Clown loaches pricing question...

[danotaylor]

Ok, so correct me if I’m misinterpreting this info, but you guys would get the 5 bigger modesta for my snail needs?
I have 3 tanks. All have mouth brooding African cichlids, so none are “loach habitat” style tanks. All have MTS.
I really don’t want an ich outreach, especially in my 500gal tank, so I think I’ll stick with the modesta and maybe rotate them thru the 2 smaller tanks periodically. We’ll see about that though…
Once again, I wanna thank you peeps for your involvement in this discussion!

 

[A201]

Looks like a good plan. Be sure to post pics.

 

[danotaylor]

Looks like a good plan. Be sure to post pics.

Thank you brutha mate, will do!

 

[Midwater]

IMO, I would go with the ten CL. The bigger the group the better.

 

[danotaylor]

IMO, I would go with the ten CL. The bigger the group the better.

TBH honest, I do prefer the color & pattern of CL’s, but the modesta are definitely cool looking as well, and I like the idea of their activity levels over CL’s.
Midwater Do you still recommend the bigger group even though they’re half the size? In your experience have you had trouble with ICH with CL’s? Is there a way to prevent an ICH breakout when introducing a new group of CL’s?
My 500gal is divided 2/3 & 1/3, and lightly stocked for the volume. 15 x 4-8” mdokas, 35 x 1.5-3” troph lufubu. I change 350 gals per week as I have nitrates in my source water.

 

[Midwater]

Do you still recommend the bigger group even though they’re half the size?

I recommend the bigger the group, whatever type or size.

In your experience have you had trouble with ICH with CL’s? Is there a way to prevent an ICH breakout when introducing a new group of CL’s?

I have never had a problem with Ich and loaches. Modesta, and other Thai loaches, and CL from Indonesia, come from very warm water. My tanks are currently 31C, and the central region canals where I have collected Modesta rarely drop much below 30.

Keeping your water warm may be the best prevention.

 

[danotaylor]

Hmm, food for thought for sure. I can't keep my 500gal at 30c in our basement without significant power supply cost increases. I don't want to have to deal with ICH in my tanks. So my options are;
1. run the gauntlet w loaches and lower water temps,
2. just suck it up and deal with having the MTS present in my tanks.

Question for anyone/everyone from MFK with loaches; what temps do you run your tanks at? ICH experienced, yes or no?

 

[Midwater]

FYI, Central region canal where yellow tail Modesta were jumping through the spill gates:

 

[Cal Amari]

I never had ich problems with the smaller loaches, always kept my tanks around 77 or 78 F

 

[A201]

In the winter my tanks never go lower than 68 degrees, but usually stay at 72 degrees.
In the warm months, the temps range from 76 - 80 degrees.

Most Loach varieties are very durable. That's not surprising because most are riverine and have to adapt to quick changing temperatures and water parameters due to flood or drought.

My Loaches have never had Ich.
Clowns along with species such as Silver Dollars do have a tendency to contract Ich, when first introduced into a new setup.
Just read the forums & Google it. If you choose to go with Clown Loaches, temporarily raise you temperature to 80 - 82 degrees. That's not the therapeutic temperature range, but it's usually enough to stave off the Ich parasite.

Although Loaches tend not to do well with certain meds. I've dosed preventative meds during quarantine which included
Praziquantel (Prazipro) and a follow up parasite expellant, Microbe Lift Herbtana. My Loaches did just fine.

If you choose to go with Modestas or YoYo's, room temps, 72 - 80 should be fine.