Regarding Botia Striata

I have seen EBJD & loaches kept together, ONE ebjd with loaches larger than them. I have striatas in a 75g & they are VERY slow growing, much slower than cichlids I've kept. I've never seen more than 1 or 2 3-4 inch striatas for sale at a time, they're usually quite small, 1-2 inch.

I suggest moving your yoyos to the 75g, they are very fast growers. After more than a year they should be 3-4 inches & (at least) close to outgrowing the 29. A 29g isn't really big enough for a group of 3-4 inch loaches of either species & a group of corys long term. Say 6 of each & that's an awful lot of bottom feeders. With your corys, a group of pangios (kuhlis) or maybe even sidthimunkis would be a better choice in that size tank.
 
H3D said:
That is absolutely 100% NOT TRUE.
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Keyword: tend

He didn't imply all cichlids ignore non-cichlids altogether.

Okay, let's drop off the arguments. Leave it to the OP to decide. In the end, it is up to the OP to decide what his fish he wants to get, not us. We are here to help so let's not turn this into a debate table further (though it already has and I hate to close a thread because people keep debating further and degrade it).

Toddnbecka, I agree with you. It depends on the cichlids. Provided the EBJD does not spawn in the tank, then I do not see why the loaches cannot be kept there at all.
 
H3D said:
The thing that irritates me the most is the misuse of the words "dither" fish by cichlid keepers, to hide the awful practice of using "target" fish. They are not even remotely the same thing. Putting loaches in with an EBJD is using them as "target" fish. This means the loaches are fast enough and strong enough to withstand the abuse given to them by the larger, agressive cichlid. This is not a humain practice IMO and the loaches are forced to live a less than adequate life.
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The phrase target fish refers when used correctly to a fish introduced to a tank so as to encourage a pair of other fish to mate successfully - the intruder type fish being considered a threat so to speak and causing the other fish to spawn and protect their offspring. It doesn't mean a fish provided in the tank for the purpose of allowing e.g. a cichdlin to 'target' it.

Dither fish is quite different and refers when used correctly to generally smaller fish than the 'centre-piece' type fish the presence of which cause the centre-piece fish to feel more secure in the tank and to be more visible, not hiding behind decor etc.
 
thanks for the posts/info. I feel that once the tank is completed regarding plants, rock work and a few clay pots hidden behind the driftwood and under it to create mini caves, there will be ample room for all fish to claim an area for their own and be able to relax when they are tired.

I just want to know what would be the maximum # of these guys to go with with 3 4-5" plecos sharing the footprint as well. 6-8 is going to be the minimum I get. The LFS I frequent has them stocked pretty much year round and has already agreed to special order extras for me, with whatever loach I decide to go with in the end. I'd like to get more if the footprint allows for it, since I have read that they tend to mass huddle when they sleep. I'd like to have a 'fun/clown/silly' group in the tank so figure the bigger I can get that crowd the better, without pushing the boundaries of the footprint.

I nearly forgot, it's a standard 75gallon footprint. 48"x18"x20"
 
Coler said:
The phrase target fish refers when used correctly to a fish introduced to a tank so as to encourage a pair of other fish to mate successfully - the intruder type fish being considered a threat so to speak and causing the other fish to spawn and protect their offspring. It doesn't mean a fish provided in the tank for the purpose of allowing e.g. a cichdlin to 'target' it.
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That is only one of the ways cichlid keepers use "target" fish. The origin of the term "target" fish is the idea that you could reduce the aggression in an African cichlid tank by introducing "target' fish to disperse their aggression. In both cases they are called "target" fish because they literally become the "target" of the other fish's aggression when it is protecting it's territory.

Coler said:
Dither fish is quite different and refers when used correctly to generally smaller fish than the 'centre-piece' type fish the presence of which cause the centre-piece fish to feel more secure in the tank and to be more visible, not hiding behind decor etc.
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I 100% agree Coler. That being said territorially aggressive South American cichlids feel threatened when another fish invades their territory, not more secure.
 
FL CommunityFan said:
I just want to know what would be the maximum # of these guys to go with with 3 4-5" plecos sharing the footprint as well.
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What species are these? It would be a good idea to avoid the common plecos such as Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps as these will eventually reach 12 inches and over and will cramp the space of your tank otherwise bristlenose plecos, clown plecos, queen arabesque, small whiptails and most hypancistrus will be okay. The amount of bioload of your planned stock though will require increase filtration capacity and tank maintenance. If you're willing to do that, you're on right track.

6-8 is going to be the minimum I get. The LFS I frequent has them stocked pretty much year round and has already agreed to special order extras for me, with whatever loach I decide to go with in the end. I'd like to get more if the footprint allows for it, since I have read that they tend to mass huddle when they sleep. I'd like to have a 'fun/clown/silly' group in the tank so figure the bigger I can get that crowd the better, without pushing the boundaries of the footprint.

I nearly forgot, it's a standard 75gallon footprint. 48"x18"x20"
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8-10 Botia striata should work just fine.:)
 
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