.

Half a dozen loaches might be interesting, but you don't get the morning cascade and multiple coordinated acrobatics that can fill up even a large tank, unless the swarm is in the right proportion. Fifty chain loaches - or a thousand khulis - in unison, that is a monster.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

What has not come up yet, and where loaches become monsters, is that their full character does not show until they are in large groups.

Half a dozen loaches might be interesting, but you don't get the morning cascade and multiple coordinated acrobatics that can fill up even a large tank, unless the swarm is in the right proportion. Fifty chain loaches - or a thousand khulis - in unison, that is a monster.

Excellent way to put it.
AqAdvisor only permits half a dozen Botia type loach of each species (plus black kuhlis) for my pair of 473 liters, but it lets me go above and beyond in the 473s by allowing for 2 dozen striped kuhlis and in the 110 liter with the dozen dwarves, both well above the traditional half dozen minimum.
Not the amount you're describing, sure, but the general monster effect is still ramped up in that exact same manner. Especially with the striped kuhlis, which in a way is best since they are some of the least monstrous loaches of the species I keep and so ramping themselves up the most fits them the best.

 

[Midwater]