# new purchases--I'm excited



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

bought 2 baby panda cories and 2 baby polka dot loaches yesterday at Big Al's. They were 2 for $2.99. they are reallyl cute. The loaches blink and the eyes kind a roll up in their heads. The pandas keep touching each other. 
i know i need 6 ! but space does not permit.
What i want to know is how do i make sure the pandas are getting food? The other fish in the tank are guppies,platys and swords and they are pretty greedy for everything.
The loaches were eating ok today but the pandas were poking around in the middle of the plants. 
Several articles i read said these kind of loaches are very gentle as are the pandas.
But 1 article said never keep loaches and cories togather. Is this because they compete for the same space??
When I first put them in the tank all 4 hung together and the other tankmates checked them out real carefully.
Anyone give advice on these 2 species?
thanks
mousey


----------



## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

First off if you don't have the room to keep the fish in the appropiate numbers, you should take them back. 
On to other questions you have.

You can feed them at night to ensure they get food. Or you can feed on one side of the tank, then feed on the other to make sure food reaches the bottom. If they are active and swimming normal with no sunken bellies, odds are they are getting food.


----------



## flamingo (Nov 5, 2005)

Cories and loaches not being able to be kept together?!
Never heard that one before. Almost all loaches will co-exist peacefully with them as longas theres enough space..if you have like 20 cories in a 60 gallon with a clown loach than maybe something in terms of aggression would happen. But kuhlis are just naturally peaceful.


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

well to be safe I removed some of my livebearers as I had way too many and traded them at the lfs for 2 more loaches and 4 more pandas. The 6 pandas are sharing a 10 gal tank with 4 guppies and an oto. The loaches are in a 15 long with 4 platys, 2 swords and 6 guppies. there is lots of hiding places,but the loaches seem to loike either the plantless area or under the log.

I have been researching many websites for info on the loaches but it seems IF they are accuratly named (doubtful!) as polka dots there are no pictures that resemble what i have but of course the articles say that juveniles do not have the same patterning as adults. So I guess I will just wait and see what they grow into .They are currently about 3 inches long and have pale beige spots on them. the belly is silver.
I find it interesting that they have knife blades on the faces they can stick out!! Wow hope they don't use them on anything else in the tank.

The pandas are cute and are busy in their tank. they are always looking for food!

These 2 species are are real difference from livebearers.
Mouse


----------



## flamingo (Nov 5, 2005)

yo-yo loache/botia maybe?

Got any pics of them?


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

They are Naetchelus corica( Ihtink thats the spelling.)
Although one looks more like a mottled loach. Just got a new camera , but have not figured the camera out yet. then i will have to learn to post pics.


----------

