clown loaches

[Billy Bob]

Hi,

I have had my clown loaches for two months now and they have hardly grown.  They are currently about 2inches.  I keep them in a 55g community tank and feed them flake, bloodworm, freeze dried daphnia and some vegtables like cooked peas.  I'm worried because i read they are really fast growers and mine aren't going anywhere!!  Any advice?

 

[NickM]

Botia macracanthus  (Clown loaches) aren't fast growers.  This except is taken from www.loaches.com  I would go there to learn anything about loaches:


"Once they are established, Clown Loaches live for several years in an aquarium, where they grow slowly, but seldom reach the size recorded for wild specimens (About one foot). They have not been bred in captivity; probably because they do not reach full sexual maturity."


www.loaches.com


Nick

 

[Avalon]

Yes, clown loaches are slow growers. If you want them to grow much faster, they will need a constant supply of live foods, such as snails & earthworms. If they are provided with appropriate and stable conditions, they can live well over 20 years. Don't expect to get them up to their 12" max size for at least 10 years or more. My roommate's loaches are growing at a very alarming pace...we can't figure this out....

 

[Billy Bob]

cheers! *celebratesmiley*

 

[aznpanther98]

i use to have a clown loach i did notice some growth for the 7-8 months i had it not much but noticable unfortunately it was one of some that didn't make it through the ich outbreak
:'( but i would love to get some more but the ones i see are less than an inch and the lfs sellin them for like 7 bucks each