My Clowns Love The New Fishroom

[jollysue]

I got my fish room started. All my fish love it, but the shy ones are especially happy to have more solitude to come out. I actually see my clowns now. My heart skips a beat when I see them. They are lovely creatures.

Without planning to I captured some off hand shots of them while snapping the tanks:

5 x 5"-6" clown loaches are in this 125 usg with 5 or 6 multi synos, 3 red fin lubufu compressiceps, and 4 blue Moba frontosa. All the fish in this tank are wild caught. Although I would not chose again to put clown Loches in an African Tanganyikan Rift tank.

The tank right after being moved to the new fish room:

The clowns were so happy with the refreshed tank that I caught these pics while setting up:

 

[ICEEGRL]

How big do they get? I thought they were long and skinny. Yours look kind of... not long and skinny.
I wanted some until now. They are beautiful, but My tank may not be big enough for them. What is the problem with having them in that tank? Why wouldn't you do it again?

 

[jollysue]

Clown Loaches get up to 12" although not so often in captivity, I hear. After about 4" they grow slowly. Well this is hearsay for me.

Clowns are long and narrow, but they can get plump. My dario and straita Botia do not have near the bulk that the clowns do at the same size. The clowns have a deeper body.

My clowns are doing well in the African Rift, but in reality they are a fresh water river/stream fish. They would have come from a softer water environment. The African Rifts are high in calcium. They are hard water environments. I have added coral sand and sea shells to the rift tanks. It has had no obvious effect on the Clowns, but it could conceivably shorten their long lives.

I have a 4-5" clown in the community tank that I have been unable to catch. I have stopped trying, because I am uncertain what is best for him: living a solitary life or living in a hard water tank with a tribe of his own. (He does have some smaller Botia buddies in his tank.) I suppose the answer other than selling them would be to get another 125usg!

 

[Barracuda518]

Very nice! Thats a great size tank for clowns.

Skinny clown loaches is not usually a good sign. If they dont bulk up and just get length, then they might have internal parasites that are eating all the nutriton the loach takes in. Mine are around 4-5 inches and are very fat. They would eat non-stop if I would let them.

 

[jollysue]

Thanks, Barracuda.

Yes I would love to have just a tank like it for clowns. But I am glad they at least have a tank that they can be able to grow in. I was never sure that I would be able to care for them long term, but it has worked out. If they actually get to 12" it might be a problem for five or six if I ever add the last one in the community tank.

Sorry about the blown up grainy pics, but I took the shots from accross the room.