Exactly How Aggressive Are Yo-yo And Skunk Loaches?

[kelp]

I'm pretty sure that Zebra Loaches are all-around peaceful, but what about yo-yo and skunk loaches? I would like to keep some zebra loaches, but I just cannot find them in my area. I can find yo-yo and skunk loaches, though. How aggressive are they? I've read that they can be pretty "chasy", and since they both hang around the bottom, would they just have a complete war with each other?

 

[djloach]

I'm pretty sure that Zebra Loaches are all-around peaceful, but what about yo-yo and skunk loaches? I would like to keep some zebra loaches, but I just cannot find them in my area. I can find yo-yo and skunk loaches, though. How aggressive are they? I've read that they can be pretty "chasy", and since they both hang around the bottom, would they just have a complete war with each other?

I don't have first hand experience with either loach but it is my understanding that skunk loaches are quite agressive and can be aggressive towards other fish and aren't the best for a community tank. Yo-yo loach aggressiveness is more directed towards each other than to other species of fish. So long as you have a big enough tank (they should be in groups) and enough hiding places for them you should be OK. They will still fight and establish a pecking order but smaller and less dominant loaches will just take refuge in one of those hiding spots.

 

[Breeze7050]

I don't have any experience with Skunk loaches, but I do have 4 yoyo loaches in a heavily bottom stocked tank. They don't mess with anyone! I have 5 cories, 1 bristenose, 2 pictus, 2 CAE and the loaches that all cover the bottom. The loaches never bother anyone, but they do chase each other around all over the place! it seems to be more playful than anything. People say that once older they will get aggressive about food, I have not seen this with my yoyos and my biggest is about 4 inches. Assuming there are enough hiding spots, rock caves, driftwood, ect and enough bottom pellets/sinking food you shouldn't have a problem!

 

[Lateral Line]

Skunk Loaches are aggressive out of all proportion to their size. They are mean little sods, and don't mind if what they are chasing is 2-3 times their size. YoYo's are pretty harmless, but get a lot bigger then Skunks or Zebras.

 

[deni]

I got yo-yo loaches when I couldn't find zebra ones and I wouldn't be without them! I have three, I understand that in groups of three or more aggression is spread out but I haven't seen any real aggression. The biggest will chase the others away from food and they all get excited at food time and charge around the tank. At other times they play 'follow the leader' or chill out together under the same plant. As far as I can see they're fine as long as there's enough food to share (I scatter sinking pellets or wafers in a few different places), and the tank is big enough (and has plenty of hiding places) for them to keep out of each other's way if they want to. They bothered my bristlenose when he was tiny and I had to chase them way while he was eating but now he's bigger and can take care of himself! They've never taken any notice of any of my other fish. Possibly shy or slow-moving fish like gouramis may be bothered by them as they're on the go most of the time.

 

[who-izzet]

I've had lots of different loaches and found the yo-yo loach isn't very aggressive (I had 8 huge ones a few years back), they are extremely playfull but I found 2 problems with them. 1. Don't ever leave a baby trap tank in with them because they pull the babies out by their tails, leaving just heads and 2. We had a power cut here that lasted over 24hrs, I wasn't at home that day and when I came back the whole lot had died. The temperature was around 70c.

I had 1 skunk loach and never again. Nasty little devil bit just about everything. They go round the tank clicking and chases everything in sight.