i have a shubunkin and a goldfish(which might be a comet,not too sure yet) and i think there tank looks a little bear,now its not too big so really i can only add one more fish.i've always liked the look of loaches and plecos.i know i cant use a common pleco cos of the goldfish,or some of the others as they dont like coldwater,but i really like them.but i also love loaches,but i only know of two,the weather loache and the hillstream loache,but some-one told me not to use the hillstream.why? which would be best?also which is less messy?cos i know plecos are meant to be messy.which produces less amonia? which are the hardyest?and what do they eat? how big do they grow?as i need the smaller ones.please help,i would really appreciate it.thankyou

A bristlenose pleco (ancistrus) might be a good bet. They like to be kept singly (unlike hillstream loaches and dojo (weather) loaches. Those two like to be kept in a small group.

Bristlenoses remain fairly small (under 5") and they remain vegetarian (so do not develop the habit of sucking the slime coat off of slower moving fish, such as goldfish).

Another one to consider is the rubber lip (or rubber nose) pleco. They are much the same as the above, but are a bit smaller.

Weather loaches are really nice, but as I said, they should be kept in at least a pair.

How big is your tank?

thanks for your reply.i just looked up the bristlenose and it says they can get up to 2 feet!but most site say between 6 and 8 inches.is that true,cos thats just to big? my tank is 21 uk liters

its a coldwater tank.as the bristlenose is too big i looked up the rubbernose,and apparently that lives in warm water. im never gonna find one.

well if bristle nose is too big, i would still get a rubbernose. just because they live in warmer water doesnt mean they cant go with goldfish. goldfiah can live in warm water too

With your tank only being 21 litres,I'm afraid that it wouldn't be wise to add any other fish.You'll find out soon enough that the shub and the Comet are going to need a much bigger tank.We recommend those types of fish to have at least 15-20 gals. a piece just to begin with, as they tend to get quite large and need lots of swimming room.

okay i think i'll leave it for now. how many liters for them would be suitable? and is it true they only grow within there tank size?im not sure if it is? thankyou for all your replys

Given the adult size of the shubunkin and comet, I would personally recommend a tank over 100 gallons for them eventually.
Growing to the tank size is another way of saying stunting the fish. This is a very painful process for the fish and can lead to many problems including premature death.



I don't think there are any known bristlenose species that get up to 2 feet. what site did you see that on? I've had one for about 4 years now that is only 4".

Mary

I have hillstream loachs they prefer acidic water which is also fast flowing.They also prefer being kept in a minium of a group of five.
Acidic and fast flowing water being two things that GF don't like tho my loaches are in a tank with pH 6.8 which GF can tolerate.