Dwarf Chain loaches (sidthimunkis)

[SarahBravo]

Anyone got any experience with these? I've currently got 7 (very ich infested ) and the 3 guppies are now tail less. Dunno if its the sillymonkeys, or if the diamond tetras are having a go. If they are nippy, would they go in a 'loach only' tank with zebras (lil cuties) and kuhlis OK?

Thanks!

 

[Lateral Line]

I've never had trouble with sidthimunki. They certainly don't put up with any bullying, and will chase off fish much larger then themselves, but that is the limit of their hostility in my experience.

A lot of the tetras, particulaly the larger rounder ones can nip, and being front toothed, can do quite a lot of damage in a short time. Again, that said, Diamonds are at the pretty docile end of the scale.

If there are just the Botias Tetras and Guppys in there, I'd suspect the tetras first. How many tetras are there?

 

[The-Wolf]

guppies can also nip each other.
My experiance with dwarf loaches is the same as LL's
I've not noticed any kind of anti-social behaviour from them.

 

[squirrelrabbits]

I've got several dwarf/chain loaches: never seen a nip from them.

 

[LoachLover]

My friend has a few of them (I personally can't find them in my area) and his aren't very nippy. The only loach that I've known to be really nippy is the skunk loach, but other than that they basically just keep to themselves.

 

[fishman 1]

It could well be the diamond tetras nipping. There are alot of tetras that do this. They are not always as harmless as people think.

You do not mention as to whether any of the fish are new to the tank? This can sometimes determin the culprits.

Maybe the tails have rotted off through a bacterial infection? If the fishes imune system is run down through the itch a secondry infection is quite possible.

My experience with siddies is that they only normally squabble between each other in a group or possibly with corys at feeding time.