The "Clown" in the Loach

meiling

Fire Eel
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Nov 7, 2005
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I have always kept arowanas. Since my big one had a terrible accident, I now have a baby aro so I was finally able to get CL's. I have 3, maybe 2 inches now. They eat everything, but do they have any special diet needs? How will they fare in black sand? They get along with my baby aro, so I hope they grow together. Is there anything special about the proper keeping of CL's? Man, they are sooo darn funny, I nicknamed them The Insane Clown Posse.
 

Muillinaust

Jack Dempsey
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Jun 27, 2006
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Just make sure they get a varied diet. I feed them shrimp pellets, cucumber, bannana, bloodworms and market shrimp, and they are happy and fat because of it. Also, they do great in sand, and black sand will really help their colors. The only special advice about loaches is that they are very sensitive to chemicals, and many medications could easily kill them off.
 

Vapor

Feeder Fish
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Jan 9, 2006
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Clowns are great I currently have four of them. They are very sensitive to getting Ich and chemicals will kill them. If they do get sick use salt. Has worked on mine great. Mine love zuchini (blanch it first) and go nuts over the algae wafers. Click like crazy eating those things.
 

bmxer4ever

Fire Eel
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May 25, 2006
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I've treated mine for white spot many times with Waterlife Protozin and they seem fine - just follow the instructions religously and do a 10% or more water change/gravel vacuum before each dose. And make sure it's a half dose at most...
The other problem you might get with clowns is "knifeback", when they go all skinny and unwell and listless. This is usually a worm infection and is treatable with Waterlife Sterazin.
Both treatments have worked well for me, but give salt and heat a go first if you're feeling cautious.
Keeping your water perfect and quarantining new arrivals is the best solution of course - prevention is ALWAYS better than cure.

I've got a big 6" Clown who is just the funniest character and bosses the other 6 around at pellet time. Hand feeding them is a riot too - give you a right good sook!

Enjoy and take good care of your babies...

June062 (2).jpg
 

Gr8KarmaSF

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Jul 23, 2005
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i would be careful of the aro outgrowing the clowns and getting hungry one day....
 

meiling

Fire Eel
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Thank you all so much for your input, keep it coming! I appreciate it and am learning alot. I think if the aro grows with them, he's tiny, that hopefully that won't happen. Normally aro's don't eat them because of their spines, If my aro grows and creates too much or any mayhem I should say, I'll separate them. I'd post pix but they kinda look like 3 clown loaches swiming around, so I think you get the idea!!!
 

meiling

Fire Eel
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I have never had any illness in my tank, they seem fine. They keep getting funnier every day. I really enjoy them. what causes them to get worms?
 

suzydiver

Feeder Fish
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Jul 19, 2005
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My loaches love blanched zucchini, flakes and fresh spinach leaves! They are so much fun to watch - I catch them in all sorts of crazy positions - lying on top of one another, on their sides, crazy! I also have caught them almost "cleaning" the plecos, but I don't think the pleco would stand for it. I have 4 clowns and enjoy watching them interact with all the other fish in the tank.
 
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