Loaches

[fishyjessie]

Can someone tell me please why my loach is eating my neons? I have never cought him in the act, however, as soon as he was out of the tank, the neons stoped being eaten. I though loaches did good in community tanks. He is the most beautiful fish so I want to keep him around.

 

[platypus]

Hi Jessie,

Do you know what sort of loach it is? If not then this website has pics of most of the common ones.

 

[guppymonkey]

It probably has to do with how big the loach is. Almost any fish will try to eat fish that are small enough to fit in their mouth. Most fish will try to snack on neons if they can get them in their mouths. Even one of my swordtails tries to make sneak attacks on my neons! And I just got mine last night! I think it probably has to do with how small and bright and shiny neons are so they attract attention.

 

[fishyjessie]

It looks like a yoyo loach. He was jsut a baby when i got him, less then an inch long, but now he is huge....almost 3 inches. now he lives off of hamburger and feeder danios. He doesnt like flake food.

 

[platypus]

I have never heard of yoyo loaches eating neons before! HOWEVER I have never owned them myself so I'm definitely no expert! Could it be that your neons are dying because of some other cause and they are getting eaten up once they have died? Have you seen any sign of illness in your neons - like hanging near the surface of the water a lot, breathing heavily, losing colouration especially of their blue strip. How long have you had them and do you know what your water quality is like - ammonia, nitrite levels etc?

Sorry I can't help much, hopefully someone will be along soon who's owned these fellas and can give you more info.

 

[AquaNut]

I have three yo yo loaches, and I don't think I'd try putting them with something as small as neons. I've heard others describe them as being 'playful' and good for community tanks, but mine aren't. Well, I guess you could say they're playful for the way they're always chasing each other, but they're also aggressive and territorial. I used to have silver dollars in the same tank with them, until I caught the yo yo loaches sucking onto the sides of the silver dollars for a little ride around the tank! Don't get me wrong - I love my loaches, but if it weren't for the fact that there are three of them together (they very much like the company of their own kind) and two skunk loaches in there, I think they'd drive the other tank inhabitants insane.

 

[fishyjessie]

The neons are not sick, but unfourtantly their population is down to one So you think it might be good to add another loach to his tank. It might make him happy. Will that resuly in baby loaches?Babies are good
Thanks for all your help guys! Im new to this site and you all are great