# Sidthimunki Loaches



## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

I am having trouble finding Dwarf Loaches (Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki). Anybody have any leads?
I'm in CT.
Here's a link with a picture: http://www.loaches.com/species-index/yasuhikotakia-sidthimunki
Thanks
penny


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## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

I can't suggest a place online. If you have a decent LFS in the area, you can ask them if they can order some for you. I was lucky to find it in my favorite LFS. Also, be prepared for the likely high price tag for these fish.

That being said, they are a great loach, they stay small and are fun to watch in a planted tank.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

You might try alloddballaquatics.com

You'll have to email them for an availability list, but they will ship fish.


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## Left Coast DJ (Nov 16, 2006)

The Doctors sometimes have them:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1587

DJ


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

Thanks peeps. yup I am trying all the LFSs, they just shrug and say sorry.
will check out the links.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

They are great little loaches, so I hope you can find some. 
I've also seen them for sale on Aqua Bid from time to time, so you may want to sort of monitor over there too.

It's also possible that Mark at Anubias Design gets them in from time to time.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

I have had someone tell me they are aggressive, contrary to everything else I've read. Do you find this to be true?


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I don't have any myself, but I have friends who do, and I've never heard anything about aggression from them. Maybe boisterous (in a loach sort of way), but not aggressive..... They are so small compared to many loaches too, that I can't see them being much of a threat to anything.


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## bharada (Apr 17, 2004)

I have a pair of juveniles. They seem perfectly content to school with the 100+ Espei Rasboras in my 120g tank. I've never seen them act aggressive.

I've been trying to get a few more but my LFS's wholesaler rarely seems to have any.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Oh, here ya go.... Fish2u has them in stock.
http://www.fish2u.com/smdwarloacsi.html

I've ordered from them a few times (even though it's been a while now) and have always been very impressed with the quality of their fish.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

I got three from a LFS that carries a lot of cool little tidbits..i.e. celestials, boraras brigatte/merah/merculata, green flame tetra, and lots of other little new species. 

They had a whole tank full but I only got three and wished I got more but since the tank was infected with ich from some clowns and the whole tank died. 

Mine are super friendly and when not schooling by themselves will school with anything that schools. When I first put them in they all went to each and every tankmate there and it seemed as though they were introducing themselves.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

thanks people...
Jan, I'm checking that out now, muchas gracias!
penny


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

Ouch! Not cheap! But I'm the big spender who spent over $300 on altums last year...
Anyhoo, I emailed for a shipping estimate...
Thanks again Jan.

While I have your ear...here's the scoop. Large planted tank. Too many snails. Here are my options for an unobtrusive snail-eater that won't bother my precious angels:

1. Sidthimunki
Pros: perfect small snail eater
Cons: hard to find, expensive, need to buy a group

2. Striped Raphael cat
Pros: snail eater, unusual, easy to find
Cons: can get to be semi-large, can eat small fish, will not wipe out snails

3. Pea puffers
Pros: small, cute, easy to catch
Cons: has been said to be a fin-nipper

I WISH I could find the Sidthimunki locally. I don't mind spending alot on fish (although with shipping these guys might end up costing over $20 each from Fish2U) but there's the added stress of the whole shipping thing. I HATE when they come in dead or ill....then they can be replaced, but you pay more shipping....as the $$$ keep escalating....

I'm not ruling it out, however.

What do you think about my other options?
I've had both clowns and yoyos in the past (haven't we all- LOL) and found them to be too boisterous and disruptive. And catching them is not easy. WWJD? (What Would Jan Do?)

thanks,
penny


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

vancat said:


> WWJD? (What Would Jan Do?)


LOL. Nice line Penny. I saw some Sidthimunki's for the first time recently at a not-so-local LFS (especially for you). They looked fabulous. Good luck finding some.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

How ya doin' Bryce? 
Thanks for saying Hi. We miss you, hope you miss us CT folks.


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## howie (Jan 5, 2007)

I have three from a NJ store. They are awesome. I have pile of empty snail shells to prove it and they stay small.

I am waiting for them to get some more.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

OK if any of you find them at an LFS that's within driving distance of Connecticut, please let me know...save me from spending over $100 if I end up ordering from Florida.
penny

There's a term we use in the guitar-player community...."GAS", or Guitar Acquisiton Syndrome. I have "FAS" for these darn loaches!


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## Left Coast DJ (Nov 16, 2006)

Will Sidthimunkies handle MTS? Or are they mostly non-trapdoor / softer shelled pond snail shuckers?

I saw Sidthimunkies recently for the first time in person. They look hella cool. However, the cost/benefit of them vs. Yo-Yo/Striata might not be much, especially if you have a large tank.

DJ


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## JAXON777 (Jan 4, 2007)

Since they eat snails would they eat shrimp? I think these are really cool looking fish but would like to keep my shrimp safe. I know the other loaches will eat shrimp just wondering.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

I don't think they eat shrimp, but not positive.

I've had yoyo's and clowns in the past and they just are too big & disruptive, like bulls in a china shop. Also kinda pesky towards the other fish. I don't want to add tons more fish mass either. Since I should get at least a half dozen to keep them happy, size would matter in the fish mass total. Clowns get huge! My yoyos were at least 3" long, too. And both a real booger to get back out of the tank.

I'm hoping to be happy with the small guys, and not have to remove them in the future.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

LOL Penny.... 

If you don't want to put out the dough for the Sidthimunki's, another nice loach that stays smaller is the Kubotai. I'm not sure if they are any cheaper than the others, but it would be an option to check into.

As for the raphaels, I've never had a problem with them eating or bothering any of my other fish (not even fry), but if you are buying them specifically for loach control, you might be disappointed.

Is there anything else you might want to order along with the loaches to get more bang for your shipping buck? 

DJ, I bet the Sidthimunkis could handle MTS's and the likes even though they are smaller.

Jaxon, I would guess they probably would chow on shrimp too, but that's just a guess.
Overall, there are actually very few things I would trust with shrimp.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

It will come down to this, if I can't find any in the coming weeks, Florida it is. Shee-ut though, almost $20 a fish for those cute little boogers.

But they come with such fabulous reviews.


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## Left Coast DJ (Nov 16, 2006)

The general rule of thumb is if they eat snails (loaches, puffers, certain cichlids, etc.), they'll chow down on shrimp too.

My 20 Long is over-run with MTS so I've been toying with the idea of either Sidthmunkies or a couple of Yo-Yos. However, in preparation for the loaches, for the past week I've been slowly moving my Amanos, Cherries, and Rainbows to other tanks.

DJ


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

I was pretty much ready to pull the trigger on ordering the sids from Florida....BUT THEN......
They tell me delivery could be any time of the day before 3pm. So basically I'd have to take the day off from work! I was assuming they did overnight by 10:30am like my angel shippers. When they came at 10:29 (really) I just went in to work (very) late. But I guess these folks can't nail down a time frame... I dunno. Having second thoughts. I didn't really want to take a whole day off. Got any cheese to go with my whine?

"We ship overnite, but generally cannot tell you what 
time a shipment may arrive at a destination.
We generally ship a '3PM' level service, but this just
suggests a PM arrival. If you want an earlier
delivery, we can rate it that way (will cost a bit
more), and will be earlier delivery, but will not
guarantee a specific time either."


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## Left Coast DJ (Nov 16, 2006)

As long as you don't live in the boonies, you can always ask for FedEx Priority Overnight (delivery before 10:30 AM) or if you have really deep pockets get FedEx First Overnight (before 8:30 AM). And I think UPS has similar services.

DJ


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I always get that message too Penny, but when it comes down to it, they always arrive before 11 am. I think they have to say that to cover their butts.

A big option many people use is to have the FedEx facility, or whoever ships it hold it at their facility so you can pick the package up.

I get off work at 11 am, so I just check the tracking from time to time and if it says it's on the truck for delivery, I head home right away.


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## bristles (Mar 7, 2006)

I have 3 sidth in a 90g and love them, they don't eat MTS but keep all others in check (not completely gone but you really have to search hard to find a snail) they don't bother my Amano shrimp even the small ones but cherry shrimp are definitely on the menu:heh:


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## southernflounder (Nov 5, 2006)

JanS said:


> Oh, here ya go.... Fish2u has them in stock.
> http://www.fish2u.com/smdwarloacsi.html
> 
> I've ordered from them a few times (even though it's been a while now) and have always been very impressed with the quality of their fish.


That seem like the right price for these, $15-$20 each.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

Well, people, after all my blah-blah-blah and whining, The Snaileater Quest has ended.

I went to a LFS last night & fell in love with the dwarf puffers. So puffers it is. Sorry, Sid, you were just not close by when I needed you.

I got 'the puffers in their Q tank and not 1 minute later they were picking at the snails. This a.m. they seem fine. I got 4....may go back for more...cute l'il thangs....their eyes move!

OK, now give me your dwarf puffer stories. Or, must I start a new thread?

thanks, everyone, for bearing with me in my Quest for the Holy Snail(eater)!
penny


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

LFS here has them for $5.99 and I thought that was expensive.


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## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

that's a pretty darn cheap price for sids.

Dwarf puffers are cute, I've kept them in a species-only tank and though. I've placed small ghost shrimp in their tank and the shrimp survived for a couple of weeks, then mysteriously disappeared....whether they were eaten I'm not sure.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Congrats on your Puffers Penny. 

Yes, by all means, tell us about them. I would go ahead and start a new thread so the title is more appropriate to the fish you're talking about.


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## mr moto (Mar 30, 2007)

When I had some, they were never aggressive. They're more like gregarious. Love to be kept in a small group of maybe five or six. Also a great way to eliminate snails!


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

New Puffer Thread coming soon!


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