Yoyo loach rescue at Fish Story Aquarium

[thebiggerthebetter]

So this little rescue yoyo loach was brought to us about a year ago. I didn't know much about it. Still do not know that much. It's been ok with its tank mates for a while until I got 5 buttikoferi and 5 maskoheros from Rapps some 4-5 months ago. The loach has ignored the maskoheros but I saw it chase the butti's relentlessly and often, although it hasn't done any damage to them. It was a bit amusing to see how it would chase one butti and get in the vicinity of others and its attention splits and it doesn't know which one to chase, then it picks its target again and the cycle repeats. It would also chase some other fish too but this was once or twice that I had seen. I don't know what exactly happens at nights.

The problem is that the tank is scaped, especially compared to my usual bare tanks. Thus it is not easy to note the cohabitation problems in time.

That was the main stumbling block that led to my downfall with three Murray cods I got from Wesley Wong a couple of months back. I didn't catch the loach chasing and biting (?) the cods in time at all. Only with the last cod did I see the loach chase it around. It was too late for the other two cods and the third one didn't make it either.

Here is the little killer of cods:

 

[monkeybike]

Yeah, you need 3 or more yoyo otherwise they get kinda crazy on tankmates. They develop a pecking order in groups.

 

[Coryloach]

Here is the little killer of cods:

Ha, ha. I totally love loaches...He looks like a really happy chap, no signs of remorse whatsoever I am afraid.....

 

[fishnatics]

That sounds just like my 5” yoyo. Mine seems to target the gold Burmese loach only. It’ll chase the others around but will zoom in on the Burmese relentlessly to the point where they both will end up having red sores around there faces. It got so bad that I took the yoyo back to the pet store.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Thank you guys!

Yeah, you need 3 or more yoyo otherwise they get kinda crazy on tankmates. They develop a pecking order in groups.

Thank you. That is helpful! Yea, I like this short hand description. Maybe we should make it a technically rigorous term.

Definition:

"Kinda crazy on tank mates" = "Highly selective in which tank mates are to be harassed, chased, and possibly bitten and killed. The selection is subject to pronounced unpredictability".

What's you experience / stories?

 

[monkeybike]

Thank you guys!



Thank you. That is helpful! Yea, I like this short hand description. Maybe we should make it a technically rigorous term.

Definition:

"Kinda crazy on tank mates" = "Highly selective in which tank mates are to be harassed, chased, and possibly bitten and killed. The selection is subject to pronounced unpredictability".

What's you experience / stories?

I have 3 that I picked up as babies from a Petco sale. There were super thin and about an inch total length. I got them to see if they could control the mts snail population in my planted tank (they dont). They have since grown out into 3 different sizes that match their hierarchy. The biggest one controls the feed spot until it's full then the medium one moves into eat and so on. I also have 2 large blue Botia and 3 of what I think are Sun loaches with them. The different species all seem to stick to their own with an occasional chase. The Suns seem the most territorially aggressive of the 3 with the Yoyo coming in second. The Yoyo have a few battle scars from ocular spine jabs (I assume). Tank mates include tetras and keyhole cichlids who incur no damage from the loach population.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Great stuff from all angles. A gem of a tank. Thanks, bro.

 

[fishnatics]

I have 3 that I picked up as babies from a Petco sale. There were super thin and about an inch total length. I got them to see if they could control the mts snail population in my planted tank (they dont). They have since grown out into 3 different sizes that match their hierarchy. The biggest one controls the feed spot until it's full then the medium one moves into eat and so on. I also have 2 large blue Botia and 3 of what I think are Sun loaches with them. The different species all seem to stick to their own with an occasional chase. The Suns seem the most territorially aggressive of the 3 with the Yoyo coming in second. The Yoyo have a few battle scars from ocular spine jabs (I assume). Tank mates include tetras and keyhole cichlids who incur no damage from the loach population.

Yep those are sun loaches. Ime sun loaches are down right the nastiest loaches I’ve kept! They keep the blue botia, tiger, skunks, and yoyo in its place. Fighting is so constantly that I had to rehome a lot of my loaches to keep the peace and from them killing each other.

 

[celebrist]

I bought six yo-yos several years ago one I lost one in quarantine after moving the other 5 to the big tank they haven't seem to bother anyone but they have their own hierarchy for sure

 

[celebrist]

Poor pic