Broke down and got the Sidthimunki Loaches

[tort518]

Did some research and then decided that a school of 6 of the nifty little buggers would be fine for my tank.

I'm gradually working out what my large tank will be like when I get a house and determining the type of critters for in the tank. I expect to get a house sometime early next year and will be aiming for a 150 gallon tank.

Looks like the critter mix will be something like this:

A nice sized school of Golden White Clouds, a school of Sidthimunki Loaches (I'm very impressed by these fish). And the rest remains up for debate.

Jim

[Algenco]

Congrats!! I'd love to have 6 of those babies:18:

[Lady Hobbs]

Awesome little buggers. At 2- 1/2", a bunch of them would be cool.

[tort518]

I'm even more impressed with them now that I'm watching my Oto's schooling with the loaches up and down and along the glass like a happy troup of acrobats. :)

Never expected that effect, but they seem to be getting along famously and playing together.

And I don't know if this was merely an effect of the powerful filter alone (since it started before adding the loaches), or helped by the loaches, but I just had to clear over a dozen empty snail shells from the filter intake screen.

Jim

[tort518]

Congrats!! I'd love to have 6 of those babies:18:

Thanks!

While I know it isn't yet a regular thing, someone did manage to get these buggers to spawn in a pond. They had common blue gills in the pond that started spawning and the Sids soon did so too, probably because of the eggs they were enjoying eating along with the dramatically increased hormonal levels in the water.

I'm thinking it might be possible in a larger tank is another egg laying species can be induced (say perhaps a good sized school of White Clouds ...) to spawn.

Should that eventually turn out to work you can bet I'll be screaming it all over the forum. of course that dream is still a ways off.

Jim

[smaug]

They are a neat little loach.I dont know how much you paid ,but they are 10 bucks each where Im from.Congrats,they are cute.

[tort518]

They are a neat little loach.I dont know how much you paid ,but they are 10 bucks each where Im from.Congrats,they are cute.

I'm in Frederick, Maryland and have a good LFS around the corner. Owner knows his stuff on most things. Still hasn't gotten his hands on any true SAE, but that's another topic.

The Sids in his shop are about $13.00 each and he knows to price for schooling so he does schools of 4 or higher at $10 each.

I've seen some prices mention in other regions as high as $20 each with no school purchase discounts offered.

Sadly these things are believed extinct in the wild so I can understand the high prices.

Jim

[Algenco]

I heard they are all captive spawn, all export of wild caught is prohibited

[tort518]

Between watching events during Olympic coverage I've been watching the tank across the room. These Sids are the most hyperactive fish I have ever encountered.

They're all over the tank, high, mid, low, at high speed, non-stop action. Fascinating to watch. They seem very happy to have room to move and I have yet to see them even think of resting, let alone hiding!

Really glad I got them.

Jim

[toddnbecka]

I've run across a few accounts of them spawning in aquariums, unlike most other Botia species. Never any large numbers of fry, but the odd juvie does turn up on occasion.

[abaigael04]

Enjoy them! I hope to have some one day - they are cute little guys! you are lucky!

[angelcakes]

enjoy..........and congrats:19: :19: