Need Info

[paul_219]

I need some information about clown loaches:

1) What do they eat?
2) How many should be in groups?
3) Do they eat algea?
4) Do they have a fast growth rate?


I bought 3 baby ones in my tank. I need some help about them

 

[x-Twinkle-x]

I'm sure someone else who knows alot more than I do will help you out soon, but...
1) When I had my clowns, they ate catfish pellets, flake, bloodworm & brine shrimp, frozen and live - they will eat whatever they can find really lol
2) Its recommended at least 5 in a group
3) Mine didn't really eat algae but they did eat the snails
4) I'm not sure about the growth rate, but their maximum size is about 16"

Here's a link that I found quite useful...
Clown loaches

 

[Matty P]

1) Thawed frozen bloodworms, white mosquito larvae, brine shrimp, mysis, krill, etc; larger clown loaches may accepted chopped up prawns ; manufactured sinking wafers, fresh vegetables such as cucumber, zuchinni, boiled peas

2) 5+

3) Don't think so, they are scavengers...

4) Relitively fast up to about 5 inches then growth slows after that, 1 clown loaches requires 75 gallons (280 litres) as they grow up to 14 inches some even bigger.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

1. Mine eat algae wafers and a vareity of different types of sinking pelets, heart of cucumber, frozen bloodworms, krill, artemecia, daphinia, river shrimp etc and vegetable fish flakes too etc.
2. 3-4 or more is the advised minimum number, generally speaking the more the better.
3. Not really- they will eat it in wafer form, however they won't really clean it off surfaces in the tank like other fish like oto's do.
4. No- they usually grow 1inch every 4 months on average, will have faster growth when juveniles and slower growth when older.


How many gallons is your tank plus its measurements? I would advise being wary about buying new clowns loaches, really you should quarentine them first as they are particularly prone to getting whitespot while in petshop tanks.

 

[Squidman]

My brother has had one for 7 months and its still an inch. They get up to a foot long!

 

[poopsydrew]

Everything said looks correct but I would like to add they grow extremely slow. My manager has had one for 7 years and it is just over 7 inches (excluding tail) . There is a stigma around them because of their adult size but I think they can easily be started in a 40 gallon and moved up as the years progress.

Drew