Clown Loach Prob

[Saint]

I just got a clown loach. He is just a little bit too small to swim with my 2 oscars. They chased him around all day. Lucky for me I have a 5 gallon, cycled tank going and I put him in there alone to grow a little bit. How long do you think I can keep him in here until he has to get put back in the 100 gallon?

 

[NTidd]

You shouldn't have a clown loach all by himself rather it's with those oscars, or by itself in the small tank. If you get a few more clown loaches and put them in the big tank, then that should eventually solve the problem. The fish loach won't get stressed so much that way.

 

[Saint]

I didnt think it was a god idea to put 3 loaches that can grow 12 inches in a tank. You think I can get away with it? That is an expensive meal forthe Oscars (who are only about 5-6 inches).

 

[Vyache]

My advice would be to take the clown loach back to the store. They will grow larger, but much more slowly than the oscars will grow. There is a guy that owns a lfs that has 7 inch clown loaches but they took six years to get that big. A clown loach alone in a 5 gallon tank probably won't grow at all. It would be too depressed. Clown loaches need lots of hiding places, and with aggressive fish like oscars lurking, you probably won't see him anymore anyway. Actually my opinion is get rid of the oscars and keep the clown loach. Hes a much cooler fish.

 

[Saint]

No way am I getting rid of the Oscars! The loaches can hit the road in my opinion! I have heard from many people that they would be fine. I am gonna take my chances and see. If not, they were an expensive meal! (I say they because I got another one today so it won't be too lonely.) I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Fatboy]

Well from what I have read in the past, Oscars will eat anything that can fit in their mouth so I am assuming that if their mouth isn't big enough yet it will be in the future so beware. I would have to agree with Vyache about bringing the 2 loaches u bought back to the store. Chances are they will end up Oscar food sooner or later. It really isn't being fair to the loaches because they aren't the type of aggressive fish like the Oscar is. If you aren't going to return them, then at the very least give them a fighting chance by giving them lots of hiding places in the 100g or better yet, give them their own tank which is bigger than a 5g. My gf's betta lives in a 5g, but if I was a clown loach in a 5g, I would be very unhappy IMO. My clowns are in a 33g and I consider that to be the bare minimum.

 

[Saint]

They have a chance in the big tank. I cant see a full size oscar eating an 11" clown. We'll see if they can make it. I will take them out and bring them back before they get eaten.

 

[nonamethefish]

It won't work out..and secondly..3 oscars is pusinh the bilimits in a 100 gallon tank...lemme see....one oscar should have anywhere from 60-70 gallons of tank space(not that more would do any harm).....clwons grow slowly too.

I would suggest keeping only one oscar(the nearest dearest biggest smallest cutest prettiest whtever ) oscar. Return the other to, and hten you may add your small clown loaches and a MAZE of driftwood and rocks for them to escape into.

I don't know to much about aquascaping...so how to keep the piles up, I will leave this to someone else.

 

[confusedfishy]

How big are your loaches? I'm glad you got another one because they are very social and love to play together. I've never kept oscars, but I do have 1m, 2f green terrors in the tank with 3 clown loaches. The terrors pay no attention to them what so ever. The terrors are suppose to be highly aggressive fish, but so far, mine aren't. I think certain species of fish get "bad raps", but each fish has different personalitys. They are more agressive towards each other than the loaches. This may not apply to oscars, no experience there.
Just my opinion.

 

[Saint]

I only have 2 Oscars, not 3. They will be just fine in that tank. The loaches are about 3 1/2" and are doing fine in the big tank with the Oscars. My friend has 5 Oscars in a 90 gallon and has had them for years in there and they are fine. My filtration system is great, so 2 will do.

 

[Franky099]

Just hope one oscar doesnt turn on the other......I speak from experience. I agree with you that two oscars (if they like each other) will be ok in a 100 gallon.....its not ideal, but ok. I would tell your friend with 5 oscars in a 90 gallon to seriously get another tank and seperate them.

Amy

 

[Saint]

They have been in there a long time and are fine.

 

[Vyache]

My friend had two oscars together sucessfully for quite awhile but then one turned on the other and tore its eyeballs out. I've never really like oscar because of bad experiences with other peoples oscars. The eyeball thing with one and another experience was at this ladys house that did cooking for 4H. She had an oscar tank and it smelled like death. Just a personal thing I guess. I actually kept and oscar for a while but he grew too big and I decided to trade it in for smaller fish. On the upside I actually sold it back to a store at quite a profit. (Ok, like six bucks more than I bought it for but thats the most I've ever made on a fish)