Clown Loach

[flips]

i've read many different things about clown loaches, leaving me very confused about whether they are something i can add to my tank or not. everything from tank size, to tank mates... i'm getting different facts.

what do YOU suggest as the tank minimun, and out of these fish which ones would present problems?

zebra danios
neon tetras
otto cats
bolivian rams

thanks !

 

[WILDER]

I would say they need a 90gal tank.

 

[freddyk]

Look at it this way - these are fish that do best in schools and grow to 12" long. In the long run I'd say a 125 gallon tank is the minimum. However, their growth does slow a lot once they reach 5 or 6 inches and the foot long measurement their potential by the time they live out their entire lives - a 4 foot tank like the 75 or 90 gallon would be fine for a long time. Tankmates need to big enough not to considered food, and nothing too timid.

 

[!Gina]

I have one clown loach and a 30gal tank, i was told this would be fine.

However, when i came to these forums, i was told you need a shoal of clown loaches ideally 3-6 and that my tank was far to small.. subsquently, im having to get rid of my clown loach. before he grows too big.

 

[jhd]

I have one clown loach and a 30gal tank, i was told this would be fine.

However, when i came to these forums, i was told you need a shoal of clown loaches ideally 3-6 and that my tank was far to small.. subsquently, im having to get rid of my clown loach. before he grows too big.

I have kept clown loaches for 2.5 years now, bought 3 of them to battle snail infestation. Clowns took care of hundreds of small snails in a couple of weeks, not one snail survived. When I bought them, they were 1.5-2 inch long. Now the biggest one is about 5 inch long, and I feed them well.
So in another 2 to 3 years I will have to sell them back to the store, which I will have no problem with because they are very rare to buy at the length of 8 to 9 inch, and very expensive. I have seen them at BigAl’s for about $70 at that length. But that will make it total of 5 years before they outgrow my 55g, so why not enjoy them for all this time? In the wild they grow to 18 inches, how big the tank needs to be to accomodate that?

 

[Fish_Mike]

I have kept clown loaches for 2.5 years now, bought 3 of them to battle snail infestation. Clowns took care of hundreds of small snails in a couple of weeks, not one snail survived. When I bought them, they were 1.5-2 inch long. Now the biggest one is about 5 inch long, and I feed them well.
So in another 2 to 3 years I will have to sell them back to the store, which I will have no problem with because they are very rare to buy at the length of 8 to 9 inch, and very expensive. I have seen them at BigAl’s for about $70 at that length. But that will make it total of 5 years before they outgrow my 55g, so why not enjoy them for all this time? In the wild they grow to 18 inches, how big the tank needs to be to accomodate that?

Very true. Most people don't know their proper living conditions. Most are either stunted or die before they reach such a length.

 

[IMCL85]

acturally it took many years for them to get to there adult size. Assuming that clown will get that big at home aquarium. Most clown will be getting to 6" mark in about 2-3 years then it will slow down alot. And most of the 12" one take like over 10-15 years in home aquaium to get to that size. And by then you should have ur larger tank set up for them .

 

[!Gina]

I suppose i could keep my clown loach another 2-3 years until it grows too big, but isnt it cruel to keep just one on their own? When i asked on these forums i was told i'd have to keep them in a shoal otherwise it wasnt fair. hmm

 

[yvez9]

yes they should always be kept in groups of 3 or more

 

[mikev]

i've read many different things about clown loaches, leaving me very confused about whether they are something i can add to my tank or not. everything from tank size, to tank mates... i'm getting different facts.

what do YOU suggest as the tank minimun, and out of these fish which ones would present problems?

zebra danios
neon tetras
otto cats
bolivian rams

thanks !

I don't think that tank size is an issue at all. Yes, they grow quite big but it takes very long time -- they don't add more than an inch per year. My four were quite happy for a few months in a 29g tank (with other fish) and I could have kept them there for a couple more years safely. Clowns don't need too much space. (But moving them to another tank seems to be a bit dangerous: they have phychological problems with changes of envoronment).

Having 3+ is certainly a good idea. They have (and need) social life.

Quality of water is important; generally loaches need Ph below 7, and clowns are sensitive; also you cannot have salt in your tank (which is not good for other fish). Now, Ph 6.6 may be inappropriate for other fish (I vaguely recall that rams need Ph above 7, so it is a bad combination). Zebras and tetras should be ok...if everything goes ok, they probably will get eaten in a few years. No idea about ottos.

(Tested) Good tankmates also include rasboras, other smaller loaches (like khulis), and some barbs---sometimes clowns mistake barbs for their own kind and would swim together. (specifically, non-albino tiger barbs supposed to be the best, because of similar stripes, but I see a bit of this happening with Odessa's).

And you should make some hiding places. If you are lucky, they would not get used much, but they must be present for clowns to feel safe.

Hopefully this helps.

 

[Barry P]

My 2 clown loach developed white spot and wiped out most of my tank. I was told that you should keep them in singles or more than 2. They also require at least a 90L Tank.

 

[osteoporoosi]

I would say 150 gallons is the minimum for a school of clown loaches.

 

[Clairel]

I have 4 Clown Loaches, there roughly 1-2" long at present, and they grow between 1-2" a YEAR !! So as they become bigger, then YES i would invest in a much larger tank, but i have these in my 180 Litre (50g) Tank at the moment, and they are doing GREAT !!

C x

 

[*Sonic*]

I only had one clown loach (about 2 inches max) and he partnered up with my Silver Shark (about 4 inches and used to swim everywhere together, and the clown used to mimic the silver shark,

the pair of them would swim towards the edge of the glass, and then swim up and down in a syncronised motion, that was quite amusing

Now ive added another loach (about 3inches max) them two now hang around together, they live under my filter when seeking refuge, but do come out to play a lot

The silver shark has now sought a new friendship with the angel fish

I have two polka dot loaches in another tank, and im considering putting them in with the clown loaches tank, and possibly getting one more clown loach

On the subject of moving clown loaches, I moved mine into their new tank, and they have been fine, i moved the tank with the water in it, put the new tank in place, moved some of the old water into the new tank with the filters from the old tank, topped up, left it overnight with just 2 guppies in, then moved the clowns (they were absolute bu66ers to catch) and I just netted them over (i idid put new water from the new tank into the old tank to acclimatise them 1st

They are great fish to watch, along with the polka dot loaches (which dont grow anywhere near as big as clowns)

S

 

[@ombomb]

The fact remains though Sonic that you really need to:

A - Give them more room to grow into

B - Should keep more than two in a group

The reason the Silver Shark seems to want to hang around with another fish that they too should be kept in groups and need numbers to feel comfortable in their surroundings.