Cories And Loaches?

[**sarahp**]

I am in the process of cycling my tank and am currently looking at stocking options.

The tank is a 121x50x70.5cm Rena, approx 400 ish litres and has a sand substrate with bogwood and live plants. I MUST have cories in there cos I've seen them in the LFS and they are hilarious little things. Ideally I would like Julii and Sterbai cories 5 or 6 of each. But I also want some loaches - preferably zebra loaches, maybe 3 or 4 and a starlight bristlenose pleco.

So my question - is that too many bottomdwellers for the size of tank?

The other fish I am considering are blue gourami, rainbows, angels and guppies. What d'ya think??

 

[poopsydrew]

I am in the process of cycling my tank and am currently looking at stocking options.

The tank is a 121x50x70.5cm Rena, approx 400 ish litres and has a sand substrate with bogwood and live plants. I MUST have cories in there cos I've seen them in the LFS and they are hilarious little things. Ideally I would like Julii and Sterbai cories 5 or 6 of each. But I also want some loaches - preferably zebra loaches, maybe 3 or 4 and a starlight bristlenose pleco.

So my question - is that too many bottomdwellers for the size of tank?

The other fish I am considering are blue gourami, rainbows, angels and guppies. What d'ya think??

Sound great. Your tank is plenty big for the corys,zebra loaches and bn pleco. You could get away with a few more bottom dwellers. I also love me some corys, good luck with the tank.

Drew

Edit-Just noticed your other fish you are considering. If the blue gourami is a dwarf gourami I wouldnt go for that. Dwarf gouramis are notoriously diseased and rarely make it for very long. And I would be careful with the angelfish and guppies as things could get nippy. Just something to put into consideration before you get them.

 

[**sarahp**]

Thanks

Sound great. Your tank is plenty big for the corys,zebra loaches and bn pleco. You could get away with a few more bottom dwellers.

Excellent!!! More corys it is then Or maybe another bn pleco - ooohhhhh decisions decisions!!!!!!

If the blue gourami is a dwarf gourami I wouldnt go for that.

No its the opaline I want

And I would be careful with the angelfish and guppies as things could get nippy. Just something to put into consideration before you get them.

Its the OH that wants the angels - I'm hoping when he sees the rainbows he'll get over the angels LOL!!!!

Thanks for your help

 

[poopsydrew]

No problem. Sounds like a great tank. Im sure your OH will give in once he sees the rainbowfish, there are so many spectacular kinds of rainbowfish. Good luck.

Drew

 

[halfbloodprincess]

I have corys and loaches in the same tank. They are great. Both have the best attitudes! Your tank will be awesome.

 

[**sarahp**]

I have corys and loaches in the same tank. They are great. Both have the best attitudes! Your tank will be awesome.

Excellent! Hope when its finished the tank looks as good in real life as it does in my head

 

[jollysue]

I wouldn't put my Cories with angels. I wouldn't keep Cories with any aggressive fish, such as a Cichlid, with the exception of an apistogramma colony like cockatoos.

Cories and loaches will sometimes do the Cory/loach dance together if the Cories feel secure enough to come out to the party.

 

[Coryman]

Sorry to be contradictive, but Corys and loaches, are bottom dwellers coming from two totally different continents, there reactions to each others actions and signals do not necessarily mean the same thing at the do to there own kind. Here I refer to Botias rather than the Nemacheilus or Pangio types. There can and often is conflict, which is usually instigated by the loaches. They are after all, competing for the same food. Botia's can be aggressive and are equipped with hard mouths and cycle like knives below the eyes, which are deployed as weapons when they feel threatened or are attacking another fish.

I know many of you have and do keep these fish together without any obvious signs of a problem, but I have actually seen B. sidthimunki, possibly the smallest of the Botias, take eyes out of Corys.

My advise is be careful and watchful.

Ian

 

[poopsydrew]

Sorry to be contradictive, but Corys and loaches, are bottom dwellers coming from two totally different continents, there reactions to each others actions and signals do not necessarily mean the same thing at the do to there own kind. Here I refer to Botias rather than the Nemacheilus or Pangio types. There can and often is conflict, which is usually instigated by the loaches. They are after all, competing for the same food. Botia's can be aggressive and are equipped with hard mouths and cycle like knives below the eyes, which are deployed as weapons when they feel threatened or are attacking another fish.

I know many of you have and do keep these fish together without any obvious signs of a problem, but I have actually seen B. sidthimunki, possibly the smallest of the Botias, take eyes out of Corys.

My advise is be careful and watchful.

Ian

Very informative and good to know coryman I was aware of their origins but not of the aggression you say you have observed. Certainly, I have seen the loaches become over "playful" with the corys, but the corys seem to "play" back and there are never injuries. I actually took my loaches out because for some reason they became aggressive with my gouramis, which I thought was extremely odd. For someone who breeds or is extremely interested in corys, im sure loaches are a no go. However, for the average hobbyist I see no major problem with keeping a less aggressive species of Botia with Corys. Sorry to hear about your poor Corys eyes

Drew

 

[jollysue]

Some Botia are aggressive and can get mean. It is always important to make distinctions with fish, which I suppose we were not precise about. I have my peppers and an escaped Pulcher variant #3 in the 100 usg community tank with 3 zebra/B. straita and 3 queens/B. dario. They do dance together and play together. The tank bottom is a large footprint, and they are well fed with black worms, a variety of flakes, and bottom wafers/pellets. I have seen no difficulties at all with these species together, even though they also share the same caves, etc. I deliberately chose the species that are considered to be non-aggressive and shunned the ones that have reputations for getting mean.

The tank is a planting soil mix with live plants and plastic, a multitude of caves, and hidey holes, 2 Emporer 400's and an Ehiem Pro with a UV Turbo twist.

Do you see a problem with this set up, Ian? I have been told that the queens and zebras are not aggressive and do no harm

 

[Coryman]

As I said they may all get on great but there is the potential for a disaster, if for any reason the Botia's start to get territorial or breeding urges take over, just be watchful.

Ian

 

[jollysue]

Thanks! ok, will do.

 

[Coomon10]

Hi

One of my cories has a a red mark on it and i wonder if it might be from my clown loaches? The mark is on it side and is like one of the 'strips' has gone missing leaving a blood red strip along the side of the cory.

Will it be ok mending on its own as long as i keep the water especially clean, and do we think it might be the loaches? I am planning to add some additional plants and bogwood so i guess this might help if it is some sort of compatability/food sharing problem

 

[jollysue]

It is hard to speculate on a diagnosis or cause. I personally have not had any trouble with clowns and Corys. A red streak could be different things from septicema to a bruise.