7 inch clown loach

[bob mccoy]

can he go in a 55 gal with a couple cichlids

 

[miran3773]

they might be aggressive towards the loaches

 

[DirtyMechanic]

Can I get a pic of your loach? I got 4 smaller ones. 2.5 to 3.5 inches now...

 

[miran3773]

I have four also, they used to be incredibly shy but have started to come out more since we added a few little friends

 

[bob mccoy]

i havent got it yet but the lady wants to trade me for a couple of angel fish. its realy big so i dont no if the cichlids would bother him

 

[DirtyMechanic]

i havent got it yet but the lady wants to trade me for a couple of angel fish. its realy big so i dont no if the cichlids would bother him

i cant see something messing with a 7 inch clown loach...

 

[KingKuba]

What cichlids?

Never had a problem with loaches and cichlids together. Even the most aggressive ones.

 

[bob mccoy]

i got him hes sooo cool

 

[miran3773]

Pictures?

 

[Jason7894561230]

This is a disaster waiting to happen, cichlids are aggresive and this loach needs a 200gal tank when it gets bigger. They get massive about a foot long and a 55 is no where near big enough. Sure he is small now but in about a year he will be 10" and too big. I think you should upgrade to a 200 and put 6 in there because they are a very social fish.

 

[jetajockey]

I have to agree with Jason here, keep the long term in mind. If you plan to get him a suitable home in the future then that's one thing, but just know that these fish get huge and really should be in groups.

 

[DirtyMechanic]

Loaches grow extremely slow and only get to about 8-10inches in captivity. I have 4 in a 55 about 2 years old and they are only 2.5 - 3.5 inches.

 

[jetajockey]

I know what you mean. Lots of fish grow slowly, but a 55g is not a suitable tank size for a group of adult clown loaches, so it's hard to o.k. it with the long term in mind. All kinds of tank setups can work for all kinds of fish if it's only short term, but for fish that live a decade or two it's just a good idea to plan for the future, or at least advise according to it.

 

[chew valley]

200 gallons is a bit of an overkill 125 is enough and 4 rather than 6 would be ok

 

[DirtyMechanic]

I got together and they are snuggle and "sleep" in a little cave together just fine. School follow and dance together all the time. Even go solo out and search around. I would like one more of roughly the same size. But it's hard to find them that large. Let alone find them at all.

 

[Jason7894561230]

200gal is what they would need for them to be happy, they like to explore and play around with their friends. These fish are extremely sociable and love eachothers company. Trust me if you want them to thrive the larger the better

 

[chew valley]

Fair enough. I have never kept them so am no expert.

 

[jetajockey]

I could see a group of 4-5 in my 125 but they'd be the centerpiece, and honestly I'd still like to go bigger for their sake. I actually really like clown loaches and seriously considered getting a group of them but opted not to because I never plan to have a much larger tank than the 125.

I've seen some on display that literally look like professional size footballs rummaging around on the bottom.

Good writeup with pictures here. http://www.loaches.com/species-index/clown-loach-chromobotia-macracanthus

 

[bob mccoy]

ok good advice ill do that ty jason

 

[Jason7894561230]

No worries! trust me if you get a large tank with a group of them you will not be disappointed!