Black Ghost Knifefish?

[PheonixKingZ]

Why not both together? Tank size?

I didn’t want the bottom to be crowded. So I want to choose only one. Which do you guys think is better?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

In my experience, cories. The botine loaches (not kuhlii) can be playful. Kuhlii you will hardly ever see!

I couldn’t find anything on a botine loach. Did you mean a botia loach?

 

[Barry Tetra]

I couldn’t find anything on a botine loach. Did you mean a botia loach?

Kuhli loaches are native to my country, they are EXTREMELY tolerate to chemical from the factory and waste. Can you take a pict of your tank?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Kuhli loaches are native to my country, they are EXTREMELY tolerate to chemical from the factory and waste. Can you take a pict of your tank?

Sure:

Sorry the pictures look a bit fuzzy. The window is open and I haven’t cleaned the glass in a while.

 

[Barry Tetra]

You might have to add more hiding places eg drift wood. I have a bad story about kuhli; when I bought them years ago I put them in my tank and that night all of them (10 kuhlis) jumped out bacause i dont have any hiding places.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Wow, if I get them I’ll be sure to get more hiding Spots. I’m starting to light the loach family. Any more common loaches that could work in my tank?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

What about Yo-Yo loaches?

 

[Colin_T]

I couldn’t find anything on a botine loach. Did you mean a botia loach?

Yes Botine is Botia.

And Botia sidthimunki are characters that will bomb around the tank and keep you entertained for hours, especially when you put food in there.

Yoyo loaches (Botia lohachata) grow too big for your tank.

You can put a heap of pvc pipe in the tank and they will hide in that. If you glue the pipe together with 3 or 4 pipes side by side and a couple more on top, you can have the opening facing the front of the tank and watch the loaches sitting in the pipes.

 

[Essjay]

Botia sidthimunki

Now called Ambastaia sidthumunki. Between Botia and Ambastaia they were also called Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki. You could see any of those names for the same fish.

Botine loaches are those loaches that are still and used to be in the genus Botia.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Botia sidthimunki

I will look into these, thanks.

 

[Byron]

Why not both together? Tank size?

Corydoras should never be housed with loaches. Ian Fuller advised me that most all loaches are more aggressive feeders [which of course does not mean aggressive in the sense of attacking, just very determined when food is present)] and the cories can lose out. There is also the issue of territory for loaches, something that does not come with cories. I have seen loaches become feisty over food with other fish, but I have never cories do this.

 

[Byron]

I will look into these, thanks.

Given the tank size but more importantly the neon tetra, I would consider a group of Corydoras a better match than the dwarf loaches. Ambastaia sidthimunki (common names dwarf loach, dwarf chain loach) can sometimes become considerably aggressive. I have not seen this with my group of five that I have had for 11 years (two died last week as I mentioned elsewhere), but my experience may be the exception. I believe @seangee has mentioned issues with his group of this species, and there certainly are common reports from others.

Another similarly-sized loach but much less likely to be troublesome is the dwarf banded loach (common names can be useless), Micronemacheilus cruciatus. I had a group of six for several years. This would be a lovely loach for your set-up, though you do need some chunks of wood on the sand (cories appreciate this too). Loaches need a "home" and they like to select their own space, and defend it, so if you have say five loaches you should have five or preferably six chunks of wood having tunnels (preferably) or crevices to provide a home for each loach. I used to sit and watch my M. cruciatus playing tag through the tunnels in the chunks of Malaysian Driftwood, it really was entertaining.

Never combine loaches with cories. And always have chunks of wood. And of course sand.

 

[Munroco]

Corydoras should never be housed with loaches. Ian Fuller advised me that most all loaches are more aggressive feeders [which of course does not mean aggressive in the sense of attacking, just very determined when food is present)] and the cories can lose out. There is also the issue of territory for loaches, something that does not come with cories. I have seen loaches become feisty over food with other fish, but never cories.

I'm surprised at that. I have kept both over the years. At present I have 6 kuhlis (I bought 6 no idea if I still have them all as I rarely see them). They live under my driftwood and some come out every few weeks for what I think must be a spawning ritual where they swim up and down together in a corner of the tank. They are in a four foot community tank which includes a group of Corydora Agassizii. Both groups are thriving and I have never seen any interaction at all between them. I tend to overfeed so there is not a lot of competition for food.

 

[Byron]

I'm surprised at that. I have kept both over the years. At present I have 6 kuhlis (I bought 6 no idea if I still have them all as I rarely see them). They live under my driftwood and some come out every few weeks for what I think must be a spawning ritual where they swim up and down together in a corner of the tank. They are in a four foot community tank which includes a group of Corydora Agassizii. Both groups are thriving and I have never seen any interaction at all between them. I tend to overfeed so there is not a lot of competition for food.

I would assume kuhlii to be less of an issue here than the botine species. My discussion with Ian was over the latter.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Ok, I will look into getting a shoal of Cory’s. I like the look of emerald Cory’s and panda Cory’s. Also julli (I think I’m saying that right?) look cool.

Do they all have similar needs?