Clown Loach

[alexdallimore]

When I bought my 4 ft tank (second hand) one of the fish it came with was a single clown loach. I am considering getting rid of the fellow as it is by itself. However if I buy another 2, I just wanted to know if my CL being 4 to 5 inches would be ok with thye ones in the aquatic shop that are half its size or would they not get on due to size difference.

The second quetion is size. I know they get large but they also live a long time (touch wood). Does any one know the time scale of growth. Is it roughly an inch per year say?

 

[Jules H-T]

I don't think the size difference will matter. If anything, the two new ones will fight for a bit to see who is dominant. The large and the two smalls may not hang out together to start with, but given time they will pal right up I predict.

They grow a lot quicker when they are younger. You're looking at 4" odd in a year, 6" in a couple of years, 8" in nearer 10, 12" in nearer 20+. As I understand it, that is, I've not owned any for that sort of length of time.

 

[catfish_mad]

That tank will be ok for about 1 year but after that the 5" clown with need to be re-housed after that as any clown over 5" requires a Tank of a MIN of 6'. The others will be ok, like Jules H-T said above just give them alittle time to get to knwo each other then they will be fine.

Clowns can live upto 40 years of age if in the correct conditions, eg tank size, water para's etc etc.....

 

[The-Wolf]

That tank will be ok for about 1 year but after that the 5" clown with need to be re-housed after that as any clown over 5" requires a Tank of a MIN of 6'.

I'll have to disagree with that point.
provided the tank is a min of 4ft and the width of the tank is 2 times the length of the clown
it will be perfectly fine.
to put that into 'plain speak'
an 8" clown would be fine in a tank with a footprint of 4ft X 16"
please bear in mind that after reaching the 6" mark, clowns only grow at the rate of approx 1" a year

 

[catfish_mad]

Yes but that is bearing in mind that the tank is very very lightly stocked and very light on the features such as big rocks, bogwood, plants etc etc