Clown Loaches: What EVERYONE should read

[sinibotia]

I see so many people with small tanks and clown loaches, african cichlids and clown loaches, just a general lack of care for these awesome fish that, like every other fish, deserve a good home catered to their needs. They are NOT just "cleanup crew"; in fact, loaches are pretty bad at "cleaning up" anything other than snails.

I want to share these links that I believe best illustrate the kind of care these fish need, and I hope that people will read and consider this before they purchase these awesome fish.

An introduction to keeping "botia" loaches
The best article on clown loach care on the internet
Adult to Juvenile clown loach size comparison
A fantastic loach-centric setup
Why clown loaches should not be kept with malawi cichlids

 

[fishliker]

I see so many people with small tanks and clown loaches, african cichlids and clown loaches, just a general lack of care for these awesome fish that, like every other fish, deserve a good home catered to their needs. They are NOT just "cleanup crew"; in fact, loaches are pretty bad at "cleaning up" anything other than snails.

I want to share these links that I believe best illustrate the kind of care these fish need, and I hope that people will read and consider this before they purchase these awesome fish.

An introduction to keeping "botia" loaches
The best article on clown loach care on the internet
Adult to Juvenile clown loach size comparison
A fantastic loach-centric setup
Why clown loaches should not be kept with malawi cichlids

Thank you for your post. The articles are really good.


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

 

[sinibotia]

Thank you for your post. The articles are really good.


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

You're welcome That entire site is excellent if you have interest in keeping loaches. They're my favorite group of aquarium fish, and it hurts me to see how often clown loaches in particular get really awful care.

 

[fishliker]

Well... If I could pick your brain... I might be interested in having loaches some day. I'll tell you my set-up and maybe you could tell me if there are any you think I could have. Actually right now I have 3 kuhli loaches, started out with 6 a year or so one died I honk of an injury when I was cleaning tank and the lost 2 others when I had Ich a few months ago. SO, my tank apparently must not agree with them because even when I had 6, they never came out I never saw them. I know that is their way, but apparently many people see theirs at times. So here is my tank situation: 55 gallon, moderately planted, 3 pieces of driftwood, sand bottom. I have congo tetras and pearl gourami and some other tetras. About 20 fish. Amm, 0. PH 7.4. I have not kept the school of kuhlis up because they don't seem to thrive in my tank. I have researched and wondered about dwarf chain loaches? Oh another thing, my pearl gourami are a little intimidated by the fast swimming congo tetras, I wonder if a school of active loaches would bother them? Thanks for any advice.


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[emilygupps]

I adore clown loaches. Seriously. Love them. This is why I don't have them. I think even my 180 isn't big enough for six of them. I love to watch them play at the pet store as babies, but I can't bring myself to own a group. I wish there were more loaches that stayed fairly small.

Currently I have khulis in my 180 and they're fun! They are a great indicator of water quality. They always come out to play after a water change but as the nitrates start to creep to 40ppm they start to hide.


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[sinibotia]

Well... If I could pick your brain... I might be interested in having loaches some day. I'll tell you my set-up and maybe you could tell me if there are any you think I could have. Actually right now I have 3 kuhli loaches, started out with 6 a year or so one died I honk of an injury when I was cleaning tank and the lost 2 others when I had Ich a few months ago. SO, my tank apparently must not agree with them because even when I had 6, they never came out I never saw them. I know that is their way, but apparently many people see theirs at times. So here is my tank situation: 55 gallon, moderately planted, 3 pieces of driftwood, sand bottom. I have congo tetras and pearl gourami and some other tetras. About 20 fish. Amm, 0. PH 7.4. I have not kept the school of kuhlis up because they don't seem to thrive in my tank. I have researched and wondered about dwarf chain loaches? Oh another thing, my pearl gourami are a little intimidated by the fast swimming congo tetras, I wonder if a school of active loaches would bother them? Thanks for any advice.


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

I think it would help if you add even more decorations. In particular, my khulis like the matt of plastic "grass" in my 150 gallon, and in my fiances and my 29 gallon they love all the rocks. Anythere that gives them places they can squeeze through that most other fish can't follow gets them to come out much more. they also tend to come out more at night.

Dwarf chain loaches are absolutely wonderful if you can find them! They definitely tend to stay up off the bottom more than other loaches, but they also still stay in the lower half of the tank for the most part so they shouldn't bother your gourami.

Unfortunately, all loaches, including kuhlis and dwarfs, are suceptible to both ich and ich medication so you'll have to keep a close eye on them for it and treat carefully, preferably with heat but half doses of methyl blue or malachite green also have worked for me.

Also, check your stocking on aqadvisor and make sure you have room for at least 5 of whatever loach you add.

 

[sinibotia]

I adore clown loaches. Seriously. Love them. This is why I don't have them. I think even my 180 isn't big enough for six of them. I love to watch them play at the pet store as babies, but I can't bring myself to own a group. I wish there were more loaches that stayed fairly small.

Currently I have khulis in my 180 and they're fun! They are a great indicator of water quality. They always come out to play after a water change but as the nitrates start to creep to 40ppm they start to hide.


Sent from my iPhone

A 180 gallon is surely big enough for clown loaches! You could also look at angelicus loaches which have beautiful marikings, are very peaceful and stay much smaller (5 inches or so). And at the very smallest end of the spectrum there are the dwarf chain loaches which get no more than 2 inches!

 

[beeritself]

Sorry to bring an old thread to the top, but I wanted to subscribe and hoped to see some pics of older loaches. My LFS has a few in the 5-7 year old range, I didn't manage to get a picture. I will next time.

 

[ImACoolguy]

Why was I subscribed to this thread? Who knows.. Maybe one day I'll get a huge tank for some of these guys. They are just full of personality


Caleb

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[threnjen]

I would love clown loaches, but I'll never have a big enough tank! They are so fun, playful and beautiful.

I settle for my dwarf chain loaches, which are fun and incredibly cute!

 

[sinibotia]

Clown loaches are what saved me in this hobby. I was 10 years old and on the verge of quitting the hobby (due to tons of bad LFS advice) when i won a coupon for a free fish at petco. Got two clown loaches, fell in love with them and went back for a yoyo loach too (fell in love with him too). That got me sucked into the deep end of the hobby, where I realized that my tank was way too small (26 gallons). Got perfect grades and pestered my parents until they got me a 55 gallon growout tank and a 150 gallon tank for the long haul. I set up the 55 gallon as an awesome river tank and ended up with 6 clown loaches (including those original 2) 5 yoyos (including the original one) and like 15 other loaches- histronica, sidthimunki and kubotai.

Unfortunately, none of those fish would make it to the 150. A swift, poorly-timed and med-resistant storm of ich wiped out everything, from healthy to dead in a week despite treatment. My grandparents were in town and my sister had the flu so we couldn't put enough effort into treating the tank. I bawled when those fish died, especially those two original clown loaches.

That 150 eventually got set up, but no loaches lasted in it because my parents don't do any maintenance whatsoever. My fiance and I have a dream/goal of someday setting up a massive 200 gallon for big schools of angelfish and clown loaches. I'm gonna get like 15 of them. For now I'm just thrilled to be getting some Angelicus for the 55 we're getting as a wedding gift.

Beeritself, some of those links in the original post have pictures of massive, ancient clown loaches. In fact it's the best site on the internet if you want to be a great loach keeper. It's where I researched everything, and all of my knowledge of the loaches I haven't personally kept comes from hours browsing through their species profiles.

Edit:

I would love clown loaches, but I'll never have a big enough tank! They are so fun, playful and beautiful.

I settle for my dwarf chain loaches, which are fun and incredibly cute!

Oh my goodness I love sidthimunkis!!! I haven't had them since that 55; I had a bunch of them, but they were wiped out with everything else. So adorable; all the fun of the bigger loaches in a tiny adorable package. I was so happy when they found an extant wild population (up until quite recently they were thought extinct in the wild)

 

[coralbandit]

Clown loaches are one of my favorites.
Their antics are never ending and their behavior is matched by few others.
I love to watch them sleep in the middle of the tank(swaying the flow).
You wouldn't believe how many can fit into the tighest spot you wouldn't think even 1 would fit!
As my time in the hobby grows I hear a lot about how big they get(too big for most) and have always thought many missed out due to this.
They CAN get very large!
But mine(all over 10 years old have never been in less then a 135 g and have spent the last 8 in my 180.
Sometimes I think it is too small but they really don't seem to mind as they shoot all over the place.
None of mine are over 6-8 long,and I really don't think they are stunted,just not the monters everyone else(who probably don't have any) say.They can get large but all fish are different so to assume every fish will reach max size is SAFE it just may not be accurate.
I have 11 in my 180 and they shake it up when they want to .
They are my oldest fish, and I just can't bring myself to part with them now.
I would not ever want them split up as they are family!

 

[Delapool]

My lfs loves clown loaches. I've looked at them but happy with yo yo loaches for the 150gal. For me the size works better as I like smaller, more numerous schools.

Buuut, I've never seen a fish so dead looking in the morning. Lolling on their sides and looking like black coffee is needed straight up. Frankly it wouldn't surprise me if they snuck out each night to return at dawn.

 

[sinibotia]

I'm bumping this thread because frankly I still see too many people, including threads on here, with clown loaches in tanks too small. These are truly incredible animals and we do them a massive disservice by keeping them in too small groups and too small tanks! For the love of loaches, please don't get them unless you can give them a proper home!

 

[coralbandit]

I do think it is important to house these fish(all fish) correctly but also think too many miss out.
They will never stop selling them so it is up to the keeper to do the best they can.
Do I think my 180 is big enough?
Don't be silly!
Do I think it is good enough?
10-15 years of these guys makes me say yes!
hers a FTS from a couple years ago when the tank was "a little more crowded";

And a couple more recent shots;

 

[Delapool]

Nice!

Do they slow down as they get older or anything? Yours look pretty sleek.

 

[coralbandit]

Nice!

Do they slow down as they get older or anything? Yours look pretty sleek.

Dela!
I think they and I have both slowed some.
But unfortunately me more then them!
They tare it up when they want(it is their tank!)
They seem to have "seasonal rituals" that they did not exhibit when younger.
Could be breeding/prebreeding behavior,but I doubt I will ever know?
If you don't know about loaches these guys are still faster then the roseline sharks!
They are an active fish possibly more so then many other fish when they want to be.
They also crash and sleep for extended"naps" right in the middle of the tank
at any time they choose!(seemingly lazy or even dead swaying in the current!)
I do get the proper size thing but think in all reality that the difference of 6 foot long compared to 4 foot long is NOT REALLY MUCH when you think of what nature offers.
We don't compare!
We offer glass boxes.
Sometimes it hurts to think this way, but it is true.Keeping animals in cages for their whole life is an ethical/moral question we all ponder I hope?
I think proper grouping for these social creatures is more important then tank size(sorry!).
It is easy to say all the above having had at least one 6 foot aquarium @135g + for the last 25 years.

 

[sinibotia]

I think proper grouping for these social creatures is more important then tank size(sorry!).
It is easy to say all the above having had at least one 6 foot aquarium @135g + for the last 25 years.

I 100% agree about their social requirements being more important, although I also think at least a 6 foot tank is still a requirement They are such beautiful fish. What you describe verymuch fits what I have read about loach pre-spawning behavior in the rare isolated cases of them spawning in captivity.

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