have any info on clown loaches?

[Bubble]

I am desparate to get some clown loaches, i think they look really cool. i would appreciate it if anyone could answer these few questions for me:
what size of tank do they need?
how many is the ideal number to buy?
what kinds of fish do they get along with?
and if u have any additional useful info that would be great.
Thanks.

 

[ecotank]

Clowns are great

Not only do they look cool, but they have great personalities!

They can get up to 6 inches long, so I would think a 20-30 g tank would be the min, but I wouldn't put them in anything less than a 50g.

Always get at least two, they need companionship, but 3-6 is ideal (don't try to put 6 in a 20 though).

Our clowns get along with everyone (community fish), we also have a pair of yoyo loaches they hang out with, as well as neons, swordtails, platties, pleco, gourami and black skirt tertas.

They are great fish (they are prone to ich, so be carful and watchful) and I recomend them highly!

 

[clothahump]

Clowns can and will grow to 14" in length, this does take quite a while but it will happen.
They need company of their own species as they are a shoaling fish, I currently have 16 in a 48x24x24 and they will be fine for at least another year in there, sizes range from 2" to 9".
Feed them on a good varied meaty diet, bloodworm for the smaller ones.
My big guys have full grown pond snails at least twice a week, great fun watching them sucking the snail out of its shell.

 

[Brockway]

I've got 2 clown loaches in my 30 with a couple of kenyi cichlids. They are ~3", up from ~1" when I bought them from walmart a while ago. I originally had 4 small loaches in a 10, but ick broke out and these were the 2 survivors. Once you get past their first month, you are pretty much in the clear as they usually live for years and years and years (I've heard of some 40 years old!, although thats probably pretty rare for most loaches) barring horrible ick outbreaks (keep the temp at a stable 80 to prevent this!). For a school of ~5 clown loaches, a 55g would be good for a few years, but they will outgrow it. They are very fast and like to swim around. Keep plenty of hiding places, and the sides covered, and you'll see them alot more.

So real quick:

*Salt Bad!! Don't use it!
*Need a varied, high protein diet (blood worms and omega 1)
*Most I've seen like hikari algae wafers
*Most seem to also like zuchini and peas
*They love snails!! I intentionally raise and release them for the loaches to hunt down!
*Keep up with water changes, they are sensitive to bad water conditions
*Lots of hiding spots
*They can harass slower less aggressive fish while trying to school with them
*Clicking is a happy noise!
*In case of ick, use a half dose, or special directions if on the box

Thats most of the important stuff I can think of...

 

[420Loach]

ive got a school of 5 in my 40 gal(soon to be in my 55) ranging in size from 2-3 inches long they get along great with the other fish in my tank(angels, gourami,corys) but sometimes there are a few skirmishes in the loach pecking order, i prevent it for the most part by spreading the food over the bottom of the tank. they love shrimp pellets and algae tablets, and also eat blood and tubifex worms! they also love zucchinni, cucumber and peas( mine seemed to like the apple slice i put in there too)

they look pretty cool with tiger barbs, if you like to match colors.

Brockway, aquarium salt is one of the BETTER things to put in with your clowns if you have ich, meds will make them sick because of the heavy metals in them, so stick with salt and an 83-85 degree temperature as an ich cure.

they need a pretty good size tank (60+ eventually) and should be in a school of at least three to five, and ive seen them in community tanks to cichlid tanks and they seem to do fine in either case. good luck with the clowns*thumbsups

 

[Roop]

i only have 4. i think i'll bump that to 10 or 12 this thursday

 

[Brockway]

So salt is good when using ick meds? I always heard to stay away from salt with loaches. Thanks for the info loach, hope I never have to use it! I would like more loaches, but my 30 is already pretty much full with my 3 kenyis, the danios, my gourami, and my 2 loaches (jigsaw and fattie). My tank is seriously overfiltered (a penguin 330, an aquatech 20-40 converted to a penguin ~170, plus an auxiliary tetra 5-15), but I think another clown loach may be pushing it, especially with the kenyis in there.

 

[420Loach]

i dont use ich meds on loaches at all actually, because theyre a scaleless species. i have a quarrenteen ten gallon that i set up and all i do is put salt in the water and raise the temperature to around 83-85 degrees, its worked for me the last few times and the med i had used before costed me a few loaches so i dont really use em on my clown loaches. i dont put salt in my main tank though, i know my cories wouldnt appreciate it

ill agree with ya on hoping to not to deal with it in the first place

 

[clothahump]

Clicking is a happy noise!

Clicking is usually heard when they are setting up the heirarchy / pecking order or when skirmishes occur at feeding time.
Mine seldom click as they know who is boss.

 

[Brockway]

I'd usually hear clicking when I drop in blood worms or algae wafers, so I figured it was because they liked it.

 

[420Loach]

mine must have been setting up the heirarchy last week while i was gone, my dad said every time they got fed he heard that "clicking sound", but this week when i feed em there nice and quiet. been schooling really nice too

 

[Brockway]

Yeah, its cool when they swim around playing "tag"!