Questions on Incoming Clown Loaches

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Hey thanks for the replies everybody, defintly should of up the size for a sense of security (will keep that in mind in case something happens)...but hopefully the quality of liveaquaria will give me great healthy clowns as a good start. I got very lucky, the delivery of all the hideaways are coming in the someday of the clowns which is great...! I didn't even have to rush it.

Thanks fishnut about the temp and the link.

Jagerheater acting wird...have it on 81...kept tank at 79...I will monitor it. And adjust accordingly
 
ecoli73 said:
In the future, I advise to spend the extra money to get loaches in the 3-4" size. They are much tougher and more outgoing. In my experience, well worth the price increase.
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I am with ecoli on getting larger CLs. Smaller CLs usually come with skinny disease and may never grow since most lfs starve fishes to keep their tanks clean. The larger size CLs are not as susceptible to diseases, starvation or stress of transportation. Do deworm any new CLs.

I started with a 55 gallon and 3 CLs about 9 years ago, quickly upgraded to 90 gal with a group of about 35 healthy 3''s a year later. About half of 35 CLs died due to a moving and skinny disease that was introduced by adding new CLs since I didn't dewormed my CLs until about 3 years ago when I was losing slowly one by one.

Now I have a group of 50 plus CLs range from 9'' to 2'' in 180 gallon, all other tank mates have died so I only have CLs. My original group (about 8 years) are between 8 to 4 inches. I have around 20 between 2 - 4'' for about 3 years, most of them never grew even after deworming, not sure they ever will.

I use NLS pellets and I think they are excellent for CLs. Another advice is CLs need super clean water and water quality directly affects their appetite. 30% water change twice a week if you feed heavily with NLS.
 
Pazzoman said:
Hey thanks for the replies everybody, defintly should of up the size for a sense of security (will keep that in mind in case something happens)...but hopefully the quality of liveaquaria will give me great healthy clowns as a good start. I got very lucky, the delivery of all the hideaways are coming in the someday of the clowns which is great...! I didn't even have to rush it.

Thanks fishnut about the temp and the link.

Jagerheater acting wird...have it on 81...kept tank at 79...I will monitor it. And adjust accordingly
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Between 78 to 81 is fine, never below 75 since they will likely get infected with ick. My tank's temp dropped to 70 for 3 days during Sandy power outage, luckily they were fine to my surprise.

In case CLs get infected with ick, salt with high temp (86-88) seems to work the best in my experience. I lost many many CLs and tried most meds out there when I first started keeping CL. Don't ever buy any CL with white spots in the same tank or even store if they run a centralized filtering system.
 
Hey thanks for the info! Will defintly note what you have said. These clowns came from liveaquaria which is why I took them on but ofcoarse we still don't know what goes on before the fish are at our doors. I got lucky with sandy, I had my power good thing they were fine. Where did you get your clowns? In lfs by me loaches at 3 inches are near $40...which is why I decided to get the one inch ones for less the $6...however thier are many risks like you have mentioned. I will be getting my dewrormer in thursday, so will get them started on the deworming process. Probably will feed them it for about 2 weeks, I think thats a good duration.

Hey I have noted about thier pristine water needs, which made decided on using a reptile feeder dish. I placed the dish on the sand (slightly pressing the dish into the sand so the clowns almost fall into the plate instead of climbing) so less food would be decaying around the tank. I accomplish this by turning off the wave makers and using a long turkey baster to deliver the nls pellets as well as blood worms into thier plate. Usually wont get startled much and if so thier are clowns usually patrolling around the dish feasting on what flys out.

Here is a vid if interested also do you know of any good lfs around new york?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwP01zzy-H8 just took the vid today, I didn't turn off the pumps in the vid as I didn't think of the idea till after the feeding.
 
I will be getting my dewrormer in thursday, so will get them started on the deworming process. Probably will feed them it for about 2 weeks, I think thats a good duration.
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No, that's not a good duration - have you bothered to read the sticky on the treatment of skinny disease? I suggest that you read the link below, including the PDF document from the U of FL on treating nematodes, as well as the last comment in that discussion that I posted tonight.


http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...f-skinny-disease-(nematodes)-Downloadable-PDF


These treatments and medications are typically very safe, when performed properly using the correct dosage rates. If your fish show no sign of parasites or worms, personally I wouldn't treat them with anything, but that's your call I guess.
 
Pazzoman said:
I got lucky with sandy, I had my power good thing they were fine. Where did you get your clowns? In lfs by me loaches at 3 inches are near $40...which is why I decided to get the one inch ones for less the $6...however thier are many risks like you have mentioned. I will be getting my dewrormer in thursday, so will get them started on the deworming process. Probably will feed them it for about 2 weeks, I think thats a good duration.

Here is a vid if interested also do you know of any good lfs around new york?
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There is a pretty good list of lfs here: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=197540

I've had luck with shops in both Manhattan and Brooklyn chinatown since they don't charge tax and usually negotiable. I just visited these shops during the holiday break. Hope to give you a idea of how much CLs are going for in NY.

88 Aquarium Inc 123 Elizabeth St New York, NY 10013 - $8 for 1.5'', $18 for 3 - 3.5'' was tempted to buy some 3''s but it was snowing and too cold to bring them home
38 Aquarium Inc 371 Broome Street, New York, NY (212) 966-0397 $30 for 3 - 3.5'' only a few left
Pacific Aquarium & Plant Inc 46 Delancey Street #1, New York $12 for 1.5'' I believe these are buy 2 get 1 free. There were 3 5 - 6'' fat CLs for $50 each, but they had ick and damaged fins. A pretty good deal for large CLs.
Win Tropical Aquariums 169 Mott Street, New York, NY $8 for 1-1.5'' small but very clean and reputable shop

These 4 shops are all within 5 min of walking distance in chinatown.

King Fish Aquarium & Pet Supply 4818 8th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11220 - saw some 2''s for $12 good shop I once got a couple 4''s for $15 a piece
Reef Aquarium 5415 8th Ave (between 54th St & 55th St) Brooklyn, NY 11220 didn't see any CLs there
Royal Aqua World 815 65th Street Brooklyn, NY 11220 (718) 238-0718. - they had some 4'' for $29 each, but they look skinny

These shops are in Brooklyn chinatown within 10 minutes of walking distance. There is another shop near 57th ST on 7th Ave.

Fishtown USA, Inc 196-33 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, NY - Probably the biggest fish store in NYC, takes good care of their fish used to have good deals but I find they are more pricy
Blue Gold Aquarium Inc 8612 Whitney Avenue, Elmhurst, NY - Small shop very good price and healthy stocks, have gotten 2 7''s for $40 and $60 at different times - willing to order 8'' to 10'' for you each will cost you $100 to $120
Kissena Aquarium Inc 4630 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing NY - Quite nice, healthy fish but usually pricy

These shops are near where I live in Queens.

If I was going to starting a new tank with CLs, I'd perhaps order large CLs from lfs and pick them up after they settle down so I don't end up with small CL that may never grow.
 
Thanks RD with the post will look into it, thanks cheng will defintly try to checkout some of those stores listed!

So far these one inch clowns are the life of the tank lol, constantly school together, constantly eating lol. I usually feed enough three times a day that before I go to bed I look at them and they always have a very noticable buldge on thier stomachs lol. I may add a 3-4 inch clown eventually to this one inch squad lol. Those are some awesome prices for clowns will defintly have to check them out, especally blue gold for the future 300 :)
 
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