Some Loach Q's

[purplecandle]

Just a few minutes ago , I had to look up some information on clown loaches..I had never thought about loaches before..but after reading a bit, they seem neat. I like an interactive fishy

So just some q's

Are they interactive?
What do they eat?
And I (might) have a 55 gallon freeing up soon, are there any that I could have in a 55, as a school of course if need be. I know CLs are out, so what else is readily available? -I have looked through the profiles, but I would like member opinions!

Thanks!

 

[Lupin]

1. Yes, they interact with anyone else but they do need to be kept in their own group with a bare minimum of 3. The more, the better but you better have adequate space for that before you buy more.

2. Clown loaches prefer meaty foods. Crustaceans, mollusks and insects are acceptable. They can take veggies though when accustomed to it.

3. Botia kubotai, Botia almorhae, Botia histrionica, Botia dario and Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki. Take your pick. Almorhaes are the largest at 6-8". Quite active during the day and are too boisterous.

 

[purplecandle]

Thanks! I needed somewhere to start looking! Thanks again!

 

[aclockworkorange]

Clown loaches can be very entertaining, but a new owner is often disappointed with how shy they can be... seriously shy, as in, they hide whenever you approach the tank.
They are more active in the evening hours, and you will see them more as they become accustom to your aquarium and feeding schedule. They will also be more active with more clowns and hiding places in the tank, as the will be comfortable.

I have tried keeping small groups of three or four of multiple botia species loaches over the years, and I would like to say personally I find they are much more comfortable in groups of at least 6.

They will outgrow your 55 gallon, would prefer a 125 minimum. Other great botia species that don't get as big: yoyo loaches, polka dot loaches, as Lupin mentioned. I have kept both (currently keeping polka dots and clown loaches in two different setups, also kept yoyos in the past) and have found polka dot loaches to probably be the most active of the three... also the most aggressive to each other... another reason to keep them in a large group to spread out the conspecifics.

 

[jcannonb]

While the bare minimum is 3, they won't be HAPPY without 5 in the tank. I had 3, and after doing more research, they got a lot happier after I added two more.

They are a schooling fish, and they will stay together most of the time.

While they are omnivores, they prefer meaty foods. I feed mine fozen food. So far they have eaten frozen blood worms, krill, brine shimp and squid. They have also chewed on cichlid pellets when I feed them to my oscars.

They are skiddish. They scare easily, and they do require hiding places. They need dark spots they can retreat to when they get scared. This isn't really optional. They will be very stressed if they don't have a real place (like a cave system) to hide.

They are some of the cutest fish you can have. They are wonderful, but don't get attached to their initial color. If you keep them long enough, they will eventually fade in color, and they won't be striped orange and black anymore. It takes a while, but they will change eventually.

The BIGGEST caveat to know is they are scaleless fish. They are extremely sensitive to water quality. They are a good barometer for how healthy your tank is. They will be the first to get sick or be affected by any imbalance in your tank. Because they are scaleless, they get burned very easily by aquarium salt, and medicines. When you have an infection outbreak, you have to greatly reduce the medicine you CAN put in, or it will kill them.

If you do decide to get some loaches, you will NOT be disappointed. Get 5. They will be happiest. Keep in mind, that a full grown loach is 10-12"

Hope this helps