overstock question /clownloaches,jd,oscars 36 gallon temporary tank

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pernjie

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 31, 2010
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hi ive red alot about these fishes and i wanted to get a couple in my tank, right now i have a 36 gallon bowfront corner tank fully cycled no ammonia ph of around 7.8+ my chart only goes to 7.8 highest x_x, the fishes in the tank used to be a small arrowana but now hes in a better tank a female flowerhorn also in a different tank and right now a jack dempsey 2-3 inches that just hides all day in a cave,i wanted to add fishes to help the jackdempsey be more happier and make him feel more safe with fishes swimming around,so i want to add clown loaches i know the tank is too small atm but pretty soon ill be upgrading it to a 180 or a 265 gallon tank with arrowana, after i move out in about 2-3 months,

how many clown loaches would be good amount to get?is 2 alright cause i red this

"Clown Loaches are one of the most popular aquarium fishes, undoubtedly because of their colouration and lively personalities. A clown loach seldom swims alone and when they are alone in an aquarium their growth is stunted, they are more susceptible to clown loach diseases and they die young. If you put a clown loach together with at least 4 other clown loaches they begin to thrive. On this website you will find general information about clown loaches, what they eat, preferred water conditions, which diseases affect them, etc.."

what im planning to do with my 36 gallon for now is adding around 3-4 clown loaches, 1 jack dempsey, and maybe 1 or 2 oscars, ill all be transferring them soon to a much bigger tank in about 4 months,
will i be overstocked or will it be alright for a few months? if itll be overstocked whats a good option to have?

and any clown loach keepers i would really like some advice on clownloaches my setup for the 36 gallon tank right now is silica sand i know theyll like it or do i need finer sand like pool sand?and i just have 1 long plant and 1 hiding spot where the jackdempsey is always,.ill be adding some terra cotta pots for more hiding spots and if i can maybe a piece of wood in the middle of the tank,.
ill post some pictures of the tank as soon as i get some batteries for my camera lol,
 
It is better to keep the loaches in shoals/schools (the larger the better), and your 36 gallon will not house them even for a few months, even if they are small loaches. Get the 180-265 gallon tank as you say you are going to, and then worry about more fish. If your JD is hiding all the time, lessen the hiding spots/caves. He will survive until you move and get your new tank and loaches, but he will need to be in a much larger tank soon himself to not be stunted.
 
can i still add a small 2-3 inch oscar into the tank for now though?or any other good fish of choice lol,.i kinda dont like waiting but yeah ill wait for my new tank before i add the clowns i guess,.
 
Please dont that Oscar will out grow it within a couple of months to.
 
^^ Yes, they grow super fast and are very messy. Personally, I would wait until you get your tank before adding any more fish.
 
I'm going to disagree with everyone else... As a large clown loach keeper I feel qualified to say that while a 36 gallon tank is entirely too small for any long term clown loach keeping, I think it would be alright for very small clown loaches for 6-8 months. You would have to preform large water changes weekly.
My suggestion would actually be to get some smaller loaches, like yoyos, polka dots, zebras, etc that max out at 5-6". They are great fish, and can be housed in smaller tanks than clowns for life.
Whatever you do, please be responsible, and don't put less than 6 loaches in your tank. Be 100% honest with yourself about when you will be able to upgrade and how well you will be able to care for them.
Clown loaches are not easy fish to keep, they are prone to diseases (I've had to treat for ick and velvet), and take a LONG time to be happy in a new tank.
 
pernjie;4601670; said:
can i still add a small 2-3 inch oscar into the tank for now though?or any other good fish of choice lol,.i kinda dont like waiting but yeah ill wait for my new tank before i add the clowns i guess,.
Click to expand...


Nope.... in 3-4 months that will be a 7-10 in ch oscar and should not be in a 36 gallon tank.....


Just upgrade and then add fish.

I agree with aclockwork with most of what he said HOWEVER if you are going to get a new tank in 3-4 months then I would wait to get the loaches if you intend to move them to the larger tank. They take a while to get comfortable so in 3 months just as they were settled in you woudl move them to another tank making them shy again. So just wait till you get the new tank.
 
I have two clown loaches together right now. They're perfectly happy with just driftwood. I don't even have sand... I've got the regular sized pea gravel and they pick them up and move all of it around all the time. Just don't be surprised if they sleep on their backs under the driftwood.. freaked me out the first few times.

When they're small they like to get into the smallest of places and tend to get stuck (or atleast my smallest did a few times). So be careful about resin pieces since most are hollow and have holes on the bottom. They'll eat anything but LOOOOOVE bloodworms. Hope this helps!
 
Oh and I think I'm going to be getting more later on this weekend perhaps. I want to get a nice shoal together for my small tank and possibly move them to a much larger tank later with my EBJDs, severums, bgk, and gibby.
 
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