Searching For a Loach

[Travis_Conklin]

Alright folks I am interested in finding a Loach. I am getting over run by what I think are called pond snails, since I got rid of my clown loaches about a year ago. Now I have done some research, now I need input. I don't, repeat don't want a clown. I would like to keep these fish in the long run, so they cannot be monster in the end, due to tank space. I have found what I think I want on the net, I just need to know if anyone knows where I can find them or a alternate loach of similar size and the place to go get them. Also if they do a good job of taking down the snail over population.

Scientific name: Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki (Kottelat, 2004)
Common name: Dwarf Chain Loach, Dwarf Loach, Dwarf Botia, Chipmunk Botia, "Sid".
Synonyms: Botia sidthimunki (Klausewitz, 1959)
Distribution: Chao Phraya and Mekong basins - Cambodia, Laos, Thailand.
Maximum size: 6cm (2.5 inches)

[glostik]

Fish Gallery usually gets dwarf loaches in.

I havent seend sidthimunki at any LFS in a long time. I would go up there and check.

I got some schistura from Dane at R2R, they stay small and eat snails, but they like cool river style tanks.

[supersmirky]

Best for me is red tail botia's. They are awesome fish.

[Travis_Conklin]

What is up Glostik? Hey there is about 40 different types of schistura, wich type did you get?

[Travis_Conklin]

Red tail botia? Is that the one you are talking about below? If so where did you get them?

[bra8ndy8]

I think he means the blue ones with the red tail.....u see them at walmart, and petsmart. But they get pretty big.....I had one who was 6 inches when I got rid of him.

[glostik]

Red Tail Botia's are pretty aggressive fish and they get to be pretty big. Blue ones with red tail.

Travis, i think they were labeled "stone loach" or "sand loach"

[supersmirky]

hmm...yes, red tail botia are bluish...but mine never got above 5 inches and I had him 2 years....of course that doesn't mean anything but he did get along well with everyone. He is the one that did the mating dance with my leporinus that I caught on my digi cam

[Travis_Conklin]

Scientific name: Schistura mahnerti (Kottelat, 1990)
Common name: Burmese Border Loach, Burmese-border sand loach, Red-tail sand loach
Distribution: Salween basin in Thailand. The Salween River originates on the eastern slopes of the Himalayas and forms the border between Thailand and Myanmar (Burma).

Picture below yay or nay???

[Travis_Conklin]

And yes folks I know what the blueish one with the red tail looks like don't want that one, get's too big.

[IC Casey]

Yeah, I've got a red tail (or Blue Botia Loach) at work. He's grown like a weed, though. Definitely will be big in the end. Great fish, however. Pretty aggressive. If any ONE of the other fish approach the entrance to his territory, he'll chase everyone out of that region.

Decimated the snail population.

But, yeah, dwarf loach would be the way to go. It's only a matter of time before I have to find a home for him and our Pleco.

[Travis_Conklin]

Scientific name: Schistura rupecula (McClelland, 1838 )
Common name: Stone Loach (in Nepal)
Synonyms: Nemacheilus rapicola, Nemachilus rupecola, Noemacheilus rupecola rupecola, Nemacheilus rupecula, Noemacheilus rupecola, Nemacheilus rupecola, Nemacheilus rupicola, Noemacheilus rupicola, Nemachilus rupicola (last 3 are all misspellings)
Distribution: India, Bangladesh, Nepal, China, Vietnam, Indonesia

Picture below yay or nay???

[Travis_Conklin]

Yasuhikotakia modesta (Blue Botia)
No thank you to big and sounds to aggresive, like the tiger loaches I have kept before and they bad mother-f'ers.

Picture below.

[bigfishguy]

Many years ago, many, many, many years, I had a loach that was called botia lohacatcha, I'm not sure of exact spelling. It was a great snail eater, not great colors but cool patterning, kind of like tiger stripping. I have only ever seen 3 of them and I owned 2. But if you can find them they are great and super community tank fish, do not grow too large. This IS NOT what is referred to as a tiger loach, the patterning is not like a zebra but more like a tiger, very irregular stripping. A noteworthy fish when you see one.

[glostik]

Schistura Manherti

Those are the ones I have.

[fishman76092]

The only place Ive seen B. sidthimunki locally is at FG and they were about 15 bucks each for 1" fish. I bought 6-have 3 2" ones left. There is a 6 pack on aquabid for about $85 inc shipping from a store with good feedback. Good luck-That was the first time I'd seen them in 10 years.

[glostik]

Travis, I can probably get FG to order them for you if you are willing to go in on them with me.

[Travis_Conklin]

Schistura mahnerti ??? Is that the one you are talking about? How much do you think they would cost?

[glostik]

No, the Sidthimunki's

The schistura mahnertis's , Dane at R2R said he could get those in all day long.

[fishyjoe24]

what about a weather/dojo loach gets 6 to 8 inches long.

[budwick weiser]

i have one of them there dojo loaches, it's a good 6 inches long in my 10 gallon. pretty fun to watch, they dig into the gravel and stick their head out until they smell food or snails and pop right out.

[Travis_Conklin]

No dojo, but thanks, waiting to here back from Glostik about some Sidthimunki's. So we will see what happens.