Happy New Year. My six Clown Loaches are now 28 years old.

[Redshark1]

I'm not boasting, just contributing to this site which has given me so much useful info and entertainment.
It shows what an average guy who tries to do the best for his fish can accomplish with a modest setup despite poor advice back in pre 1995 days that Clown Loaches live for ten years and need a 3 foot tank.
People thought I was mad to get a six foot tank as these were rare in my area and most people kept Clown Loaches in 2 foot tanks.
What a great, satisfying and interesting fish the Clown Loach is and what a great set of people there are on this forum to learn from and exchange opinions (you know who you are!).
6 x Clown Loaches all 28 years of age on 01.01.2022, largest 11.5", 2 large females, 4 smaller males, aquarium 6' x 18" x 18" 400 ltr/90 uk gal/110 US gal.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

Just can't help but wonder how long they'll live! Although they hopefully won't outlive you and suffer a lapse in care as a result, it would be really interesting if they lived the 50 years cited on Loaches Online.

 

[latapy10]

I'm not boasting, just contributing to this site which has given me so much useful info and entertainment.
It shows what an average guy who tries to do the best for his fish can accomplish with a modest setup despite poor advice back in pre 1995 days that Clown Loaches live for ten years and need a 3 foot tank.
People thought I was mad to get a six foot tank as these were rare in my area and most people kept Clown Loaches in 2 foot tanks.
What a great, satisfying and interesting fish the Clown Loach is and what a great set of people there are on this forum to learn from and exchange opinions (you know who you are!).
6 x Clown Loaches all 28 years of age on 01.01.2022, largest 11.5", 2 large females, 4 smaller males, aquarium 6' x 18" x 18" 400 ltr/90 uk gal/110 US gal.

View attachment 1483603

Thats true aquarist! Greetings from Europe!

 

[tlindsey]

Wow all those years living means excellent care provided.

Thats true aquarist! Greetings from Europe!

Yes agree.

 

[esoxlucius]

That is an amazing achievement!

So those six fish were bought around Jan 1994, as juveniles, and have been in the same 72x18x18 for 28 years?

What was your experience with the females growth? The usual stories are they shoot to about 6" in the first five years, and then grow painfully slow from there. I know my two 7 year old females seem to be taking on that growth route.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

What was your experience with the females growth? The usual stories are they shoot to about 6" in the first five years, and then grow painfully slow from there. I know my two 7 year old females seem to be taking on that growth route.

I second this question.

 

[Redshark1]

The two females soon established themselves as the leaders of the group and they were equals for many years until perhaps 23 years of age when one started dominating the other and overtook it in size. I feel that they grew very slowly throughout their lives until stopping at 25 years. I don't believe they shot to 6" but they did soon become bigger than the males.

Just can't help but wonder how long they'll live! Although they hopefully won't outlive you and suffer a lapse in care as a result, it would be really interesting if they lived the 50 years cited on Loaches Online.

I personally believe the idea of a 50 years life span is very unlikely and you can discount it.

I have researched hundreds of owners and the oldest Clown Loaches dying of old age were in their mid to late 20s. One I was in contact with died at the age of 32 which is the oldest I have personally encountered and believe to be true. These fish were owned by people I communicated with online and exclude internet myths and people who were only guessing at their fishes ages or who changed their story and seemed unreliable. With many Clown Loaches the ages were not known as they were acquired without this information whilst mine were purchased as yearlings so I can be sure of their age.

My six Clown Loaches were purchased as yearlings in January 1995 and have lived all their lives in this aquarium.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Very nice. ?

My two oldest clowns came to me in 2002 at about 4 inches. My group has one more added a few years back at a large size but the rest range from about 3.5 to 6 inches. They now live in a 150 gal with a dozen full grown redline barbs. The 3 big ones are all over 10 inches TL and I think even more but I do not measure them.

I am in the process of winding down things to exit the hobby in a few years. While I have a lot of pricey B&W hyoancitrus plecos I breedm the klast fish to go will be my clowns.

I fully expect my big clowns will outlive me and I am about to turn 74 in the spring.

I notice your clowns are on larger rounded pebbles, Mine are as well. Mine learned a long time ago how to pick up big gravel and toss it aside in order to dig down for a morsel of food. Do yours do this?

My clowns are pigs. When I feed flake to the tank they are sucking it from the surface as soon as it hits the water.

 

[jjohnwm]

It is so nice to hear about fish that are carefully maintained for decades and actually have a chance to live out the full potential lifespan that their biology allows. Congrats and kudos to you!

I would wager that the percentage of aquarium fish that actually die of old age...as opposed to neglect, mishap, substandard food, etc...is vanishingly small, like a fraction of a single percentage point small.

TwoTankAmin , I'm sorry to hear that you are planning to leave the fold. I hope that you are simply taking it easy and not being forced by health concerns to quit. I'm about a decade younger than you and I find I am enjoying the hobby more than ever now that I have scaled back the workload to a more manageable level. It's too easy to get carried away and have it turn from fun into work. My best wishes go out to you, and I hope you downscale to a level that you can enjoy without dropping out altogether.

 

[Backfromthedead]

What a milestone! Congratulations, MFKer!