Biggish Friends For My Clowns ?

[Steffyxx]

I am just setting up my new 560 litre tank and am trying to find some friends to join my clown loach any one have any suggestions ? would rather stick with peaceful fish but all the ones i keep coming across are quite small and i dont want them to get lost in the tank and not be seen easily anyone have any suggestions ?

I like the look of corys and would love to have a group of 10 but dont know if having more bottom feeders with a group of clowns would be a good idea considering how big clowns get (mine are only 2-3 inch at the mo) i thought it would be easy stocking a tank this size but if anything its harder lol !

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

A nice big group of Filament Barbs or Giant Danios, who will both enjoy the strong tropical water current, plus they should act as great dithers for relatively shy Clowns.

 

[Steffyxx]

Thanks i like the look of the barbs

 

[Steffyxx]

Would a group of 10 be ok for them ?

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

10 would look stunning, I saw five ~10cm specimens at Amazon Aquatics in Warminster last month (last trading post on Ebay) for £30 and if it wasn't for my plan to make my 5x2x2 an African riverine fish only tank this year, I would have bought them without question... They were beautiful fish, like more colourful and chunkier Redline Torpedo Barbs.

 

[deftuch]

10 would look stunning, I saw five ~10cm specimens at Amazon Aquatics in Warminster last month (last trading post on Ebay) for £30 and if it wasn't for my plan to make my 5x2x2 an African riverine fish only tank this year, I would have bought them without question... They were beautiful fish, like more colourful and chunkier Redline Torpedo Barbs.

i agree but id have a group of 5 corys and another group of 5 such as the pakistan loach or yoyo loach? perhaps 2 fully grown severums and a parrot fish? a fully grown amazon puffer would be a risk but would be stunning!

 

[Steffyxx]

10 would look stunning, I saw five ~10cm specimens at Amazon Aquatics in Warminster last month (last trading post on Ebay) for £30 and if it wasn't for my plan to make my 5x2x2 an African riverine fish only tank this year, I would have bought them without question... They were beautiful fish, like more colourful and chunkier Redline Torpedo Barbs.

i agree but id have a group of 5 corys and another group of 5 such as the pakistan loach or yoyo loach? perhaps 2 fully grown severums and a parrot fish? a fully grown amazon puffer would be a risk but would be stunning!

I love the yoyo loach so that sounds like a good plan to me (you think having 8-10 clowns and these would be too many bottom feeders though ? ) parrots are lovely looking fish but i thought they were agressive was thinking of a black red tail shark too apparently these get on well with clowns ....

 

[Tizer]

I've just added a RTBS to my tank after i lost the first one after a month for no good reason. The only fish in the whole tank they don't like are the Siamese Algae Eaters as they are of a very similar body shape. They are fine with Clowns and generally speaking most other fish. But do be aware, when adult, they can go for small fish. They also feed mostly on algae in the tank, its very hard to substitute a diet for them, even with vegetables in front of them they will still cruise away and look for food on a leaf somewhere.

Don't worry about having too many clowns, i have 17 along with 10 zebra loaches The more you can put in there the better. Although i would strongly research Pakistan loaches on loaches.com , i think they can get a little bullyish from time to time.

 

[Steffyxx]

I've just added a RTBS to my tank after i lost the first one after a month for no good reason. The only fish in the whole tank they don't like are the Siamese Algae Eaters as they are of a very similar body shape. They are fine with Clowns and generally speaking most other fish. But do be aware, when adult, they can go for small fish. They also feed mostly on algae in the tank, its very hard to substitute a diet for them, even with vegetables in front of them they will still cruise away and look for food on a leaf somewhere.

Don't worry about having too many clowns, i have 17 along with 10 zebra loaches The more you can put in there the better. Although i would strongly research Pakistan loaches on loaches.com , i think they can get a little bullyish from time to time.

Go

 

[Tizer]

I've just added a RTBS to my tank after i lost the first one after a month for no good reason. The only fish in the whole tank they don't like are the Siamese Algae Eaters as they are of a very similar body shape. They are fine with Clowns and generally speaking most other fish. But do be aware, when adult, they can go for small fish. They also feed mostly on algae in the tank, its very hard to substitute a diet for them, even with vegetables in front of them they will still cruise away and look for food on a leaf somewhere.

Don't worry about having too many clowns, i have 17 along with 10 zebra loaches The more you can put in there the better. Although i would strongly research Pakistan loaches on loaches.com , i think they can get a little bullyish from time to time.

Go

West, Where the skies are blue ?

 

[Steffyxx]

Good advice thanks , yeah from what i have read the red tails only get agressive when they are a few years old but now you mention the diet im not sure i fancy a picky eater think a lot more research to be done before i do choose , oh thats good to hear about the clown numbers cant wait for mine to get some new buddies the last time i added a couple they got so excited they just danced around all night at the front of the tank clicking away adorable to watch ! Anything in particular that your clowns liked deciration wise ? Im focusing it on them really with pool filter sand and loaaaads of current .

 

[Tizer]

Good advice thanks , yeah from what i have read the red tails only get agressive when they are a few years old but now you mention the diet im not sure i fancy a picky eater think a lot more research to be done before i do choose , oh thats good to hear about the clown numbers cant wait for mine to get some new buddies the last time i added a couple they got so excited they just danced around all night at the front of the tank clicking away adorable to watch ! Anything in particular that your clowns liked deciration wise ? Im focusing it on them really with pool filter sand and loaaaads of current .

Mine dig around in tescos low dust cat litter quite happily and the powerheads don't blow it around like they used to do with sand. Loaches love places to hide and lots of shade, so i use bogwood and downpipe tubes in my tank which they all dart into, huddle up and hide in. I'm looking to get some clay drainage bends at the end of the week and some rocks to stack up around them.

 

[deftuch]

10 would look stunning, I saw five ~10cm specimens at Amazon Aquatics in Warminster last month (last trading post on Ebay) for £30 and if it wasn't for my plan to make my 5x2x2 an African riverine fish only tank this year, I would have bought them without question... They were beautiful fish, like more colourful and chunkier Redline Torpedo Barbs.

i agree but id have a group of 5 corys and another group of 5 such as the pakistan loach or yoyo loach? perhaps 2 fully grown severums and a parrot fish? a fully grown amazon puffer would be a risk but would be stunning!

I love the yoyo loach so that sounds like a good plan to me (you think having 8-10 clowns and these would be too many bottom feeders though ? ) parrots are lovely looking fish but i thought they were agressive was thinking of a black red tail shark too apparently these get on well with clowns ....

no not at all as although they are bottom feeders as such. when they arent hiding they are very active and playfull fish. i have experience with several parrot fish but my longest kept one now is in my comm tank with my loaches and dare i say it slightly overcrowded tank. he gets on fine but it is clear they are territorial but only in the sense that they like to use the same spot and chase away other fish that go near it ( sometimes ) they never are agrresive just territorial if you can understand what i mean?

 

[Steffyxx]

10 would look stunning, I saw five ~10cm specimens at Amazon Aquatics in Warminster last month (last trading post on Ebay) for £30 and if it wasn't for my plan to make my 5x2x2 an African riverine fish only tank this year, I would have bought them without question... They were beautiful fish, like more colourful and chunkier Redline Torpedo Barbs.

i agree but id have a group of 5 corys and another group of 5 such as the pakistan loach or yoyo loach? perhaps 2 fully grown severums and a parrot fish? a fully grown amazon puffer would be a risk but would be stunning!

I love the yoyo loach so that sounds like a good plan to me (you think having 8-10 clowns and these would be too many bottom feeders though ? ) parrots are lovely looking fish but i thought they were agressive was thinking of a black red tail shark too apparently these get on well with clowns ....

no not at all as although they are bottom feeders as such. when they arent hiding they are very active and playfull fish. i have experience with several parrot fish but my longest kept one now is in my comm tank with my loaches and dare i say it slightly overcrowded tank. he gets on fine but it is clear they are territorial but only in the sense that they like to use the same spot and chase away other fish that go near it ( sometimes ) they never are agrresive just territorial if you can understand what i mean?

Oh right perfect excuse to go mooching in lfs this weekend then lol i cant remember seeing any there but never know they do change stock often , and yeah i get what you mean my pair of rams are like this stupidly territorial over there piece if wood lol

 

[deftuch]

10 would look stunning, I saw five ~10cm specimens at Amazon Aquatics in Warminster last month (last trading post on Ebay) for £30 and if it wasn't for my plan to make my 5x2x2 an African riverine fish only tank this year, I would have bought them without question... They were beautiful fish, like more colourful and chunkier Redline Torpedo Barbs.

i agree but id have a group of 5 corys and another group of 5 such as the pakistan loach or yoyo loach? perhaps 2 fully grown severums and a parrot fish? a fully grown amazon puffer would be a risk but would be stunning!

I love the yoyo loach so that sounds like a good plan to me (you think having 8-10 clowns and these would be too many bottom feeders though ? ) parrots are lovely looking fish but i thought they were agressive was thinking of a black red tail shark too apparently these get on well with clowns ....

no not at all as although they are bottom feeders as such. when they arent hiding they are very active and playfull fish. i have experience with several parrot fish but my longest kept one now is in my comm tank with my loaches and dare i say it slightly overcrowded tank. he gets on fine but it is clear they are territorial but only in the sense that they like to use the same spot and chase away other fish that go near it ( sometimes ) they never are agrresive just territorial if you can understand what i mean?

Oh right perfect excuse to go mooching in lfs this weekend then lol i cant remember seeing any there but never know they do change stock often , and yeah i get what you mean my pair of rams are like this stupidly territorial over there piece if wood lol

well i hope your able to find one. a good healthy parrot fish at 3 inches should be 10 to 20 pounds and a 6 to 8 inch should be 20 to 40 quid. id say average price is about 20 though. and lol at the rams my parrot fish has a hollow log it hides in. it bearly fits! x