New 350L Tank

[mark.c]

Ok, so i am really close to buying a 350litre tank as my 2 clown loaches are close to out growing the 180litre tank they are currently in.

First things first, will a 350litre tank be big enough to keep my clown loaches forever in, ie will it house 2 fully grown clown loaches.

Secondly, i am assuming that i will be able to keep other fish in addition to my clown loaches in this larger tank? would i be able to keep angels, corys etc?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[ZoddyZod]

slightly bad news here.....clowns will actually outgrow a 350 in the long run. They have the potential of reaching over a foot in length.....they also prefer to be in larger numbers of 6+

fair play in attempting to house them in more suitable conditions. A 350 is certainly better than a 180!

 

[Wills]

I am guessing that the 350 will be the Juwel Trigon? If so for around the same money you can get a custom made 6 footer which will do your Clown Loaches for life And you would be able to get a full school of them plus other big fish Though you would need to invest in filtration on top and heaters.

IMO ND aquatics are the best custom tank makers, but you have to be careful if you get any plumbing done and also double check all the fine details of the stand before you put the tank on with the delivery guy as mine was missing one of the base feet when it arrived and I didnt notice for a few months but its all sorted now and the customer service was pretty good. http/www.ndaquatics.co.uk/

They have a 6x2x2 in the offers section for £621 or a 5x2x2 which would possibly be okay IMO for £540 and Trigons seem to range between £500 and £750 depending on where you live...

Wills

 

[mark.c]

Thanks for all of your advice and comments.
A 350litre tank was the largest that i would be able to get due to space restrictions (and the Mrs )

As the 350litre tank would not be big enough to keep them, i decided to take them back to the LFS where they are going to keep them in their massive tank

I am really pleased cause the bigger they got the more traumatic it would have been for them and they looked so happy swimming around in that massive tank!

 

[Wills]

Ah a happy ending I supose What are your plans now? Still get the 350 or stick with the 180? If you like loaches there are dozens of smaller species that are all nice looking in their own right but not quite as bright as the Clowns - Zebra Loaches and Dwarf Chain Loaches would be great for the 180 or there are loads of Botia species that would work in the 350 if you were still going to get it that get to a decent size (6/7 inches)

Wills

 

[MBOU]

Mark.c I think we love you! You are a shining example to all people thinking about buying clownloaches or having bought clown loaches without researcing!!

 

[mark.c]

thanks guys, Yeah i think that i will stick with the 180l, thats brilliant about the zebra loaches, i am definatly going to be look at those this weekend !

When i took them back to the LFS they said well you have about 6 years before they will outgrow your tank.
I dont get why people would keep fish they cant house in the long term how traumatic will that be to the fish.
I guess clown loaches will be the main fish effected as they are so small when they are young and grow so big.

 

[Wills]

Unfortunately there are a lot of species that are treat in a similar way in the hobby its just one of those things that I cant see changing for a long time I have to admit in a way the guy was kind of right as Clowns do grow very slowly - but that said if you thought they were outgrowing your tank then it was probably time for them to move on You did the right thing.

Glad we can help
Wills