Need help keeping clown loaches

[PATSFAN69]

I bought 10 clown loaches a few months ago and now every one of them has died . I want to get more but I don't want to keep killing them . I have a 135 , standared gravel ( small blue pebbles ) filtered by 2 Rena XP3's , I have 5 small peices of drift wood and 4 larger pots for hiding places . I do a 30 - 50% water change every other week and clean the gravel every 3 days witch takes out about 15-20 gallons of water . Anything stand out as of what I am going wrong ? Thanks in advance for the help !!

 

[ewurm]

Check your temp. I have found they do better in higher temps, maybe with a little salt to prevent disease.

 

[rallysb1tch]

I can't seem to keep clown loaches either. Ask JD_MAN he has like 894696348953486 of them in his 180 gallon tank.

 

[ewurm]

Let us know what your water parameters are, and what you are feeding.

 

[is300zx]

also what other fish are in the 135? did they just wasted away or did they seem to have died from a disease? clown loaches are actually pretty easy to keep. the only thing is they are very prone to ich so quarantine new arrivals is a must if you have loaches in the tank.

 

[Asian_Redtail_Catfish]

From my experience with Clown Loaches, you should not buy them very small or where they look skinny..If you see some at the store really skinny and the others are not, the clowns would get skinny later and waste away..Those are in bad heatlh..Also, they are prone to Ich, so before you put them in, you should raise the temp in your tank so they will not get Ich..Heat will kill Ich, no matter what..Well basically, clowns can be kept alive..It is just the stock you choose from the store that make the difference..

And, a cycled tank like always will keep fishes alive..

 

[fishmaven]

Don't buy any clown loaches unless you see them eat first. Avoid skinny ones showing their lateral line. Small loaches are even more sensitive to temp changes and other problems. Mid 80s would be good. Sliced bananas about the thickness of a dime would keep them fat. Until you know they're eating the bananas just throw 1 slice for every 2 loaches. Other bottom feeders will eat the bananas too.

 

[ewurm]

I have never tried feeding bananas. I will try that, thanks.

 

[JD_MAN]

List your water params., tankmates, and what you were feeding them.

I have been very lucky with all of my loaches and haven't had any major problems. I keep their tank warm and the diet varied. They never stop begging for food. Mine are in with a large mix of fish that have somehow worked out, including angels, discus, fronts, and several different plecs.

I also never use any chemicals in my tank at all. I only use aquarium salt when needed.

 

[bmxer4ever]

I bought 10 clown loaches a few months ago and now every one of them has died . I want to get more but I don't want to keep killing them . I have a 135 , standared gravel ( small blue pebbles ) filtered by 2 Rena XP3's , I have 5 small peices of drift wood and 4 larger pots for hiding places . I do a 30 - 50% water change every other week and clean the gravel every 3 days witch takes out about 15-20 gallons of water . Anything stand out as of what I am going wrong ? Thanks in advance for the help !!

I've managed to keep my Clown Pack alive and well this year, but only after learning a few lessons.

First off, my tank water parameters are;
PH 6.8
Ammonia 0mg/l (ppm)
Nitrite <0.3mg/l (ppm)
Temperature @ 78

Rocks, gravel, driftwood, plants.

I feed flake, algae wafers, frozen bloodworm and catfish pellets, which they seem to love(and they DO like banana!).

So far so good, but I reckon that this is not much different to what you've been doing.

Do you have good aeration and a current in the tank? Loaches like moving water and aeration helps get rid of dead spots near the bottom of the tank where nitrites can accumulate. (same place loaches like to live.)

The other problem you may have encountered is "knifeback".
Did your loaches get all skinny before they died? Looked like they were eating, but didn't put on any weight? Looked like you could see their skeleton through their skin?

Knifeback is a bi@tch. (The skinny ones described at lfs probably had knifeback).
Didn't know what it was at first and lost a loach - next time I knew better. Luckily it is treatable. It's caused by internal parasites - worms I think - and you can get rid of it fairly easily. I use Waterlife STERAZIN - 10 day treatment course - and it has worked so far. Put the affected loach in an unlit isolation tank while treating him and he came out fine.

A lot is said about loaches being very sensitive to medication, but I have found that, as long as you stick to the instructions, they seem to be fine (usually a half dose is recommended for Clowns). I do stick to Waterlife products for treating whitespot and knifeback with loaches, but I don't think that will have anything to do with it, it's just a product I trust.