A Quick First Post

[ShinySideUp]

Hello all.

I have had fish tanks for many years with occasional breaks when moving house. At the time of writing my tank consists of a 120 litre Juwel, with a very bristely brisle nose catfish, 2 coolie (koulie) loaches, 2 corys and six clown loaches of varying sizes. It is the botia's that have caused me to move (hopefully tomorrow when it arrives) from the 120 litre to a brand new 240 litre tank. I have many questions about clown loaches and like many, I have to try to breed them. I believe that very few, if any, have been bred in captivity but there has to be a way and I hope to find it.

Cheers

Martin

 

[walkers101]

one thing i will tell you about clown loach is that you will eventually need a bigger tank

 

[ShinySideUp]

one thing i will tell you about clown loach is that you will eventually need a bigger tank

One step at a time. They botia's vary between 1 1/2 inches to four inches (to base of tail) so a four foot tank is still quite acceptable IMHO. If they continue to grow (and experience over the years has shown that it is not necessarily so) then a six foot tank will (and can) be provided. I am convinced that it is not the size of the fish but the conditions in which it thrives is the key. Look at humans, they only need to reach puberty to breed regardless of any other conditions! However, look at orchids (the plant), it is common for them to flower (and so breed) only when conditons reach a point where they are about to die. I believe Clown Loach breeding conditions are around a mid point between those two extremes; easy conditions but with the threat of extinction. Perhaps I should tell them that while the water conditions are right they also live in an earthquake zone!!

 

[Dieses Madchen]

one thing i will tell you about clown loach is that you will eventually need a bigger tank

One step at a time. They botia's vary between 1 1/2 inches to four inches (to base of tail) so a four foot tank is still quite acceptable IMHO. If they continue to grow (and experience over the years has shown that it is not necessarily so) then a six foot tank will (and can) be provided. I am convinced that it is not the size of the fish but the conditions in which it thrives is the key. Look at humans, they only need to reach puberty to breed regardless of any other conditions! However, look at orchids (the plant), it is common for them to flower (and so breed) only when conditons reach a point where they are about to die. I believe Clown Loach breeding conditions are around a mid point between those two extremes; easy conditions but with the threat of extinction. Perhaps I should tell them that while the water conditions are right they also live in an earthquake zone!!

They also generally require hormone shots to breed. And walkers was just stating that they will eventually need more room. 60g (240L) is hardly big enough for a shoal of six to thrive, unless you were only planning on a pair, in whihc case you will not see the full aspect of their personality. Anyways, the point is, while a fish will only grow outwardly what the tank will allow, they can become stunted. Clown loaches do not grow as slowly as people think.

And just because a human only needs to reach puberty to breed, would you want to be the 15 yr old pothead that accidentally knocked his 14yr old g/f up? Those aren't the best condition to have a baby now are they? Just like I am sure a clown loach will not breed in condition they are not happy with, which is probably why they are so difficult to breed in captivity

 

[ShinySideUp]

They also generally require hormone shots to breed. And walkers was just stating that they will eventually need more room. 60g (240L) is hardly big enough for a shoal of six to thrive, unless you were only planning on a pair, in whihc case you will not see the full aspect of their personality. Anyways, the point is, while a fish will only grow outwardly what the tank will allow, they can become stunted. Clown loaches do not grow as slowly as people think.

And just because a human only needs to reach puberty to breed, would you want to be the 15 yr old pothead that accidentally knocked his 14yr old g/f up? Those aren't the best condition to have a baby now are they? Just like I am sure a clown loach will not breed in condition they are not happy with, which is probably why they are so difficult to breed in captivity

What a shame fifteen-year-old potheads don't also require injections.

 

[colleen0309]

Good morning and welcome to the forum!

 

[simonas]

I like the sound of your plans biggger tank provided, I;ve always wanted a clown loach tank myself as the ones Ive seen look brilliant. I have read somewhere in the uk a tank that had a shoal of clown loach in and they had somehow got a baby out of it but they hadnt seen them breed if that makes any sense and it didnt involve injections.

 

[ShinySideUp]

I like the sound of your plans biggger tank provided, I;ve always wanted a clown loach tank myself as the ones Ive seen look brilliant. I have read somewhere in the uk a tank that had a shoal of clown loach in and they had somehow got a baby out of it but they hadnt seen them breed if that makes any sense and it didnt involve injections.

I have just read in a fish book that clown loaches are 'now successfully bred in home aquariums'. Hmmm. The book is Baensch Aquarium Atlas and seems a valid tome for most purposes.

Martin