How do you sex them? also how do you know they are gravid? This helps me understand some of the same frustration that op has experienced.And just to add to that, after watching your video, I believe that you may have a group that is heavy in males, which could also explain the overall rate of growth/size.
I originally started almost 2 yrs ago with 4 (all I could afford at the time). Only 1 is still left, and it is maybe an inch bigger than when I got it, now at roughly 4”. I have always kept my eye out for more for the right price, so I can get the fabled 6 or more. It seems as if every time I get 1-2 that I lose 1-2. And I seem to get 1 here or there from friends who end up with only one or two left. I now have 8 and they are all looking very healthy. All are open swimming and looking chubby. Thank you nls.
so in conclusion the best way to grow out clown loaches, is to have friends who have kept them for 10 + years and now decide they don’t want them any more.
ps. Be careful when feeding live snails. I didn’t realize that a nice little snack could lead to losing about 4 of my loaches over time. Some of which I never even found bodies for