Cacatuoides with Zebra loaches?

[FishMachell]

Hi all, just about to upgrade to a 240 litre long tank (63 US gallons) and wanted to know if my cacatuoides pair would be okay with some (around 6) zebra loaches? Any advice very welcome, thank you! The apistos will have plenty of caves and a sand substrate and have done quite well in my current 90 litre.

 

[Mike Wise]

Probably not. Breeding apistos do not want other bottom-dwelling fish invading their breeding territory. In so many words, a community tank is not a breeding tank.

 

[FishMachell]

Thanks Mike! Would you say that rules out any other bottom dwellers? I currently have a clown pleco and have had no problems, even when the apistos have been breeding.

 

[Mike Wise]

Plecos have a habit of entering breeding caves at night and disturbing brooding females, in not actually eating eggs/larvae. If you are having success breeding apistos with plecos it is because the tank is large enough and laid out so they do not interact with each other very much.

 

[FishMachell]

Yes, they tend to keep to their own corners and I have tried to create specific territories for each, which seems to have worked. I will consider this for the upgraded tank, too. Thanks for your advice, very much appreciated!

 

[yukondog]

I would not do any loaches with breeding apisto's, even if the apisto's can keep them out of the breeding cave once the fry comes out, I would think they would be snacks for six loaches.

 

[anewbie]

zebra loaches are pretty docile but they are also not small relative to a female cacatuoides. Certainly if they were not breeding it would be fine but you should expect them to visit any area of a tank less than 8 feet. I have some in a 120 and while a lot calmer than the yoyo they still like to explore edge to edge daily.