Dwarf Pike or Kuhli loaches

[threecharacters]

I have a 20 gallon long with a male koi Betta, a female(?) Copella sp., and 7 Pristella tetra. I'd like to add some fish.

My local fish store has an Orinoco dwarf pike for sale (Crenicichla sp. "Orinoco"). From what I've read these are similar to Crenicichla regani. They also have some Kuhli loaches (the 20 long has a sand-bottom tank which would work great with the Kuhli loaches. I was thinking of getting the single Orinoco dwarf pike or a small group of the Kuhli loaches (like 4-5 or so).

I would prefer to get the dwarf pike, but I'm not sure if the 20 long is appropriate for it. The dwarf pike gets pretty long (4 inches), but it's thin-bodied. In fact, it's not that much different than the Kuhli loaches in terms of size. The minimum recommend tank sizes for other dwarf pikes are 30-55 gallons. However, I think these tank sizes are for groups/pairs of dwarf pikes. It sounds like dwarf pikes are very territorial (especially Cr. compressiceps) and the tank sizes are inflated to account for that. The Orinoco dwarf pike is supposed to be significantly more peaceful than Cr. compressiceps. I've managed to find a few reports where people have kept dwarf pikes in ~20 gallons, usually after they've paired off. In my case, I'd just be keeping the single pike so I wouldn't have to worry about intra-species aggression. I am somewhat worried about the Betta, but he's large and quite ornery so he might be able to handle himself.

On the other hand, I could get the Kuhli loaches. The Kuhli loaches are supposed to be just fine in the 20 long. Further, they would add some activity to the bottom of the tank. However, I'm worried they would just hide all the time, and I would also need to get a group, increasing the total tank bioload more than I like.

What do you think? Should I go with the dwarf pike or a group of Kuhli's

P.S. the LFS also has Rosy loaches. Should I also consider them?

 

[coriesinhawaii]

I can't offer any info on the dwarf pike but I do have kuhli loaches. I have 4 in a 20 long with 9 cories. (All of the action in my tank is on the bottom ?) Back when I had only 2 kuhlis I hardly saw them but after adding 2 more they're out and about a lot more. I think having enough of them and providing a few good hiding spots in the tank is important if you want to see them more. Early on I did have a betta in the tank with them and while the betta wasn't aggressive towards them most of the time he did charge at them some during feeding time (It was also when I only had 2 kuhlis and they weren't out as much. Not sure how much keeping them with the betta had to do with that vs only having 2 of them.)

As far as bioload goes I know that kuhlis have a low bioload compared to most fish

 

[Boundava]

I find this a great site when researching fish:

Crenicichla compressiceps (Compressiceps Dwarf Pike Cichlid) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

I have a ton of pangio loaches (kuhlii, myersi, shelfordii, oblonga (black), anguillaris (silver) and even the Vaillantella maassi (forktail loach)) and rarely see the Kuhlii variety. The others are a bit more active, not by much though. Except the angularis and myersi which can be hard to find/purchase.

 

[threecharacters]

I find this a great site when researching fish:

Crenicichla compressiceps (Compressiceps Dwarf Pike Cichlid) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

I have a ton of pangio loaches (kuhlii, myersi, shelfordii, oblonga (black), anguillaris (silver) and even the Vaillantella maassi (forktail loach)) and rarely see the Kuhlii variety. The others are a bit more active, not by much though. Except the angularis and myersi which can be hard to find/purchase.

Yes, I like seriously fish as well. However, Crenicichla compressiceps is a remarkably cantankerous fish. This is why seriouslyfish suggests a minimum 40 gallon tank for a 3 inch fish. The fish store employee said that someone he knew kept 5 in a 180 gallon and they still fought until only one was left. It's not a great comparison for the Orinoco dwarf cichlid. However, I've been reading some more and it's probably not a great idea to get the Crenicichla. Because the species is undescribed, there isn't great information on it and because Crenicichla tend to be large fish, there's a distinct possibility that the Orinoco dwarf could end up being more like 6-7 inches.

Have you kept any Schistura loaches? Can you think of any loaches that are more active and that would fit in the 20 long?

 

[Boundava]

I have not kept Schistura loaches, but wanted to . The fact they are territorial is also limiting.

If you wanted to stay with the pangio loaches, the oblonga are very active. Mine often swim from one end of the tank and then from bottom to top. They aren't too hard to find.

Matter of fact The Wet Spot currently has them for $3.50 ea.

 

[threecharacters]

I have not kept Schistura loaches, but wanted to . The fact they are territorial is also limiting.

If you wanted to stay with the pangio loaches, the oblonga are very active. Mine often swim from one end of the tank and then from bottom to top. They aren't too hard to find.

Matter of fact The Wet Spot currently has them for $3.50 ea.

I ended up getting ~8 Rosy loaches which my LFS had. I like their activity level. I may end up getting 2-4 more too.

 

[ClownLurch]

I’ve been offered some RL as rescue fish from someone moving house. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any irl. Do they spend most of their time on the tank bottom?