Clown Loach Characteristics

[Luca]

Hey, i've heard clown loaches are pretty versatile fish (i.e will go with most other species)

two questions:
-what don't they go with?

and
-someone mentioned their clowns uprooted all their plants, i really don't want to buy some if this is the case but i would like some, especialy to eat my snails. What personal experiences have you others out there had?

thanks a lot,
Luca.

 

[Somonas]

My clown loach loves my plants. I dont see how they can uproot them unless they are very large fish/very delicate plants.
Watch it however clown loaches (IME) are quite sensitive to ick.

 

[jd_energy]

I just got 2 clown loaches today and I have plants, we will see what happens

 

[RobMiller]

i have one, hes awesome, he loves everyone in my tank, even my shark! Be careful though, they are VERY sensitive to ammonia/nitrate. if you cloud up your tank or your filter inst mature and you putloaches in your tank, they'll get ich and die a painful death. when i first got my 2, one died in the first 24hrs, because i had just put gavel enahancer and i clouded up the water and he died a horible chocking death. Use Charcoal in your filter when you first get them, the charcoal seems to keep the water good until they are settled in.

 

[dana307]

Clown Loach
Temperament: Peaceful and active. Excellent for community tanks. The Clown Loach has a strange habit of schooling with other fish of similar colours such as the Tiger Barb.
Diet: Ominvore
Care: Feed with flakes, worms, or freeze dried tablets. Easy to keep.
Potential Size: 25cm (9.8")
Water Region: Bottom
Activity: Nocturnal
Breeding: Has been bred in aquariums but it is extremely difficult.
Gender: Hard to determine.
LifeSpan: 15 years
Comments: Recommended for most community tanks. Prone to White Spot. When netting the Clown Loach be careful of the movable spines underneath their eyes. Best kept in groups of two to four. Don't worry if the clown loach lies on its side, it is just their nature to do so.

 

[dana307]

I have four or five. They prefer to be in groups but need a good size tank to grow into. They hang out with my tiger barbs and seem quite peaceful. Watch water parameters. They love shrimp pellets and spiro tablets. I can hear them crunching on the spiro tabs - so loud! Fun fish to watch. Great for snail eating. Can be fragile. My tank is full of plants. I get some uprooted here and there but it's hard to say who is doing it.

 

[Avalon]

I don't know of any uncompatible fish. Maybe one that could eat them I suppose, but loaches are quite wary of their surroundings and can dart out of sight pretty darn fast!

I don't think clown loaches physically uproot plants, but they do love to dig around the base of your plants looking for food. If the plant is not grown in well, they could easily float away. This is very apparent in soft substrates like sand and soil.

 

[420Loach]

ive seen tanks with clown loaches in with extremely aggressive cichlids. i think if they can handle them, they could go with any fish, as long as they arent mouth size. they are VERY prone to ich, but the salt method works great as a cure.

i have 5, they love to school, and love to swim circles around my angels

 

[jd_energy]

I have 4 tiger barbs in with my clown loaches, it is true, they do seem to hang close to the barbs, and I think they go good together.

 

[skabba]

When i first got my clown loach I had it in a 30 litre with a layer of stones about 4cm thick holding in the plants. Every morning I used to come down and have to replants the remains of the plants!

Hes far happier now in his new aquarium. He can dig to his hearts content and wont get in trouble with me!

Hes 'clicking' away now eating some plants (they make a clicking sound when they eat), he really seems to enjoy them and likes to poke his nose around the roots. But with a deep enough substrate (mine is only about 8cm deep). I cant imagine them being that able to root up plants. Mind u, my clown loach is only about 6 cm so he might be capable of more damage when older!

 

[Luca]

so they "eat" plants? that don't sound too good!

thanks for all the feedback guys,
Luca.

 

[dana307]

they don't eat them as far as I know. They did around in the substrate and can loosen the plants unless you outsmart them with how you have the plants secured.

 

[Fatboy]

My clowns do very well with my other fish. They like digging around in the substrate a lot. They require clean water and really enjoy good hiding spots in the tank, driftwood especially. Don't worry about them digging up ur plants too much. So far they barely touched my giant hygros and they never bother with the java fern. Once I planted some new sunset hygrophilia and within a couple days the plants were floating around because they were not well rooted in yet. My clowns were not the only ones responsible for that uprooting though.

 

[Luca]

Cool - thanks for the reassurance, i have a lot of plants!

Can't wait to get 3 of 'em

thanks for all the replies guys.