The yoyo tank

[Alice B]

No baby fish for him to eat, probably no snails either but I do have fish food and he doesn't eat plants.... Both he and a lot of the plants are refugees from the 100 gallon.

 

[fishorama]

Well, he's not a yoyo. I'm far from a loach expert. Maybe a young kubotai or a "ladder" (rostrata) loach. There are a couple other possibilities. Not a histrionica either...From the slight connecting lines between the vertical "ladders", I'm guessing a young botia kubotai (angelicus). A fish I've wanted to keep.

What size is it? What is the shape of your tank (dimensions)?

It would like to have at least 4-6 more of its same species to act "normal" for a schooling or shoaling species. It needs friends! Depending on what other fish you have, AND you can buy more of that species, I would get more.

The problem with that is it can be hard to find more of the same kind. The last several years I see mixed tanks of young botias & they are hard to tell apart, even to experienced loach keepers. The loaches.com species index has a comparison article or maybe 2 but it's separate from the loach forum there. I didn't find it in a quick search but maybe you can. There's also a FB group. I'm not sure if I've overstepped the TFF rules by saying that much, but I didn't link to any sites. PM me & I'll say more. Seriously fish is also a good place to look.

 

[Alice B]

He is in a 29 gallon tank, he was in a 100 gallon community tank before. I've had others of his species and they seem to like to munch baby fish which is why he is by himself, he was in with about 14 Buenos Aires Tetras in my darkened 55, and he always hid in the corner, he seems to be a lot more comfortable away from them. he can't go back to the 100, it has african cichlids now. I would not feel comfortable with 5 large loaches in a 29, I think that would not be a large enough tank for them, he's a fast swimmer if you have a net in your hand. He is probably 6 years old, not sure, but in that range.

 

[fishorama]

Oh, I thought it was in your 100g & you'd have room for more. More in a 55g might be pushing it unless you only have the tetras. But they only grow to maybe 5 inches. I haven't kept either tetra or loach species you have.

All my fish swim fast if there's a net in the tank, lol. Maybe think about rehoming it? A 29g isn't a long term tank for it. But your 55g might work...A lone loach can be aggressive as you've seen.

 

[Alice B]

for right now he's solo in a 29, I'll put some small guppies in, in the next few days. I want to see what the tetras do as far as eggs, and he will eat eggs.

 

[Alice B]

The tetras are 8 years old, 3 or 4 are approximately 3 years old. The 55 had a cyanobacteria issue partly from too much light, and a sponge filter that might have dated back to my reef. While light and protein issues were dealt with, a couple months of light out won't hurt the tank, I'll find a home for the loach if he seems too frantic in the 29

 

[anewbie]

My guess is kuobtai; he really shouldn't be solo which is why he is probably frantic. He should be with a group of his tank mates. I believe they are a little bit smaller than yoyo but not a lot and yea for 5 you really need a 48 inch long aquarium so 55 or larger. Well maybe a 33 long but to be honest something wider than 12 inches so maybe a 75 which i believe is 48x18.
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Poor fellow. They are do best in very soft water though they have some tolerance to harder water. Btw petco sells 4 or 5 different species under the name yoyo and when i asked them once why they didn't use the correct name they said it was their policy to lump them all in as yoyo. The species i've seen for sure are golden zebra, zebra, yoyo, kubotai and there was one other that i didn't recognize. My adult female yoyo are around 6 inches long with a lot of girth - they can compete with the clowns right now but of course eventually the clowns will make them look small. wetspot is pretty reliable about proper id though at a very young age (around 2 inches) they are quite similar patterns.

Well i think it is time for you to find space for that 75 you always wanted

 

[Alice B]

He's going to have to inherit the 55. House won't hold a 75. When the clowns have come and gone I'll look for more, i have a good pic of him

 

[fishorama]

Yep, I agree w/anewbie. A group of 5 or 6 kubotai would work in a 55g. Just something to think about. No pressure. You might rehome him if you don't want a school of them. If that's what you'd like, do it sooner rather than later. They can learn "bad" behavior after a while on their own.

 

[anewbie]

He's going to have to inherit the 55. House won't hold a 75. When the clowns have come and gone I'll look for more, i have a good pic of him

If the clowns are clown loaches they can live with proper care 40+ years. He will be mighty old and grey then.

 

[Alice B]

they will be transported next week, they are being quarantined with him.

 

[Alice B]

The clowns have gone. He calmed right down when I added them, so I got him some company today. Maybe not the same species of yoyo loach, but 3 of them. When they grow they can move to the 55 with him. As my tetra experiment should be over by then.

 

[fishorama]

Well, that looks like a young yoyo to me. It will eventually outgrow the kubotai, but they "may" get along for a long time...or not. Make a plan for the future.

 

[Alice B]

will manage somehow