Clown Loaches

[SharkWeek]

Just got two new clown loaches each around 2 inches long, i have always like loaches but iv only kept dojo's and kuhlis. Im woundering if there are any tips i should know to help make them healthy and happy

 

[mrp3]

What are you feeding what is your tank size
I have one clown in a 29 gallon
These guys require a tank of at least 75 gallons mine is just a juvenile so he'll be fine until I can get him the 75 gallon
They also like to be in shoals of 5 or more
I feed mine algae wafers bottom feeder pellets and blanched veggies

 

[SharkWeek]

What are you feeding what is your tank size
I have one clown in a 29 gallon
These guys require a tank of at least 75 gallons mine is just a juvenile so he'll be fine until I can get him the 75 gallon
They also like to be in shoals of 5 or more
I feed mine algae wafers bottom feeder pellets and blanched veggies

i just got them today, its a 29g but they are very young, and are real slow growers. i feed them new life spectrual sinking pellets, and frozen bloodworms. what veggies do you feed them

 

[SharkWeek]

Also is it normal for them to make fast rapid movments for no reason?

 

[holidayinn]

yes its usual for them to dart everywhere, that, prefer being in numbers and the size they grow to is why they need big tanks.

 

[Tizer]

I've got 10 of them in a 5 footer, most are 4 inches. They are very shy/skittish fish and do well in big groups, make sure they have plenty of hiding places and dont be alarmed if you see them sleeping on their sides. Neither of your tanks are big enough to keep them in for more than a year or two at most and you need to keep the water in tip top condition. I do a 50% water change every weekend and i make sure there is plenty of surface movement on the water to get plenty of oxygen into the water column. They are normally the first fish to get ill if there is a problem with your water, ich can rear its head very quickly and you need to get on top straight away. however, medication for ich can have adverse effects on loaches, so make sure you read up carefully if it ever appears.

Mine eat a real mix of foods and especially like the Novo Tabs i've started to use, stuck on the side of the tank

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=87gY19B1MjA

 

[tribalbrit]

Clown loach are great fish, I have 12 from 3" to 8" the bigger ones I have had for 22 years. I feed mine on pellets, prima, flake and every thing else really.... but they love tubifex cubes.. they also relish cucumber, potatoe and tomatoes.
The bigger the shoal the happier they'll be.

 

[SharkWeek]

Clown loach are great fish, I have 12 from 3" to 8" the bigger ones I have had for 22 years. I feed mine on pellets, prima, flake and every thing else really.... but they love tubifex cubes.. they also relish cucumber, potatoe and tomatoes.
The bigger the shoal the happier they'll be.

yea ill get them a larger tank when they out grow the one they are in now, when i do they will get more friends. I got into a fight almost with the women at my LFS about feeding them cucumbers. Also thanks for not chewing me out, the ones i have now were marked as small and have plenty of room. I love loaches and clown are def in my top 3 so far, when i am able i will def get a large tank for a nice big group of the cuties

 

[Tizer]

Clown loach are great fish, I have 12 from 3" to 8" the bigger ones I have had for 22 years. I feed mine on pellets, prima, flake and every thing else really.... but they love tubifex cubes.. they also relish cucumber, potatoe and tomatoes.
The bigger the shoal the happier they'll be.

ooooh pictures please!

 

[SharkWeek]

I've got 10 of them in a 5 footer, most are 4 inches. They are very shy/skittish fish and do well in big groups, make sure they have plenty of hiding places and dont be alarmed if you see them sleeping on their sides. Neither of your tanks are big enough to keep them in for more than a year or two at most and you need to keep the water in tip top condition. I do a 50% water change every weekend and i make sure there is plenty of surface movement on the water to get plenty of oxygen into the water column. They are normally the first fish to get ill if there is a problem with your water, ich can rear its head very quickly and you need to get on top straight away. however, medication for ich can have adverse effects on loaches, so make sure you read up carefully if it ever appears.

Mine eat a real mix of foods and especially like the Novo Tabs i've started to use, stuck on the side of the tank

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=87gY19B1MjA

im thinking of bringing them back, what would you recomened i get for my 29. i want something big enough that it doesnt get beat up by the kribs

 

[Tizer]

I dont really understand, "bringing them back?" do you mean "taking" them back to the shop? Probably a good move. If your kribs are breeding, there isnt much that wont get bullied and size doesnt really register with them You need fast fish, capable of getting away quickly. But you cant fit anything of any size in your tank, so it cant be a big fish, so fast and small fish is where you need to be.

 

[Lestat999]

Hi,

Clown loaches are by far my favourite fish but they do need a lot of caring for. Keeping them in too small a tank will stunt their growth, which by the way isn't as slow as you may think. Fed on a varied diet they will get to a chunky 6" in just a couple of years and then an inch every year after. They need to be kept in groups of 5 or 6 minimum and in at least a 5' tank, when they are you will see their true behaviour. I feed mine on pellet, flake, algae tabs, bloodworm, prawns & cucumber every day, they love prawns & cucumber and they go wild for hikari sinking carnivore pellets.

 

[Tizer]

thanks for the heads up on the Carnivore Pellets, have ordered some

 

[SharkWeek]

I dont really understand, "bringing them back?" do you mean "taking" them back to the shop? Probably a good move. If your kribs are breeding, there isnt much that wont get bullied and size doesnt really register with them You need fast fish, capable of getting away quickly. But you cant fit anything of any size in your tank, so it cant be a big fish, so fast and small fish is where you need to be.

yea i took them back, i know have in the 29g two large pieces of driftwood, plenty of caves and hiding spots. A head stand, male and female Krib, 7 red ruby barbs, and 3 yoyo loaches. Also my kribs have not spawned yet, and iv had them for a few months.

 

[SharkWeek]

One of the new yoyos thinks its a barb, they are both yellow with black stripes and swim in a row, 4 barbs a yoyo then another barb all in a row swiming from one end of the tank to the other, its funny