Breeding Clown Loaches?

[blue_betta]

now, as far as im aware it cant be done in captivity, even these hormone injections are aparently a myth and all clown loaches are wild caught still.

a guy at work today was telling me manages to breed clown loaches succesfuly, apparently, through sheer trial and error, he found that they needed a shallow (aprox 8") fast flowing (used a spraybar) tank with a pebbley base, and a tiny amount of salt in the water, amking it just slightly brackish... he aparently got 4 spawns off them in this set up...

anyone shed any light?

i did ask if he was sure it was clown loaches, and he was addament that it was clowns.

 

[Davo86]

It is well documented that clowns don't become sexually mature until they are over 7" in size and a good few years old, (at a guess a minimum of 8-10 years old) so i am doubtful

 

[Tizer]

I wouldnt believe any of it without pictures / documentation and video and a valid write up on a reputable website / mag.

 

[micko]

Skeptical

 

[blue_betta]

yeah im skeptical too, hence i came to ask on here. im not sure how large/old the specimins he bred from were, but he is 100% sure they were clowns. he has no pic/video evidance of the breedings, and he was also completely unaware that if he has bred them, its a first lol. personaly, i think he means khuli loaches by the set up he describes (apart from the brackish bit) or possibly even bumblebee gobies. also, this all happened back in 1987 aswell lol

 

[holidayinn]

also unlikely imo, never heard of them breeding in captivity.

 

[ZoddyZod]

I've only read of captive breeding using hormone injections. No documented evidence of them doing it 'naturally'

 

[tribalbrit]

I wouldn't thing they'd like the salt either... mine are more than 20 years old and although they do quite a bit of what looks like a mating ritual and the females lose their colour while doing it they never actualy get anywhere near breading

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I have read only one account of captive clowns breeding and it can be found here Loaches.com

There is no documentation in the form of photos etc. Maybe the original article in Practical Fishkeeping magazine, Feb. 96 had pictures.

I have never seen documentation of clown loach breeding in the form of verified photos or film. Pretty much any experienced clown keeper is aware of the fact that they do not tank spawn. If any one of us got so lucky as to have it happen we surely would have shot a ton of pics/vidss and invited every fishkeeping friend or stranger within many miles to come over and see it.

I am reminded of an old proverb: Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see.

 

[creeker]

I wouldnt believe any of it without pictures / documentation and video and a valid write up on a reputable website / mag.

I'm with Tizer on this one. When you bust the guy on this one he's going to say "Oh, I thought you said Clown BARBS!"