Baby Convicts & Large Clown Loaches,

[ibbledibble]

So my boyfriends mum has just got a new 4ft tank, as we told her she needed something bigger than her 39L tank for her clown loaches and common plec. but so far thats the entire tank contents, not very interesting!
we have some baby convicts about 2-3cm at present and wondered if they would be ok with the clown loaches and plec. if they grow up with the clowns there from the start will it be ok?
what with clown loaches being scaleless, don't want them to take too much of a battering!

EDIT: forgot to add the clown loaches are about 5inch/13cm at present and quite large bodied

 

[pica_nuttalli]

well, for starters, if the fry are small enough to fit in the clown's mouth, then they will be eaten.

next issue is that convicts are nasty fighty things at all ages, so there's no guarantee that they won't savage the clowns one day.

 

[ibbledibble]

the fry are 2-3cm long thats about an inch, they are deep bodied and not any smaller than the tetras the clown loaches are with at present, so i don't think they would get eaten.

 

[STD]

I think it will work

In my experience clown loaches don't tend to get picked on by cichlids

 

[Tolak]

It will work until the cons get mature enough to pair & breed. You will need to seperate the cons & loachs before this happens, breeding cons are some nasty fish.

 

[Lateral Line]

This is more a cichlid question then a loach one. I'll move it to NWC, they will have more input on the cichlids demeanour there.