New to loaches...diet ?'s

[we4wieners]

I am new to Clown Loaches. Just got 3 of them to add to my Geo, Parrot, Uaru community. BTW, they are about 2" each.

Are they slow/fast growers?
How do I look out for ICH?
Anything in particular they should be eating?
Anything else...
...they are all over the tank, kinda cool!

 

[geronimo69]

Decent growth rate until about 4", then they slow to a crawl... As for diet, varied is the best. Mine get pellets, snails, flakes, bloodworms. You'll notice ICK the second they have little grains of "salt" on them. Treat immediately if that is the case.

 

[we4wieners]

Decent growth rate until about 4", then they slow to a crawl... As for diet, varied is the best. Mine get pellets, snails, flakes, bloodworms. You'll notice ICK the second they have little grains of "salt" on them. Treat immediately if that is the case.

Thanks...have you had ich w/ them before? If so, what did you use? Just want to be ready, in case. I have never had ich in any of my tanks. Now I have succeptable fish, just want to be prepared.

 

[Red Devil]

when ever you buy new fish you should quarenteen first.. give them 3 weeks in a small tank to make sure they are free of disease so you don't introduce it to the rest of your fish.. and also so it won't be such a expense and harder procedure when you need to add medicine.. instead of doing a large tank with maybe added plants or scaleless fish or fish that should be removed because the medicine will have ill effects on them.. it is super easy to just concentrate on that one little tank... and the few new fish. Loaches have no scales so they are prone to getting ick.. and must be treated with the right medicine.. usually a aquarium salt is added and the temp raised.. but you need the specific amount etc per the size of your tank and whether the other fish will be able to handle the treatment..
loaches are very active and yet shy and sometimes sleep an appear dead.. they are charactors and beautiful... they grow very slow and love to be in colonies.. the more the merrier.. they should be fed a varied diet .. almost everything available is something they will enjoy, they are not fussy..good luck with yours.

 

[geronimo69]

when ever you buy new fish you should quarenteen first.. give them 3 weeks in a small tank to make sure they are free of disease so you don't introduce it to the rest of your fish.. and also so it won't be such a expense and harder procedure when you need to add medicine.. instead of doing a large tank with maybe added plants or scaleless fish or fish that should be removed because the medicine will have ill effects on them.. it is super easy to just concentrate on that one little tank... and the few new fish. Loaches have no scales so they are prone to getting ick.. and must be treated with the right medicine.. usually a aquarium salt is added and the temp raised.. but you need the specific amount etc per the size of your tank and whether the other fish will be able to handle the treatment..

I couldn't have said it any better.

 

[Red Devil]

I couldn't have said it any better.

thank you..