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Does anyone have experience keeping loaches and catfish together?

I've got a 55 gallon all-Asian theme tank underway. It has black substrate, many plants, river rocks, and wood from dried vines. Danio tinwini, a few red shrimp, and two Nerite snails are the residents, so far.

The catfish I have in mind are small Asian species like Hara jerdoni or other small Sisoridae. The loaches I'd like to have are Ambastaia sidthimunki (the dwarf chain loach), and hillstream loaches of the genus Sewellia.

Do you think these species can get along well with each other?

My initial thoughts are that the sidthimunki would easily out-compete the smal sisorids for food as these cats are not as active a species as the loaches.

That's a good point against the dwarf loaches.

Nice looking tank! I keep Sewellia lineolata in a river tank with 2 Aquaclear 70 powerheads attached to a river manifold as they require high flow and high D.O. They also like the water on the cooler side so my tank is not heated. There's some great info on sewellia's at http://www.loaches.com

Atmichaels wrote:Nice looking tank! I keep Sewellia lineolata in a river tank with 2 Aquaclear 70 powerheads attached to a river manifold as they require high flow and high D.O. They also like the water on the cooler side so my tank is not heated. There's some great info on sewellia's at http://www.loaches.com

Thanks! LOL is a great resource.
I've cut the outflow on my HOB by half but I could turn it up again. As it is, the water practically "boils" at the return. It seems brisk enough to me. My temps are about 71-72F but I could adjust that, too. The decor is right, I think, for a variety of Asian species. Mostly I was worried about territory/food competition between loaches and catfish.

Sidthis can (and will) be quite territorial/agressive against small(-er) bottom dwelling (cat-)fishes, especially when being fed.
They are certainly not as harmless as they seem.

I forsee no probs wrt the combination of species like Sewellia, Gastromyzon etc. and (cat-)fishes.

Maybe ditch the sisorids and try a bunch of or similar? I agree with MvA, I keep Yasuhikotakia morleti with two species of Sewellia - zero issue.

Jools

Thanks Marc, Jools. I had my heart set on the sids. I think of them as the Asian equivalent of Corydoras. In the same way, Hara species seem a bit like the Asian equivalent of banjo catfish - which is why I like them. It's going to be difficult to decide between them but in any case it sounds like the Sewellia would work with either.

I keep two yoyo and two horseface loachs with bristle nose and hoplo cats no prob.

crkinney wrote:I keep two yoyo and two horseface loachs with bristle nose and hoplo cats no prob.

Thanks, crkinney. Good to know. From my experience with the Hara jerdoni I already keep, I have a feeling that Marc and Jools are right and that the Hara would not compete well with the sids - meaning that the sids would out-eat them every time.

That said, my usual LFS has not had A. sidthimunki on their lists for a long time!