YoYo Loaches And Ich?

[CRAIG1591]

Hey Guy's,

Over the past month and a bit I have been thinking about adding 5-6 YoYo (pakistani) loaches to my 180G.

I would like to know just how susceptable YoYo's are to Ich compare to clown loaches or any other fish for that matter?

Thanks
Craig.

 

[aclockworkorange]

They are quite susceptible to ick and velvet. All scaleless fish are, and all loaches seem to have these diseases often.

 

[Lupin]

Not in my experience. They are far less susceptible in comparison to clown loaches. The same salt and heat treatment will work very well with them if ich does happen.

 

[CRAIG1591]

Ok thanks for the fast reply.

The YoYo's I am looking at getting have been at my LFS for about 5 weeks now.
*Has anyone got any tips on trying to reduce the risk of them contracting Ich?
*Should I have my tank at a very high temp before I add them?
*What's the best way to acclimate to avoid Ich?

EDIT:
Anyone got any idea on YoYo's growth rate??

 

[Lupin]

Quarantine them for 3-4 weeks and maintain a temperature of 86 degrees. You must make sure the water is also well aerated since the temperature can deplete oxygen supply. This is all you can do at this point. Ich cannot be avoided entirely but can be prevented from spreading to your older stocks by quarantining the new fish for a sufficient period of time, preferably 3-4 weeks.

 

[Lupin]

Shouldn't take more than a year for them to reach 5-6 inches. They're one of the fastest growing loaches after all.

 

[CRAIG1591]

What's the best way of transferring them from the quarintine tank to the display tank?
Because I don't have my 180G at 86, I have it at about 79.
The YoYo's I'm looking at getting are still only tiny, about 1 inch, does this make them more or less susceptable to Ich?
Thanks Craig.

 

[Lupin]

They're still less susceptible to ich than clown loaches are. Strange but beneficial. I've never seen yoyos hit by white spots at all although they still need to be treated if other tank mates have been hit by these parasites.

When the quarantine period, you can give them another week or two to adjust to decreasing temperature before you move them to the main tank. Doesn't hurt to delay quarantine period for all fish's sake.

 

[CRAIG1591]

Thanks.

Anyone else got any advice for keeping YoYo's??

 

[Lupin]

Of course.

Scientific Name: Botia almorhae
Common name: Yoyo loach, Pakistani loach
Care Level: easy
Size: 6 inches
pH range: 6.0-7.0
Temperature range: 24-28 degrees Celsius (76-82 degrees Fahrenheit)
Origin: Bangladesh, India, Nepal
Temperament: peaceful to slightly aggressive
Compatible Tankmates:
Slow moving and long finned specimens will not be able to handle the feisty nature of these loaches so keeping them with barbs, danios, rasboras and other fast moving species is hugely recommended.
Diet: Meaty foods such as bloodworms, earthworms, snails, mussels and shrimps are appreciated greatly.
Tank Size for Adult: 40g minimum for a group of 3-5.
Narrative:
Botia almorhae is one of the most commonly available loaches in the hobby. It is very fortunate that they grow no more than six inches which makes them quite suitable for smaller aquarium setups (although it should be no smaller than 40 gallons). They are one of the most boisterous loaches. They are not as nocturnal as the other loaches and will often be seen interacting a lot with each other most of the day. They are also recorded to be one of the fastest growing loaches.

No two fish have similar markings. As they grow, you will notice that the patterns between the two loaches tend to differ. Some may eventually develop reticulated patterns branching out from what seemed simple yoyo patterns.

No successful captive breeding has ever been reported despite several female specimens found to be filled with roe. Males usually are identified by the redness found around their mouths.