Schistura Mahnerti

[coldcazzie]

Well, I went into my lfs 2 weeks ago to ask about zebra loaches, and found some in the 3rd tank I looked in. They were labelled "redtail zebra loaches" and as of a couple of days ago I have 7, because as far as I knew zebra loaches are best in groups.

Having had them for a couple of days I was thinking their markings are slightly more yoyo/pakistani loach like and having done a lot of digging (v hard to find info!) it seems the fish I have are also known as red-tailed sand loaches, and the closest scientific name I can find (that seems to come up with the right looking picture) is Schistura mahnerti.

Currently they are about an inch and a half long, so they will approx double in size but there's no consistent info about what they are like in a community tank. Some articles say they'll be ok, some say they'll fight.

I've got them in quarantine at the moment but they will be going in a Juwel Rio 240 - will this be big enough to lessen any possible fighting?

My sis was planning on getting me a pair of hoplos for my birthday present, but I'm getting the impression that this would be a bad idea?

Does anybody have any experience with them? Are they going to kill each other off/kill off other bottom dwellers - they are getting on swimmingly at the moment, zipping about my QT happy as pigs in **** if you'll excuse the phrase! But if they are going to get bolshy then I'll ask my sis to buy me a different fish instead!

And yes I know, I should have done the research before. *d'oh* lesson learned the hard way!

 

[coldcazzie]

Ok, update: this morning there are only 6 fish in there. Removed everything from the tank (to be fair, only 3 silk plants and filter) and did a water change and gravel vac and no bits of body or anything, but definitely only 6 fish.

Which means since yesterday morning they've eaten an entire fish so no dinner for them today.

I have my suspisions that the one that's died is probably the one that nearly got eaten by my cat on Monday evening...and the others have just taken advantage in that way that fish do, but I'm still thinking that more bottom dwellers would be a bad move so I've told my sis to get me something else instead!

Would still like to hear from anybody who has these though?

 

[mikev]

They are quite capable of fighting each other to death, but not likely to eat an entire fish and IME are not interested in dead fish much.

You get different answers on the net because different people had different experience with them -- they don't always fight, or not right away. My group of a similar schistura lived peacefully for two years before they decided it is time to fight it out.

Generally, LOTS of hiding places and complicated landscape is the way to decrease the chances of fighting. At the very least, a 20g Long tank for 6 is needed, and ensure it has driftwood and large stones so they don't see each other all the time. However, no guarantees: I had seven fighting it out in a proper 125g tank! -- if two feel like fighting, they will.

And they are generally safe to other fish except for similar loaches. They would not attack a kuhli or a hillie, but they may attack another schistura.

hth

 

[coldcazzie]

Thanks for replying! Maybe they took advantage of the weaker one, if it was slightly off from the cat experience?

There's no way it could have gotten out of the tank, the kids wouldnt be able to catch one and I cant see my hubby fishing one out...the cats are shut out of the kitchen when I'm not in there and the filter is a homemade one with sponge in the top...the only place where it could have possibly gone is down the airtube, but then the filter would block and it's working perfectly.

The tank is 4 foot long by 16 inches wide, I have a cave thingy in there at the moment, as well as quite a few rocks and 2 logs, my mum's going to root me out some terracotta pots for making caves with, and I'll get some more plants in there too (have been meaning to buy more stuff for it for a few months now).

I'm not intending on getting more loaches, but I would like some catfish in there - originally I had thought BNs but then my sis said she could get hoplos. Both of these would still be ok? I was worried about them being aggressive with other species, but if it's only really similar ones then I might still go ahead with one or other of the catfishes...

 

[mikev]

4'x16" sounds good. The more large stones you have in it, the lesser are the chances of fights.

Generally, they will ignore non-loaches and dissimilar loaches.... so plecos or cories will be fine with them. Hoples....I _think_ you may have the reverse problem...

Hard to say what happened to the missing fish. It might have died on its own... and it also may be hiding ---- I had one disappearing for weeks only to learn later that there was a crack in driftwood just large enough to work as a hiding place. Every case is different but IME this type of loaches more often do not go into aggression for a couple of weeks ... they survey the tank first, and only once comfortable start staking territories.

 

[coldcazzie]

Hoplos are still catfish... maybe I'd better err on the side of caution and go for BNs.

I took all 3 plants out, plus the filter and there was no fish anywhere, the gravel is not deep and I vacced it all. I even got my mum to count the fish for me to make sure I wasn't being completely thick lol, and theres definitely only 6 of them.

They wont be in the QT for much longer - only til the beginning of next week (they are only in there in the first place because of the cat incident - that's a whole nother story!), then will be going in my main tank, so hopefully by then I'll have managed to furnish it in such a way that there's plenty of territory to go around!

 

[mikev]

BN's will be safe, both ways.

Cories will be fine too.---I them better for loach tanks since BN's are massive producers of waste and dirt....easier to maintain clean tanks with them. Otos are fine, you can have a shoal in a tank your size. Twig catfish (farlowella/sturisoma) is another idea, IME they are less polluting than BN's, and better algae eaters.

(Nothing against the BN's .. I keep them, and they even breed.... but I'd not put a BN into a tank I want to keep very clean.)

And if your tank has good filtration and O2 levels, sucker-type loaches would be the most natural choice.

Good luck!

 

[coldcazzie]

Thanks - they have just gone into my main tank this afternoon - currently my main concern is whether they will survive the night as my angelfish are very interested in them!

I reckon I will get some kind of other bottom dweller, just not sure what! Thanks for yourhelp though