Clown Loaches

[Holly]

I want to get some clown loaches (once i found out the cause of my original skinny loach problem that i posted on the disease section). I have a 70 ltr octagonal densley planted tank with a cory already on the bottom.

How many is advised? is a two enough for them to feel secure?

 

[shtinkypuppie]

They're a schooling fish... I'm not sure if they form a cory-school (a few fish hanging around eachother) or a neon-school. (tight defensive formation) If they make a Cory-school, you need at least 2, much better 4, and above that it'll help some. If they make a neon-school, you need at least 6 for them to actually school.

Anyone know which kinda school they form?

you should remember that they get up to 15 cm long, and like lots of space to play in.. you may not be well adivsed to keep them at all. They are usually only kept in tanks above 140 litres.

 

[cichlidmaster]

Good question!! One I can answer from experiance...

I just brought in 2 dozen of them and they are indeed a schooloing fish. They stay in a tight formation all the time.

They swim as a group, really fun to watch. The ones I have are 3.5".

If I am not mistaken, 15 cm equals roughly 6". Clown loaches can attain a size of 12".

HTH

 

[ostrow]

Hey cichlid, you ever seen a 12" clown loach in an aquarium?

I've never seen one bigger than 6-8" and most websites suggest this is about the max for captive clowns.

I started a thread a while back (month or so ago) and it turns out many have 2 or 3 clowns in a tank and they are quite happy (the fish, I mean ... I have no idea about the owners ). Some have just one, but they seem to have more problems.

I've had a pair of clowns in my 29G tank and they are happy and fun to watch. I truly dispute the notion that you have to have a 140liter tank to have clown loaches. To have 15 of them, yah. But to have a few, no.

 

[cichlidmaster]

Ostrow,
I have personally seen 12" clown loaches. One of the shops by me had them in a year or so ago.

Huge monsters. They were wild caught. Quite illigal to export them at that size I believe.

Clowns do better in small groups 3-4 or more. They may do alright in a pair, but I would not keep just one.

My mother has one in a 29 gallon tank with a few corie and it does nothing but sit on the bottom of the tank basically.

Also a 70 litre octagonal tank is not that big. I would not recommend more than 2 in that tank with plans in the future to get a bigger tank.....preferably a standard rectangular tank as there is more surface area. JMO

 

[Holly]

Thanks very much guys for the responses- didn't expect you to get back so quickly!...i will maybe try 2 small ones- i do understand that i do not have a very large bottom area for them to inhabit.... the school of 24 that CM has i bet is amazing- they are such a lovely fish, and i imagine at their best with lots of them- i just want to be sure that haveing only 2-3 will not place undue stress on them.

 

[ostrow]

2-3 will be fine. And they won't grow to be a foot long ... cichlid's foot-long clowns were wild caught B)

They ain't gonna grow that big in a tank, hex, rectangle, or any other shape

Enjoy them.

 

[cichlidmaster]

Sorry ostrow,
I disagree.

For one to make a generalized statement as "they ain't gonna grow that big in a tank" is an injustice.

Clowns are long lived and the potential for them to grow to the size they can in the wild is a distinct possibility..

Now will they grow that big in a small hex, probably not. One should ask one self this though...will they be happy in a small tank...probably not.

You also made referrence to having 2 in a 29 gallon...and that you dispute the notion that you have to have a 140 litre tank to have clowns.

In all actuallity a 140 litre tank is only about a 35 gallon tank so you see your not that far off from having a 140 litre tank yourself in your 29 gallon.

Also please remember a 70 litre tank is roughly 17 gallons and it's a hex at that. These things should determine the amount and type of fish kept in it.

(Holly, please understand I am not putting down your tank!! I am sure it is a lovely tank, I am just trying to point out the facts as I see them)

And as for the 2 dozen I have, keep in mind these were brought in for re-sale. IMO even a 120 gallon (6ft) tank would not be sufficient to house this many clowns for to long a period. (and yes it does make a fantastic display)

Just one other question...what makes you think they won't grow to a foot long?

I am not posting this to start a flame war or harbor ill feelings, I am just curious as to where your information on these subjects came from.

CM

Disclaimer: All conversions from litres to gallons are a rough estimate. I will stand corrected if I am in anyway off on these conversions.

 

[StiX]

Well heres proof they CAN grow BIG

B) B)

 

[William]

Wow those are some big clowns!

 

[slt]

yes i've seen masive clowns , in a tank at stapely water gardens, they were
huge

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

who ate all the pies???

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

My own clowns are complete nutters, came home from work and they are all wedged in sideways/upside down on the top of the filter cradle between the filter and the glass. I thought they were dead until I touched them. Mad I say MAAAAAAAD

 

[slt]

did you say mad ccl

 

[ostrow]

Hey, those are fat clowns. I got confused between whether the 70 was liters or gallons even though I wrote liters.

Cichlid, I appreciate your broader experience and learn much. But I was replying to someone who seemed to know a bit less about fish and who has a smaller tank. Holly shouldn't avoid getting clowns out of fear they'll grow to a foot in a 35G tank. That's all I meant.

But as for the max. size in captivity, I take this from a number of sites on clowns. Just about every link from a google search on "clown loach" says in captivity (not talking about the wild) they only grow to about 8" max.
I'm assuming these sites anticipate tanks that aren't several hundred gallons in size! They mean for the hobbyist, which is what I am and I presume Holly and most others reading here are. Of course, her tank probably can't handle much beyond 2 clowns ... on this we agree entirely!!!

I did a lot of looking into this, being worried my 29G couldn't accomodate them, and was quite thoroughly assured, and in no significant portion on this forum (didn't you chime in when I was asking advice a few months ago on this?), that I'd be fine with 2-3 clowns along with my other fish.

No flame taken! Heck, I still don't know much about fish. But I'm learning about clowns.

I wish I could handle 6 of em!