Advice Please: Clown Loach

[LucyLu]

Hi there,

New to the forum as I'm starting to keep some tropical fish and really enjoying it. Currently I have a biorb which I am replacing with a new aquarium which is cycling (fish less).

However, I've was given some terrible advice from my LFS and now I'm wandering what to do...

I had a few little snails in my biorb and so I went to my LFS to ask if they had something suitable that could help eat them (this was about a month ago). She said 'we have a juvenile clown loach which would be perfect'... I corrected her and said I thought they were shoaling fish and she said it was a misconception and it'd be fine.. I then said twice that I had a biorb and I didn't think it was a good idea but she reassured me that it would be absolutely fine. I stupidly took her advice as it's very well known marine and reptile shop but after researching again and again (which I'd already done before I went) I know it was a mistake to get it.

The clown loach is absolutely gorgeous, very active/playful, colourful and healthy. There are lots of little caves and nooks and cranny's set up for her (think it's female) in my biorb. She's not shying away, gets on with the few other fish I have in there (I haven't over stocked) and doesn't seem stressed ... I've made sure that the ceramic media is only surrounding the filter right at the bottom and is then covered with softer gravel and soft marble stones.

Because I like her so much I have bought a new tank and want to buy a couple more... Is 3 enough to begin with? The new tank I've bought is a 60lt, 2ft long, 1ft high and 1ft wide. I've put in soft sand, planted it nicely (need a few more) and added a couple of little caves. I realise that they grow big and so I will eventually upgrade (at the moment the new tank is all I have room for) but if I bought say another couple of juvenile clown loaches would they be ok in my new tank, for a while at least, or should I just cut my losses and try and re-home the little darling I have?

Please don't think I'm being mean by keeping her. I am doing my best to make her comfortable and genuinely want what's best for her, which is why I went out and bought a new tank and I will re-home her if you all think it's for the best. What's the best way to re-home? I don't want to bring her back to my LFS only for her to be sold off to someone alone again.

Thanks,
L

 

[Wills]

Hi welcome to the forum, its an awkward situation when you know if you take it back they dont have much hope long term these fish need big big tanks like 5 or 6 foot ideally but you can raise them in smaller - if you were able to get a generosuly proportioned 4 foot tank it would be a good stop gap until you can upgrade in a few years.

Or you could list them on the classifieds here for free or try aquarist classified if your in the UK

Hope it works out though If you like loaches for the new tank you could perhaps consider Zebra Loaches which are a more medium sized fish or Khuli Loaches or Rosy Loaches.

Wills

 

[TropicalJuwel]

Hey Lucylu,

As you already know what you have is not suitable for the clown loach, its just shows you what some lfs will do to get a sale. These are fantastic fish and need to be in a group of at least 5. It's great your trying to upgrade as that is needed but as wills said 4 foot tank would be better than a 2 foot tank as a stop gap tank for now. They do grow very slow which is why its very hard to find any large clown loaches and when you do they have a high price so that buys you some time.

If you can get the bigger tank then I would go down that route and get some more but on other hand if thats not possible then your only other option is to try and sell on. What ever you do dont attempt to return the beauty to the shop as the poor thing will probably only get sold onto someone else with an inappropriate tank. Good luck with the situation.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

+1 on what Wills said. It isn't a misconception that clowns prefer a larger shoal, and they are much more active and happier when they are in one. A full grown clown loach can get up to a foot long, and they are very chunky fish. They will generally be a centerpiece in most large aquariums. My advice would be to try and rehome it, preferable to someone who has a large tank with other loaches in it. I hope you get your situation figured out, and kudos to you for trying to keep the little guy comfortable

 

[LucyLu]

Thanks all. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply.

Re-homing is the best option if the tank size to rear juvenile's should be at least 4ft.

I wouldn't sell her, I'd just like to give her to someone who has a large shoal already and will love her as much as I do. She's very young... only about 1.5 inches at the moment so hopefully it won't be too hard to re-home her.

L

 

[TropicalJuwel]

Yes AT LEAST 4 foot really for now but then you would need to bare in mind that you need to then upgrade that. Good luck with the re-home.

 

[TropicalJuwel]

If you don't know anyone with a big enough tank or are struggling to find her a home ordipending where you are in london I may be able to help, but see how you get on first.

 

[LucyLu]

If you don't know anyone with a big enough tank or are struggling to find her a home ordipending where you are in london I may be able to help, but see how you get on first.

Thanks mate. I'm in SE London. I don't know anyone personally but I was going to post an ad here in classified and I might also call Maidenhead Aquatics in Moredon/Croydon (I'm not sure if they're good stockists or not?!) and ask if they would take her, or maybe swap her for something more suitable (I didn't buy her from either of those).

I'll give it a whirl and will PM you if no joy and you can/would like to help.

L

 

[TropicalJuwel]

If you don't know anyone with a big enough tank or are struggling to find her a home ordipending where you are in london I may be able to help, but see how you get on first.

Thanks mate. I'm in SE London. I don't know anyone personally but I was going to post an ad here in classified and I might also call Maidenhead Aquatics in Moredon/Croydon (I'm not sure if they're good stockists or not?!) and ask if they would take her, or maybe swap her for something more suitable (I didn't buy her from either of those).

I'll give it a whirl and will PM you if no joy and you can/would like to help.

L

O.K thats fine, just let me know. That would be good if they let you swap of maybe try a different lfs near you that may swap. I haven't been to either of them maidenhead aquatics but I have been to the polhill garden center one and there pretty good. Hope it all turns out well in the end.

 

[Tizer]

Im near Maidenhead if thats close, i can chuck her in my 5 footer with the other 10 i have

 

[LucyLu]

Thanks TJ! I'll defo let you know how it goes.

Im near Maidenhead if thats close, i can chuck her in my 5 footer with the other 10 i have

Hi Tizer,

Aww... I would love to give her to you but Maidenhead is rather a long way. The name of the aquatic shop I mentioned is misleading as they're both in South East London. D'oh!

L

 

[Tizer]

Maidenhead Aquatics are all over the country, lots of them! They all rehome/resell fish so im sure they can help out