Large Clown Loaches In Planted Tanks

[Sanj]

Hi,

I have a question if you dont mind. I love these guys, BUT my tanks are densley planted and while I have seen many, many planted tanks with smaller clown loach, I have never seen large clown loaches in planted tanks and a few experianced people have said that they will rip up a planted tank when they are 10" of so.

From what I understand is they can be fine for years and take years to grow to any apreciable size, but the shennanigans start with leaves haing holes bunched out of them, eventually progressing to plants being eaten or simply being ripped out of the subsrate, off wood etc.

What are peoples experiances with them?

 

[onebto]

Clowns are notorious for changing planted tanks round to there own liking . Its usually the larger older Clowns.

However I have discovered that this is not always the case. Mine are still juveniles from 2inch to about 3.5 maybe 4 inch and they are already rescapeing my tank on a regular basis little so and so's.

Its something you have to get used to if your a clown loach Lover

I find it mildly amusing

Regards onebto

 

[aemorgan]

My clown loaches are about 6" and they mess with my plants somewhat. I have a mix of artificial and live plants, and my live plants are mostly anacharis because it can take a beating. They haven't bothered smaller, well-rooted plants like my java fern, but anything with delicate leaves might not survive. Mine don't seem to specifically target the plants - I haven't noticed them chewing on them or purposely digging them up, but when they're playing the "chase each other around really fast" game, they'll just plow right through the plants and there are often plant-casualties. My tank is not heavily planted though - so losses are more noticeable.

 

[~T~]

I added 3 large pieces of driftwood with mature java fern growing on it to one tank containing large clowns last summer and they have removed about 80% of it.

 

[Sanj]

Yeah i suspected as much, I have not kept them with the knowldge that they can become little b*ggers with respect to plants. They are great fish, but I guess if I ever want to keep them Ill need to set up a large tank oriented to them specifically and not plants.

Still I see so many people keeping them in planted tanks that I thought i would ask the question on how people find them.

I keep Golden zebra loaches (B. histronica) and zebra/candy striped (B. striata), they have not been a problem and have not heard of them being so. They topp out at 5" and 3" respectively so nowhere near the boisterous bulk of a 10-12" clown.