Clown Loach advice

[sarahh]

OK, so everything i have read about the clown loach ( maybe the wrong pages i guess) says that they are strictly freshwater, but then i saw a photo of one in with cichlids...

now i had some trouble keeping them alive in fresh, but now in the salted water, they are thriving.. are we good to keep in there? i mean obviously it works for these guys, but should i wean them off it to keep their organs healthy?

anyway, pretty new to these guys (well keeping them happy anyway) gotta say, i LOVE the happy dances they do and the pets they likey and the little noises they make at dinner time

 

[mandy2936]

What size tank are they in? I don't know much about those fish, but I do know that they need a large tank. Maybe that's why they didn't do well?

 

[sarahh]

you know, i never figured out what it was, my parameters looked fine, maybe a little low in alkalinity, but who know. thankfully i know a little more about keeping fish now

i have 3 young adults about 3 inches now, and i just bought 4 from petsmart (i know, i know) and they are tiny little things.. underfed and stuff when i got them.. perked up when they saw the bloodworms

the babies are in quarantine ( 5 gallon hex) and the bigger ones are in a 45 tall.. the plan is to clear out a 75 gallon for them, but so far no one wants red zebs for christmas. which leaves me with lots of them lol.

 

[Hobnobelisk]

First problem is Clown Loaches get BIG!(Over a foot long) So a bigger tank is a must and you are looking at 75g per loach. I thought clown loaches were also strictly fresh not an expert but i have never heard of them needing brackish or salt water. Hopefully someone can double clarify but hope this helps =)

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Cichlids are freshwater too?

 

[mandy2936]

+1 for Hobnobelisk... Clown Loaches get humongous and you are going to need a way bigger tank than 75g, sorry to say. I wouldn't go around buying a bunch of Clown Loaches here and there until you are sure that you'll be able to give them a properly sized tank. They grow kinda slowly, but 5 gallons is still really small for them. While they are babies, the bare minimum I'd go is 10 gallons! Perhaps they haven't done well for you because of stress (Just a thought).

Also, +1 to Mark Hewitt... I've always kept Cichlids in freshwater... ?

Clown Loach
Cichlids, Family: Cichlidae, Angelfish, Oscars, Firemouth, Malawi, Tanganyika

I am certainly no expert! But, I have learned a bit from websites on them here and there.

 

[sarahh]

usually quarantine is a ten gallon, but the tank i had for them was used for a momma cichlid to spit her fry. It's going to be 2 more days in the 5, then transfer to a 55.

i have 7 because they are said to be better in groups. The 75 gallon should be fine for them until they get bigger, right? i was figuring when they get about 5/6 inches, i could upgrade the tank.

as for the cichlid water, i have always used cichlid salts, or a rift lake mix of salts, to keep the pH high and the alkalinity up there.
A mix of epsom salts, table salt, and baking soda. and keep limestone in the tank as a buffer

 

[mandy2936]

The 55g upgrade will be great for them while they are small. Unlike the 5g, it will give them a lot of room to grow

The 75g will also be very good for some time, but yes, a larger tank investment will be needed eventually.

Also, yes, they like to be in groups of 5+.

Sounds like you have a pretty good plan so far.. Hope everything works out!