Clown loach growth honestly?

[Quo Vadis]

What is a reasonable expectation of growth for clown loaches? I have two in a 160g tank (45g sump), so I bought sized around 3-4in and they have barely put on any length in almost a year. Granted they were trade ins at the LFS, so I don't know what size tank they were in previously, but really? Shouldn't they have grown more than that? Maybe they have grown more than I realize since I didn't take pictures of them when I first bough them, but still...

I am especially curious because I want to get 6-10 more and put them in the 700g tank I am building, but I really need them to grow fast enough to not get eaten by Oscars and the like. (Any bigger predatory fish like catfish, cichla, etc. are going to be added after the smaller (but still large) growing cichlids, bala sharks, polys are added...

 

[rodger]

If you want big clown loaches, buy them when you are young. They seem to quit growing once you get them home.

 

[boldtogether]

Clowns grow differently in many ways. I have heard they grow to 3-5" fairly quick, but then slow considerably....that is why larger CLs are so expensive...they are much older and have required a lot of care for years.
I read somewhere, and I may be mistaken, but I seem to recall an article about CLs in larger groups, the largest ones will secrete a hormone that slows the growth rate in the smaller ones....I don't know if or how true that is but I have seen significantly slower growth in my smaller CLs after I aquired about 6, 6-9" CLs a couple years ago....my original colony of 6, 3" CLs seemed to stop growing altogether.
All I can say is, try and find a food they gorge themselves on and feed them as much as they will eat as frequently as your filter and budget will allow. Keep your water crystal clean and the light on the dimmer side.

 

[RD.]

If you want big clown loaches, buy them when you are young. They seem to quit growing once you get them home.

LOL, so true.

I don't buy into the "hormone" theory, any more than I do for any other fish.There can be plenty of potential growth inhibiting substances in every closed system. Feed accordingly, keep all stress levels low, and toss lots of fresh water at them on a regular basis and they will grow. Overfeeding just makes for fat fish - which seems quite common when it comes to clown loaches kept in captivity. IME overall clown loaches are slow growers, and they tend to grow at various rates, with I believe females (which tend to be higher up on the social hierarchy) growing larger, quicker, compared to young males. So depending on sex ratio, every large group will have various growth stages. At fry stage both survival and growth has been proven to be very dependent on temperature, not so much as the fish get some size to them so those purchased at a LFS should show normal growth at 78F-84F. Yours have probably grown more than you realize, sometimes it's hard to tell when you see them every day.

Also keep in mind that CL's are very quick swimmers, good at hiding, and their subocular spine is a very sharp weapon that most intelligent fish quickly learn to avoid at all costs.

 

[Ihsnshaik]

Clown loaches grow slowly like Frontosas and Bonsai flowerhorns and many more species out there. That's why when they hit 5" plus people want good money for them. It takes a long time to get to that size. I want a clown loach but I need a size of at least 3-4 inches so my fish won't bother them and can't find any that size locally for a decent price. I had a guy who I picked up some fish from selling them to me for 100 a piece at 4 inches.

 

[jwh]

Yep, they certainly ain't "inch in a month" type of fish, I have quite a few and can't say I notice much growth, however when I visit the LFS and see the price I paid and the size of their stock, mine are considerably larger. will mine reach 12" in my lifetime? probably not...

 

[boldtogether]

LOL, so true.

I don't buy into the "hormone" theory, any more than I do for any other fish.There can be plenty of potential growth inhibiting substances in every closed system. Feed accordingly, keep all stress levels low, and toss lots of fresh water at them on a regular basis and they will grow. Overfeeding just makes for fat fish - which seems quite common when it comes to clown loaches kept in captivity. IME overall clown loaches are slow growers, and they tend to grow at various rates, with I believe females (which tend to be higher up on the social hierarchy) growing larger, quicker, compared to young males. So depending on sex ratio, every large group will have various growth stages. At fry stage both survival and growth has been proven to be very dependent on temperature, not so much as the fish get some size to them so those purchased at a LFS should show normal growth at 78F-84F. Yours have probably grown more than you realize, sometimes it's hard to tell when you see them every day.

Also keep in mind that CL's are very quick swimmers, good at hiding, and their subocular spine is a very sharp weapon that most intelligent fish quickly learn to avoid at all costs.

I do need to comment to the point of overfeeding and clarify what I said earlier, overfeeding any fish will bring more harm than good and Clown Loaches are no exception. Feed them accordingly. Your filter should be able to keep up accordingly as CLs are more sensitive to poor water quality than a lot of other fish.
Temperature has a lot to do, I feel, with them hidding less. I notice my CLs not hiding as much when the temperature in the tank is high 70's to lower even mid 80's.

 

[boldtogether]

http://injaf.org/articles-guides/do-fish-grow-to-the-size-of-their-tank/

LOL, so true.

I don't buy into the "hormone" theory, any more than I do for any other fish.There can be plenty of potential growth inhibiting substances in every closed system. Feed accordingly, keep all stress levels low, and toss lots of fresh water at them on a regular basis and they will grow. Overfeeding just makes for fat fish - which seems quite common when it comes to clown loaches kept in captivity. IME overall clown loaches are slow growers, and they tend to grow at various rates, with I believe females (which tend to be higher up on the social hierarchy) growing larger, quicker, compared to young males. So depending on sex ratio, every large group will have various growth stages. At fry stage both survival and growth has been proven to be very dependent on temperature, not so much as the fish get some size to them so those purchased at a LFS should show normal growth at 78F-84F. Yours have probably grown more than you realize, sometimes it's hard to tell when you see them every day.

Also keep in mind that CL's are very quick swimmers, good at hiding, and their subocular spine is a very sharp weapon that most intelligent fish quickly learn to avoid at all costs.

This is the article I read about growth inhibiting hormones and substances....I am on the fence as far as it being a concern or merely research done by scientists and ichthyologists as general study. They may have only observed it as a random anomaly.....

 

[wild bill]

Our largest Clowns were bought7 years ago and are now about 6 to 7 inches long. When we bought them they were around the 2 inch mark. All have grown well except one who is half the size of the others. Not sure on tank temp but a little on the cool side and they seem very happy. They actually seem to stress less than the other fish in the tank.

 

[RD.]

This is the article I read about growth inhibiting hormones and substances....I am on the fence as far as it being a concern or merely research done by scientists and ichthyologists as general study. They may have only observed it as a random anomaly.....

Yes, certainly all true to an extent, but should never be an issue in a hobbyist tank unless fish are overcrowded and proper water changes are not performed on a regular basis. Sorry for not being more clear in my previous comment.