# Loach activity ??



## tbub1221 (Nov 1, 2012)

So some of you know we keep many loachs , currently iv got 2 skunks, a yoyo , a tiger , and a zipper loach ,that's not counting dojo's or kuhli loachs.
my question is as follows ??
since the addition of the zipper loach a week back iv noticed him doing a lot of body bumpong /Rubbing on the tiger loach..
i saw this the first day and thought it just new tank dominance display , they do have very similar color and pattern and the tigetr is the dominant boti Loach but hes not a bully.
well in the las few days iv noticed them all starting to act squirrel'y on me , the skunks are now joining in on the body rubing , im aware most loachs do not do a whole lot of breeding in captivity , but i do have a skunk that is heavy this week with eggs ??? should i be concerned of a souper loach mutant ?? 

Is this due to so many fish that require the same real estate and feeding areas and they are now showing agression , if thats it ill have to move some of them.
so far its not really a fight but when 2 fish are circling head to tail and then start what looks like mating what should i do , or should i wait and see what happens . I can definately say it started with the addition of the Zipper loach 
:biggerfish:


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I would think they're disputing property.Loaches have spines located near their eyes and use them for defense and sometimes aggression,so the rubbing is a way of "poking" the other.
If your loaches breed CONGRATS! even if they are hybrids.Some of my clowns are 8 years old and although I get that 180g isn't really big(as do my fish also{tell my wife!}) I only wish I would see something so splendid.They do really pack it in and eat I would geuss more than any of my other fish,of which some are over 4 years old and good sized also.
Here's a link to explain the spike near eye;Loaches, Fish Guides for Kuhli, Dojo, Clown Loach, and More Species


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## tbub1221 (Nov 1, 2012)

coralbandit said:


> I would think they're disputing property.Loaches have spines located near their eyes and use them for defense and sometimes aggression,so the rubbing is a way of "poking" the other.
> If your loaches breed CONGRATS! even if they are hybrids.Some of my clowns are 8 years old and although I get that 180g isn't really big(as do my fish also{tell my wife!}) I only wish I would see something so splendid.They do really pack it in and eat I would geuss more than any of my other fish,of which some are over 4 years old and good sized also.
> Here's a link to explain the spike near eye;Loaches, Fish Guides for Kuhli, Dojo, Clown Loach, and More Species


thanks , that was my thoughts as to whats going on .
the smaller tiger (the one i refered to earlier) likes to play a game called hide in the stump ..
this game consist of swimming inside the log ONLY when its maintenance time .
iv only ever taken it out 3 times once it went in but every time he takes a ride out of the water and iv picked him up and been stuck by those spines , they are not more than a light prick but the first time i felt it i nearly doped him a 2nd time LOL

Do you think botia loaches can inter breed , some are so close like the angelic and a yoyo , to someone who would not know its the same fish .. its only a light pattern breakup difference .. also i keep a king DOJO with my 2 gold dojo loach's and thats possible , so ?? MAYBEEE
I promise if we successfully breed a super loach sterile or not , you can have one *w3


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Most of the loaches you have will not breed in a tank. Most would require hormone injections.


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