[James From Cali]

Now I been looking these guys up but all I can find is that they can be in small aquariums. I wanted to make sure before buying that I can do something like this comfortably:

3 Dwarf Loaches
6 Harlequin Rasboras
1 Betta

Anyone think that may be too much?

 

[James From Cali]

Bump........

 

[bigstick120]

How small is the tank?

 

[James From Cali]

10g...........

 

[mistergreen]

loaches like a lot of space to swim around and they're really fun to have 5+.. SO, I wouldn't put loaches in a 10G.

 

[eklikewhoa]

3 should be fine in a 10g but I wouldn't know for sure.

I have 3 in a 30g long and they usually stay on one side of the tank.

 

[eklikewhoa]

Double tap

 

[crazy loaches]

If you havent already read this and want info on sid's then take look at http://www.loaches.com/species-index/yasuhikotakia-sidthimunki

 

[Rod Hay]

Small is relative terminology. They may be small in comparison to others in their genus, and may do well in a relatively smaller tank. However considering that they do need to be in a minimum group of at least six, a ten gallon would be too small.

Big loaches: 120+ gallon tank
Medium loaches: 75+ gallon tank
Small loaches: 35+ gallon tank

 

[James From Cali]

Small is relative terminology. They may be small in comparison to others in their genus, and may do well in a relatively smaller tank. However considering that they do need to be in a minimum group of at least six, a ten gallon would be too small.

Big loaches: 120+ gallon tank
Medium loaches: 75+ gallon tank
Small loaches: 35+ gallon tank

Thanks. That is reasonable. Thanks to everyone else as well for their opinions and thoughts.

 

[meglet]

Also, you might want to reconsider keeping them with a betta. I had a school in a 55 gal tank, and had to relocate them to their own tank because they were nipping the Angel's fins. In my experience, they are best kept with small fish fast enough to outrun the loaches. Danios and Harlequins and similar fish are great because the loaches can play with them without doing any harm.

My particular school of Sids love to filter surf with the Glofish in their tank.

 

[Barbels]

I have 5 of these in a 75 gallon. They zip across the 48" distance in about 2 seconds, if it takes that long.
I think it would be cruel to keep them in anything smaller. But that's just me.

 

[plantbrain]

I'd say a 30 gal is a minimum size for these fish and I'd have no less than say 10.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[crazy loaches]

I have 5 of these in a 75 gallon. They zip across the 48" distance in about 2 seconds, if it takes that long.
I think it would be cruel to keep them in anything smaller. But that's just me.

Bigger is always better. Once you start getting bigger tanks you seem to realize how awfully overcrowded your smaller tanks were! Well at least that was the way I was before I was on the forums. If they like to dart all the way across, my oddball 40G long tank might be a good compromise, only 40G but still 48". Actually I have a couple oddballs for 48" both the 40G and a 150G, both 4 foot long but BIG difference lol!

My favorite loach for small tanks has to be the Zebra (Botia striata), and it doesnt often dart around. I'll probably include a couple dozen of them maybe in my 240g as well. But alas, a 10g is still to small for these, with a group of 5 I'd say ~30G at the minimum.

<one of my Botia striata [click]