Clown Loach Discussion

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I'm going to offer an alternative perspective to RD (I'm not disagreeing with what he said though, because it is sound advice) and that is that unlike the vast majority of aquarium fish bigger CL's are almost never hard to find a home for, so if I were in your situation I'd get another 10-15 of them to grow out and then reduce the numbers as they grow. Based on my past experiences, they should hit 5-6" in under two years if cared for correctly, though there does seem to be a certain amount of natural variance with some individuals growing slower and [probably] never reaching the same ultimate size as others.
 
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One last question, whats the consensus on quarantining these guys? How long? Im reading two weeks in a few places.
 
Dycofree said:
One last question, whats the consensus on quarantining these guys? How long? Im reading two weeks in a few places.
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Depends on who you ask and what regime you use during quarantine. I'm on the long end of the QT process, where it will last at least 2 months. I generally treat with prazi-pro, levamisole, and metro+epsom salt infused gel food in order to treat for parasites; not all at the same time, and with 1 week rest period in between. After treatment for parasites, they get exposure to bacteria that exist in the main tank, and I do this by adding some "old main tank" water, decoration and some media from the filters into the quarantine tank for a period of a couple weeks.
 
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You have a tank that in my experience 5 clown loach would live in till fully grown (at least till over the foot mark). Kept them for over 10 years with a group of 8 Making a great loach tank along with other loaches 5 lochata and 4 redtail Botia. Your Tank looks nice but to keep any loaches really happy, your short of wood, stuff with holes, nooks crannies, pipes, etc. The more hidie holes you have, the more you’ll see your loaches.
Mine love bloodworm, and this seems to soon get their appetite and bellies full.
They prefer slightly warmer conditions although find that’s more the younger ones. Older ones seem much less susceptible to living in 76 degrees rather than 80.
Hope you enjoy them, give it a couple of years and you will have a hierarchy group with a bigger dominant female (assuming you have at least one female) and you will be able to tell them apart.
 
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Fishman Dave said:
You have a tank that in my experience 5 clown loach would live in till fully grown (at least till over the foot mark). Kept them for over 10 years with a group of 8 Making a great loach tank along with other loaches 5 lochata and 4 redtail Botia. Your Tank looks nice but to keep any loaches really happy, your short of wood, stuff with holes, nooks crannies, pipes, etc. The more hidie holes you have, the more you’ll see your loaches.
Mine love bloodworm, and this seems to soon get their appetite and bellies full.
They prefer slightly warmer conditions although find that’s more the younger ones. Older ones seem much less susceptible to living in 76 degrees rather than 80.
Hope you enjoy them, give it a couple of years and you will have a hierarchy group with a bigger dominant female (assuming you have at least one female) and you will be able to tell them apart.
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I am planning on adding some more decor this evening and modifying a large piece of wood to create a fallen tree trunk look on the right side of my tank. I wanted to leave as much swim room as possible on the bottom for when they get bigger. Do you they mainly stay on the lower half? Most vids I see show them going EVERYWHERE
 
Dycofree said:
Do you they mainly stay on the lower half? Most vids I see show them going EVERYWHERE
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They tend to swim everywhere, especially when anticipating feeding time. They like patrolling the tank in a loose group. They like routine. Try feeding at the same time, i.e. around same time in the morning or evening. They'll be out waiting,wagging tails at you and even splashing the surface if you're too slow(mine are in a mini pond now).

They adapt the same way to light. They don't like much light, especially when older but they'd be out like clockwork before the lights go off as they know when the light is about to go off...When young, they're not really hiding at all during light hours but that will change as they age...It is also now the time to try teach them to hand feed....if you have the patience...

My tank light went bust(fell in the tank) so mine have been without light for 2 weeks or so recently. They're loving it, out all the time...really happy in the dark....
 
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Dycofree said:
One last question, whats the consensus on quarantining these guys? How long? Im reading two weeks in a few places.
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2-3 months is what I do with small loaches. See my previous post. Try doing as many water changes as you're capable of doing while in quarantine, and you'll have some really robust fish for years to come....They should fill out, colour up deep orange colour, full bellies, etc.. in quarantine. You can use the time to teach them to hand feed while in a smaller tank....

Below is one of mine 3 years ago when I purchased it....Video is taken in quarantine after being treated for ick...Its the only loach from the 13 that developed ick...It was a fun time. I love them when they're that small :), hence buying the odd one every other year...

 
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As per previous posts, they like subdued areas, although with plenty of retreats you will see them out and about all the time. I have a group of young ones with a group of modesta young in a heavily planted tank and I’d say 60% time in the bottom 4”, 20% in 4- 6” and 20% in top foot of water although that changes in a loach only tank and with higher numbers of them.
 
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