Sand Loach

[icy]

I had a very stable tank everything was thriving, stocked up with guppys and neon tetras, i thought i would try a pair of sand loach, since i added them a few days ago, all the guppys have had their tailfins nipped back to virtually nothing, there was in 30+ babies in there, they are now all gone barring one, which now has no tail, and when i feed them the loachs go into a mad frenzy and start attacking the other fish.

When i got the loaches i was told they are a very gentle fish, and would be absolutly perfect fish to keep with guppys and neons, at this rate they are gonna eat everything i have.

Anyone any suggestions, gonna look stupid taking them back to the lfs and saying can you have them back they dont get on with my other fish.

Luckily i have had no fatalities yet, apart from all the eaten babies.

One of the offending pair

 

[The-Wolf]

most Nemacheilus/Schistura are quite peaceful
however some can be down right nasty.
the aggression can be alleviated some by the addition of more loaches

 

[mikev]

By the look of your loach it is either S. Mahnerti or S. Poculi; they look quite similar (not the only choices -- but these are more common).

If it is the former, the behavior is somewhat typical, if it is the latter, it is an aberration that may pass, Poculi's are overall peaceful. To really know, you need to count the tail rays, but a couple of simpler indications: Poculi's tails tend to have very little red, S. Mahnerti's may be very bright red. Also, the size: largest Poculi's barely exceed 2", Mahnerti's can be larger. Poculi is much more likely to "settle down" after a week or two and stop being a nuisance. (I currently keep 9 of them...and I stay away from Mahnerti's).

You can find a Poculi profile on this site, I don't think that anyone wrote Mahnerti's.

Regardless of the species or temperament, schustura's consider babies (and eggs) as quality food AND many loaches consider long tails of dither fish to be something to play with.

If you want a "safe" loach, consider kuhlis.

hth

 

[icy]

They do have a pale red tail

 

[mikev]

Unfortunately, this is just an overall indication, individuals differ in the intensity, and the intensity of the red tends to improve when you have the fish in good conditions for a while. Counting rays (see fishbase) is the way to make sure. Still,

Mahnerti image from LOL can be seen here.

One of my own poculi (the picture was taken after it has been with me for maybe three months, this is why it is fat...i think this is the most red-intense of all)

Also: regardless of the species they will tone down after about 2 weeks, when they feel safer. During the first two weeks, my Poculi's chased Giant Danios (not that they could...but they tried).

 

[icy]

What i need to know is, are my fish at risk and are they suffering from the fact they now have no tails, i know they grow back, but would it cause them any pain/shock ect, if need be i will take the loach back to get the stability of my tank back

 

[icy]

 

[mikev]

Very nice fish.

Well, you have a choice: give it 2 weeks to calm down and maybe give it a companion -- this way it will pay more attention to the other loach and less to the dither fish.

This _may_ work.