Should I separate my clown loaches?

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OscartheGrouch

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 2, 2007
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Boston
OK. About 6 months ago, I bought 6 what I would categorize as small clown loaches (under 2 inches) to my 180G discus and clown loach tank. The tank had 6 discus and 6 much larger existing clown loaches (around 4-5 inches and much bulkier) in the tank. Well I guess I should have kept them in the 45G quarantine tank I had them in, because 3 of them seem to be growing ok but the other 3 not as much. I guess I was dying to have a shoal of CLs and rushed it a bit. They're eating but they're also getting pushed around by the other loaches quite a bit and not getting their fair share. So should I separate them and grow them out in the 45G for a while? It definitely wouldn't be fun chasing down clown loaches in a 180G tank though. :(
 
Definitely separate them until they grow a little and are able to outcompete the others. Good luck catching them. If I were you, use PVC pipes to bait them into hiding into those. Much easier to catch them.
 
I figured I should separate them before I even started the thread. I was just dreading the idea of catching them. Thanks for the PVC pipe idea.
 
I would add more food and do more water changes to compensate.
 
ewurm;1919902; said:
I would add more food and do more water changes to compensate.
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I would tend to agree. I have a shoal of 11 with about 5 in the 4+ inch range and the rest about 2-3 inches and do not seem to have any issues with food. I put a little in and when the big ones jump on that I put a little more food further away and the small ones go there.
 
Beowulf76, welcome to the bottom dwellers, ahem clown loach, forum. Actually, all the fish have been eating with voracious appetites lately with the summer weather and higher temps in the tank. I had to add a few more scheduled feedings but everybody are now getting their share. There is one clown loach that's stunted but that's because he always lodges himself inside the nook of a driftwood.
 
I keep some new 1/1.5inch clowns with some big 7+ inch(i really need to measure them) clowns, i haven't noticed any pushing, the small ones may get bounced around a bit but i don't think it's on purpose.

all i do is make sure they are a few different eating spots, so i cut the veggies up into pieces rather that 1 large lump. that way everybody can find a spot to eat nice and easy!
 
My big ones always bum rush the littles out of the way. I seriously hope I don't get an outbreak of planaria with all these feedings. Do plecos feed on planaria? I want to add maybe a small one to the tank.
 
OscartheGrouch;1943637; said:
My big ones always bum rush the littles out of the way. I seriously hope I don't get an outbreak of planaria with all these feedings. Do plecos feed on planaria? I want to add maybe a small one to the tank.
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Loaches will also eat planaria. The solution to your situation is vacuum uneaten foods.
 
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