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Have you ever had aggression problems from a Pakistani?

  • Yes, they are very aggressive

    Votes: 1 33.3%
  • Nope, never seen it

    Votes: 2 66.7%

Pakistani loaches

8K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  AussieTimmeh 
#1 ·
I hope I am posting this in the right section.

Has anyone had any problems with aggression from Pakistani loaches?

My friend had one in his tank, and it swiftly dealt with a big snail problem he had. When he wasn't sifting thru the gravel, he just laid around (until he jumped out of the tank through the smallest hole in the lid ever). I thought they sounded like a good cure to my snail problem and bought a small pair. They sure cured my snail problem but they caused havoc in the tank. I would watch them swim around nipping at the tails of my Bala Sharks! They were so aggressive against my bristlenose catfish too, or at least I assume it was them. My bristlenose had lived in peace for months, but my male lost half the bristles on his nose from attacks!

I'm not sure if my two Pakistani loaches were just psycho or not, but they are gone now thankfully, to my friends tank. Too scared to get any more, the tank is much more settled now.
 
#2 ·
Most loaches need a minimum of five of their own species to live naturally, and buying just a pair of pakistani loaches could change their natural behaviour to act in that way. I myself have never seen or heard of pakistani loach aggression, but i'm just giving you my opinion....
 
#3 ·
I have seven of them in a 100 gal. They are the most rambunctious of all inhabitants in the tank but they don't bother anyone other than each other. Between the herd I have seen some serious squabbling.
I have one that grays out so much I thought it was on the verge of death before I understood that this was typical coloring of a loach in "battle". None of these loaches have ever hurt each other and I'm sure these squabbles are nothing more than disputes over hierarchy or territory.

They are great fish that most definitely need to be kept in a group, five as the minimum, as kritas states. I agree with kritas that the problem was most likely due to there being only two of them. Personally, I could never part with mine. They are wonderfully entertaining fish.
 
#4 ·
yep, i'm with the larger the group of them the better.
they can harass other fish a little when not in a large enough group,
the artical i read was calling t bonding.
 
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