Hi there - new to the group!

LT Connell

Black Skirt Tetra
MFK Member
Apr 23, 2018
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Florida
Super happy to find this website. I am currently getting a 300g tank ready and I want the "stars" of the tank to be clown loaches. I already have one (a juvenile) that is currently hanging out in our 75g community tank. We will get more once the new tank is set up and cycled properly.

I know that they like to "hide" out, so what are some ideas of hiding places I can put in the new tank? (the more creative the better) The dimensions are 72 x 36 x 27, so I have quite a bit of floor space to work with. Do they prefer lots of live plants?

Also, what would be some suggestions for good tank makes for the CL's?
 
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lee1

Plecostomus
MFK Member
May 19, 2008
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paradise
They will tear up live plants .. Java fern does ok with them and mine are not shy at all once they get use to you .. I like driftwood in my loach tanks
 

pops

Alligator Gar
MFK Member
Nov 24, 2013
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welcome to MF. :)
 

Cardeater

Polypterus
MFK Member
Apr 14, 2018
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I've had success with those fake driftwood logs. Others also use PVC pipe. My loaches swim through the pipes but mostly use the same hiding spot they used for years.

I've seen posts about people rolling PVC in aquarium safe silicone that they then cover with gravel so the caves look better.

As for tankmates, rainbowfish and Congo tetra seem to be the most common. I decided to put a lot of flow in my tank so I looked up rainbowfish that came from higher current.

You have a nice sized tank. I hope to get a huge tank sometime. Tankmates also depend on what you want to do with the tank. I have a 125g which is barely enough for clown loaches. I'll be adding rainbowfish and cherry Barb's.

If I had your tank, I'd add more rainbow species. I'd also add a pleco or several depending on type. I'd have a nice group of true Siamese algae eaters (not flying foxes nor Chinese algae eaters).
 
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Cardeater

Polypterus
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Apr 14, 2018
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I couldnt edit my reply so I'll add a few more points:

Some have reported one red tail or rainbow shark getting along really well with clown loaches.

Two things from Cory/Aquarium Coop 800g clown loach tank:

-- He had clouded Archerfish which look cool. I only read a brief article about them. They are hard to find but parameters seem to match loaches tank parameters. Article said you need a school of them and listed 55g as minimum so a giant Cory tank isn't required.

- at one point, I wanted tiger Barb's with clown loaches but I feared them nipping loaches. Cory had them together and I thought they worked because it is a huge school of tiger Barb's. Apparently it's not working, though. In a recent video, Cory said the Barb's nip at the dojo loach he added and he thinks the bigger clowns hide from being nipped by the Barbs. He thinks the small loaches stay out bc they are more manuverable so they can avoid the nipping.

Current:
Several on loaches.com recommend current for loaches. It's definitely not required as I have three that have lived for 20+ years with minimal current. Since I added powerheads, I can say that they seem to like it. When I get up and tank is still dark, I find them hanging out right in the stream of my Cobalt MJ1200 in front that has it's output directed downward.

As I hinted in my previous post, it will limit what companions you can get. Angelfish or a dwarf gourami could work with clown loaches, but I wouldn't put them in my tank now that I have a lot of water movement.
 
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