Suitable Loaches For Cichlid Grow Out?

[Scott MacAdam]

Hey everyone.

I want to keep this tank cycled so next time I have fry I'll be good to go without scrambling for a new filter and looking to clone a tank.
It turns out I ALSO have been thinking of keeping loaches again....

I've been thinking I could just add a group of smaller loaches to my existing fry tank and then when I sell the fry i'll keep the tank running.

tank is as follows:

40Gal long
About 15 small african cichlids (not quite fry, about a month old, 0.5 - 1 inch max)
1 tiny pleco (Baby Gibbiceps as determined by you guys) I'll re-home when I have to, was told at the LFS that it was 4-5inch max...

Filtration 175-200GPH
PH 7.5

I'll be moving the fry in another couple months and I'll probably get some loaches then but it will be important that they won't get big enough to be any threat to the next batch of fry that go in there (I keep them in a 10 gal until they are strong enough to move to the 40 but they will still be small)
but it's also important that by the time the cichlids are selling size they won't be picking on the loaches...

Someone suggested a group of Kuhlis but I want to make sure I'm choosing the right ones as i'm not all that familiar with loaches themselves.

Thanks everyone!

 

[soybean]

Zebra loaches?

 

[Scott MacAdam]

Could be good... What's their max size?

 

[soybean]

About 10cm I think. Need to be with others of their own kind and for the tank to have good hiding places, like most loaches. I don't think they're as shy as kuhli loaches either (who creep me out a bit tbh )

 

[Scott MacAdam]

Yeah, I was planning on getting about 6-8

 

[twodoctors]

My zebra loves their food. They even come up to feed. I think they will eat your fries if you put them together... no personal experience however.

In fact, I don't think anything is safe with fries. Shrimps maybe?

Adrian

 

[Scott MacAdam]

I grow the fry in a 10 gal first and then once they are the size of micro rasbora or so i move them into the 40 gal. if the loaches give them any trouble I'll let them grow a little bigger first.