Clown Loach’s Third Try/baby fire eel advice

[surfermike915]

So recently I picked up a duo of Clown Loaches. I also snagged a Fire eel. The fire eel is a gorgeous one. He already ate within 10 minutes of being in the tank. He’s super cool. But I haven’t had much luck with Clowns. The first school of 6, only 1 survived. That was from a heater malfunction. Second batch, I guess I was too lax with treatment of Prazi. So as a student of the hobby, I have a list of questions
-what temp is best for clowns
-foods that helped clowns grow
-your experience with baby fire eels and what they are susceptible to?
Thank you

 

[Redshark1]

I've kept my Clown Loaches at 80F for 29 years. Others often recommend 82F or higher but not usually less than 80F.

My Clowns have always eaten everything but I made a list of what I feed now.

My Clown Loach food recommendations: Clown Loaches are a river fish and in rivers they will be feeding on a mixture of aquatic larvae (my equivalent is frozen bloodworm and live aquatic larvae), aquatic worms (freeze dried earthworms), crustaceans (freeze dried pacific krill, frozen prawns, live daphnia) and molluscs (frozen mussels). I don't prefer processed foods but they love digging for their granules so I buy good quality branded ones. I use New Life Spectrum Algae Max, Tetra Sinking Discus Granules, Fluval Large Bug Bites, Omega One Shrimp Pellets and New Life Spectrum Large Fish Formula. Do not use cheap foods as they are not digested and just pollute your water in my experience.

My Clown Loach Food preparation: Freeze-dried Pacific Krill (the small one, the large one is Atlantic Krill) soaked in boiled water until they sink then rinsed. Frozen Bloodworms thawed and rinsed (I get a 1kg A4 sized sheet, chop it up with a hammer and chisel and box it in the freezer). Cooked Frozen Mussels or Prawns thawed, rinsed and chopped. You must buy them cooked so that the thiaminase is destroyed and supermarket ones usually state this on the packet. Freeze-dried Earthworms soaked in hot water and rinsed. I rear daphnia and aquatic larvae in my outdoor water butt.

 

[puffers4puffers]

Do you have 29 year old fish?

 

[surfermike915]

I've kept my Clown Loaches at 80F for 29 years. Others often recommend 82F or higher but not usually less than 80F.

My Clowns have always eaten everything but I made a list of what I feed now.

My Clown Loach food recommendations: Clown Loaches are a river fish and in rivers they will be feeding on a mixture of aquatic larvae (my equivalent is frozen bloodworm and live aquatic larvae), aquatic worms (freeze dried earthworms), crustaceans (freeze dried pacific krill, frozen prawns, live daphnia) and molluscs (frozen mussels). I don't prefer processed foods but they love digging for their granules so I buy good quality branded ones. I use New Life Spectrum Algae Max, Tetra Sinking Discus Granules, Fluval Large Bug Bites, Omega One Shrimp Pellets and New Life Spectrum Large Fish Formula. Do not use cheap foods as they are not digested and just pollute your water in my experience.

My Clown Loach Food preparation: Freeze-dried Pacific Krill (the small one, the large one is Atlantic Krill) soaked in boiled water until they sink then rinsed. Frozen Bloodworms thawed and rinsed (I get a 1kg A4 sized sheet, chop it up with a hammer and chisel and box it in the freezer). Cooked Frozen Mussels or Prawns thawed, rinsed and chopped. You must buy them cooked so that the thiaminase is destroyed and supermarket ones usually state this on the packet. Freeze-dried Earthworms soaked in hot water and rinsed. I rear daphnia and aquatic larvae in my outdoor water butt.

Thank you so much legend!

 

[surfermike915]

How do you prevent skinny and ich?

 

[Fishpony]

Do you have 29 year old fish?

World's oldest Clown Loaches reach 30 years of age.

Wow! My six Clown Loaches have made it to 30 years of age! When I bought them in January 1995 people claimed to know they lived around 10 years. Even today some websites still say this and there is a lot of incorrect information on the internet. Many people don't really know how old their...

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

 

[Fishman Dave]

Mine are in 74 degrees. I find temperature to be one of the most discussed issues with clown loach but that’s usually because of ich and how easily they get it. But I find the big thing is them being happy and the temperature being stable. As with most fish, get them happy and they fight off diseases generally themselves. So with clowns to me that means lots of pipes and wood, sandy substrate and a group of them to interact and socialise with. But I would also caution against keep adding to them, cos every time you do you add risk of adding an unhealthy fish.

 

[Redshark1]

Just came back to say I remember Marc Legendre has been studying them in Sumatra and reported temperature of the river was 26 to 30C and the eggs hatched best at 26C also.

Otherwise I agree with Fishman Dave about the risk of adding new fish etc. its good info.