my cousin got a 125 recently and is getting a jaguar cichlid, he wanted to know if he could keep it with clown loaches, I’ve never kept the combination so couldn’t help. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Also if a jag wouldn’t work with the loaches what other large cichlid would, maybe a red terror
Jaguar cichlids with clown loaches
- Thread starter Bertie07
- Start date
If he is building a tank around the clown loaches, then less aggressive species of cichlids would be better suited. If he is building a tank around the jag, then my advice would be to consider something other than clown loaches as tank mates.
if he is going to have a jag tank, then a jag tank, 125 smallish for a single male jag, no other fish IMHO,
If this is the case, I would go w/ something less aggressive. Does he like Oscars? Nothing beats them in personality IMO.
I agree with the others about not keeping managuense (or any aggressive type cichlid) with clowns.
The central American cichlids come from hard mineral rich waters, unlike the clowns.
If it were me, (if it were a display tank), I try to find geographically correct species as tankmates from Borneo (or at least the general S E Asian area).
My preference would be some of the wild type Bettas of Borneo, or other stream dwelling anabantids.
If cichlids are must have, the only ones I'd use would be the Asian (Indian area) species of the genus Etroplus.
E canarensis would at least be continentally correct, non-aggressive, and can be kept in shoals.
The central American cichlids come from hard mineral rich waters, unlike the clowns.
If it were me, (if it were a display tank), I try to find geographically correct species as tankmates from Borneo (or at least the general S E Asian area).
My preference would be some of the wild type Bettas of Borneo, or other stream dwelling anabantids.
If cichlids are must have, the only ones I'd use would be the Asian (Indian area) species of the genus Etroplus.
E canarensis would at least be continentally correct, non-aggressive, and can be kept in shoals.
Duane gave some very good options. Having said that, IME CL's also generally do quite well in hard mineral rich tap water, so other fish can certainly be utilized as tank mates. Just not overly aggressive specimens or the clowns will have to fight for scraps at meal time, and will stay hidden much of the day. I learned this the hard way years ago. When allowed to live in a safe, peaceful environment, instead of hiding all day under a rock, or inside a cave, this is what you can experience. The photo below was taken in a clown loach only 125 gallon set up that I had running years back. There's only a few set ups that I miss from the past, this is definitely one of them.
Nice loaches R.D.
Yes, clowns seems to do really well in hard water. I get calcium deposits all over my tanks, yet I've had healthy clown loaches for 6 years now that haven't had any problem, even as much as a split fin.
I think that apart from being kept in a single species tank, it also works if they're kept with smaller tank mates. Mine have denison barbs, SAEs and harlequin rasboras as dithers and the clowns are pretty much out the majority of the time...or at least in an out of the caves...The only thing that bothers them is bright light....When the light is off, or when I have subdued light all loaches without exception are out and about...