Dead harlequin- aggresive Yoyo loach

[animal_man1738]

Hi all,
So recently i bought a few tetras and a yoyo loach from my local pet shop. They told me the loach was peaceful, but only sold me one(im getting some tank mates asap). I woke up this morning, and saw one of my harlequins that i have had for a while was lying dead on the floor, completely eaten. All that was left was the shell of its body. I also noticed that my loach was chasing the other tetras around, and being nippy. Could this be from only having 1, or is there something more( did the loach kill and eat the harlequin)?
I have a 55-gallon tank, filtered, heated at 80 F, cycled, and has some plants. I have around 10 tetras, and some other assorted tropical fish.
Thank you guys so much for all your help with my newbie fish problems.

 

[FroFro]

Hi all,
So recently i bought a few tetras and a yoyo loach from my local pet shop. They told me the loach was peaceful, but only sold me one(im getting some tank mates asap). I woke up this morning, and saw one of my harlequins that i have had for a while was lying dead on the floor, completely eaten. All that was left was the shell of its body. I also noticed that my loach was chasing the other tetras around, and being nippy. Could this be from only having 1, or is there something more( did the loach kill and eat the harlequin)?
I have a 55-gallon tank, filtered, heated at 80 F, cycled, and has some plants. I have around 10 tetras, and some other assorted tropical fish.
Thank you guys so much for all your help with my newbie fish problems.

Yoyo loaches are semi-aggressive tropical fish that are also very social. They are active swimmers and will often chase/harass more sedate fish especially when they are the only yoyo in the tank. A yoyo loach expects, by nature, to be in larger groups. When this requirement is not met they often exhibit stressful behaviors ranging from lack of activity/lethargy to over aggressive tendencies. These fish also like to hide in tight spaces so caves, rocks, and wood/plants and other hiding areas are a must. A loach that is forced to stay out in the open will not feel safe and may be more combative than usual do to the high levels of stress. Yoyo's need to be kept with of semi-aggressive or active swimming fish as they will cause undue stress on peaceful fish like corydora , angels, neon tetras, etc.

 

[Byron]

I agree. You want five loaches minimum, you could have six or even seven with your tank, but you need another four for certain. And they must have chunks of wood. You can make artificial caves and such, but wood is more natural and simpler. Three or four decent-sized pieces of wood like Malaysian Driftwood if you can find it in a fish store, or online.

The loach you now have is obviously stressed, and it is impossible to know if this is a permanent thing or will subside when more are added.