Thats awesome. Im so tempted! I just feel as if I will have a harder time rehoming them than others say. Ive never seen any ads for buying adults around my area (Indy) and I dont know anyone with a tank bigger than me.
Clown Loach Discussion
- Thread starter Dycofree
- Start date
Oh, i just thought you were going with a clown loach only set up. I didn't reaIise you already had fish in there, i had to zoom in on your tank picture to see your stock! I'd still put a load more clowns in but i wouldn't thin out your clowns as they grow, i'd get rid of the others!! Your tank looks ok, maybe arrange the rocks a tad to make caves or put some pvc pipe in if you don't want wood. Your substrate looks very fine, which is ideal for clowns as they like to dig. Fine sand or gravel will not damage their delicate mouth parts.
Ok, I will try to mess with tonight to create natural caves. Haha yeah with my current stock it still seems pretty empty. Hopefully I can stop dragging my feet and decide asap. Im thinking 10 is going to be my magic number
i currently own 5 (1 x 3-4" and 4 x 1")
they are pretty nice. it took the 3-4" 7 years to get to that size (he was living alone in a 14 gallon tank till i took him from the grandma) and i hear it can take 20 years for them to be fully grown?
they are pretty nice. it took the 3-4" 7 years to get to that size (he was living alone in a 14 gallon tank till i took him from the grandma) and i hear it can take 20 years for them to be fully grown?
If you are not sure you can dedicate long years to your fish, buy a smaller school, easier to perhaps move from tank to tank, place to place...In 6 years, mine went through 3 different tanks......
I bought my first group of 5 nearly 6 years ago and since then I upped their number to 13.
Besides what's being said, my advise is to start doing daily or every other day partial water changes on the quarantine tank.......and try keeping it up for a couple of months if you can.
Small clown loaches come underfed/malnourished, skinny and perhaps carrying worms and parasites, but if they go into a tank with pristine water and high quality food, they'll all make it. Its a good idea to de-worm them all now as previously suggested but to be honest, mine were not de-wormed for the first 4 or so years I had them.....
Having said that, I did buy a loach last year that wouldn't have made it if he wasn't de-wormed...The signs for parasites/worms are always the same, skinny and pinched above the eyes although eating...Healthy clowns don't tend to develop this. It may take 2-3 months for the conditions to develop....if not already visible, hence quarantine.....
Besides that, a well filtered tank, high quality food and weekly large water changes, and you won't have any issues with your clowns.....They aren't any harder to keep than any other average fish. I also have denison barbs with mine by the way. They don't bother each other and the denison barbs are really good dithers for clown loaches as they're active and don't spook easily, plus they don't tend to eat from the bottom.
Good luck.
I bought my first group of 5 nearly 6 years ago and since then I upped their number to 13.
Besides what's being said, my advise is to start doing daily or every other day partial water changes on the quarantine tank.......and try keeping it up for a couple of months if you can.
Small clown loaches come underfed/malnourished, skinny and perhaps carrying worms and parasites, but if they go into a tank with pristine water and high quality food, they'll all make it. Its a good idea to de-worm them all now as previously suggested but to be honest, mine were not de-wormed for the first 4 or so years I had them.....
Having said that, I did buy a loach last year that wouldn't have made it if he wasn't de-wormed...The signs for parasites/worms are always the same, skinny and pinched above the eyes although eating...Healthy clowns don't tend to develop this. It may take 2-3 months for the conditions to develop....if not already visible, hence quarantine.....
Besides that, a well filtered tank, high quality food and weekly large water changes, and you won't have any issues with your clowns.....They aren't any harder to keep than any other average fish. I also have denison barbs with mine by the way. They don't bother each other and the denison barbs are really good dithers for clown loaches as they're active and don't spook easily, plus they don't tend to eat from the bottom.
Good luck.
Considering your current stock list, IME of many years of growing out CL's I would keep the group to 5-6. They will fill out your tank as they grow, and you will have many years to enjoy them. 10 adult clowns adds a fair load to the bio of a tank, 20, is excessive even if that's all you had in the 125 was CL's. They don't stay small forever.
Tiger - sorry to hear about your loss.
FYI - the clicking sound that CL's make is caused from their jaw appendage snapping back & forth, typically while in a feeding frenzy.
Tiger - sorry to hear about your loss.
FYI - the clicking sound that CL's make is caused from their jaw appendage snapping back & forth, typically while in a feeding frenzy.
Dycofree, how I envy the excellent info you are being given by today's keepers.
None of this info was available to me when I bought my Clown Loaches. I had only my instincts to go on.
I have six Clown Loaches in a 110 US gallon. I also have a Common Pleco, a Red-tailed Black Shark and a few Congo Tetras. I think this is OK but bigger is always better.
The growth of my Clown Loaches has been consistent around 1/2 inch per year throughout their 24 year lives. The largest is now 11 1/2 inches.
My Loaches have proved robust, only suffering from whitespot shortly after purchase from which they all recovered. I also made the mistake of purchasing cheap emaciated youngsters and praise the foresight of those who shelled out for healthier stock.
I am not certain they have stopped growing yet but their black bands are splitting down the middle showing their age.
Also, Marc Legendre is studying Clown Loaches in Sumatra and in 2006 caught 2,300 of them from the Musi river the biggest of which was 305mm.
None of this info was available to me when I bought my Clown Loaches. I had only my instincts to go on.
I have six Clown Loaches in a 110 US gallon. I also have a Common Pleco, a Red-tailed Black Shark and a few Congo Tetras. I think this is OK but bigger is always better.
The growth of my Clown Loaches has been consistent around 1/2 inch per year throughout their 24 year lives. The largest is now 11 1/2 inches.
My Loaches have proved robust, only suffering from whitespot shortly after purchase from which they all recovered. I also made the mistake of purchasing cheap emaciated youngsters and praise the foresight of those who shelled out for healthier stock.
I am not certain they have stopped growing yet but their black bands are splitting down the middle showing their age.
Also, Marc Legendre is studying Clown Loaches in Sumatra and in 2006 caught 2,300 of them from the Musi river the biggest of which was 305mm.
Wow thats awesome! Any pics of your tank I can see?? I would love to see your clowns! The info really is fantastic. Many thanks to all of the members who have commented. MFK is fantastic!
