information on clown loaches?

[zao]

Hey people!
I am in the process of gettings up my 120gal aquariums. I was wanting to get a pair of clown loaches for the 120. So I was woundering how fast do clown loaches grow? I didn't know if they could live in my 37Gal until I it is ready for them to move in.

 

[draX]

Hi zao...

Glad to hear you're interested in clown loaches, I keep one and I absolutely love him. Planning on getting another to keep him company soon. In answer to your question...it depends on how much you feed them. I've heard of people that have got them to grow very quickly, but usually they are pretty slow growers. I have had one in my 24g for about 6 months, and he has only grown a few centrimetres.

Check out http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/botia_macracanthus.html for more info.

 

[BrianNY]

I keep 3 in my planted 125g. I bought them about a year ago at about 2 inches and they're currently around 4 inches so they grow very slowly (even with room).

They do like to stay in groups. They also like to have places to hide. Mine spend most of their time packed tightly together. Usually under a piece of driftwood or between the plants and back of the tank.

These are not just awesome looking fish, but excellent scavengers for a large tank. I feed alot of worms in this tank and very few if any survive to burrow into the substrate.

 

[Guest]

Clown loaches can grow to a possible ~5-6 inches. They are schooling fish and with a 120 gallon tank, i'd recommend to get 3 or so. Like brian said, they like plenty of hiding spots, and are excellent bottom feeders. I wouldnt recommend putting them in your 39 gallon tank as based in your sig it appears as if you are already well stocked on bottom feeders.
HTH
-Stewie

 

[Toirtis]

Clown loaches can grow to a possible ~5-6 inches.

That will be news to all the 12"-14" clown loaches I know....it takes time and space, but they get there.

 

[zao]

Thank you all for the postings. That information did help. The reason why I was wanting to know is that, they will be going in with my fire eel, and my black fin sharks and probably all of my bella sharks. Everyone is starting to get bigger and they are need some more swimming room. But I was wanting something else that will go in the tank too. I don't know what to really put in there. That is why I thought of a couple of clown loaches, but then again I really don't want them to become lunch for someone too. So I really don't know what to really do.

 

[RoK]

The bala's won't eat even tiny fish (at least that's what I've read), the black fin 'sharks' will eat any fish they can fit in their mouth and eels I don't know much about but I'm somewhat sure they will eat any fish that can fit in their mouth also.
Hope you know that the black fin's will need brackish or saltwater once adult. How big are they now?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The bala's won't eat even tiny fish

They will eat fry! We had mollies that popped out babies like crazy and not too far behind the mother molly was a Bala, gobbling up the fry.

 

[zao]

Oh my am not really worried about my bela sharks. They are pretty laid back, but I have seen mine take a stab at a baby gubby once before. But what I am really worried about is the black fins which are about 4 and 1/2 to 5". They ate alot of my danios for lunch, when they got big enough. Sometimes I wish I never got thouse black fins. But they are so cool at the same time. I read that they are brackish water type fish, but I also read that they will do fine in freshwater too.

 

[BrianNY]

Why not leave the black fins in the 37? Just so you know, you've got some potential monsters with the balas and fire eel. There's a member here that has a fire eel well over 2 feet long in a 240gal. PM lowcoaster and see if he can give you some specific info regarding this fantastic fish.

 

[RoK]

Brackish water for the black fins when getting older are better for their health though.

 

[zao]

ummm man I really don't know what to do now. Does anyone think two of them will be able to fit ok in a 55Gal. Cause if they really need a Brackish water setup. Then I should probably start saving up to get a different tank for them then.

Man if I knew this I would have never gotin them in the first place. But everything I really read about them is that they are a freashwater type fish and they prefer some aquarium salt. But the lfs that I "usually" go too, had a couple of them and they where in the brackish tank. At the time I did not even think about that. So now it makes more since and I really don't know what to do.

 

[Toirtis]

Black fins must be slowly changed over to heavy brackish as they mature, or they end up wasting away.

 

[RoK]

See, I'm not the only one saying it zao. Sorry to give the bad news though. I actually bought my 75 gal just for black fins, but ended up putting some of my fish from my 20 gal into it and then bought other fish to put in there. I read and read and realized they wouldn't work together. So basically I wouldn't have a 75 gal tank and so many fish if it wasn't for them lol.

 

[zao]

I belive you guys, I just really don't know what to do. I really don't have the money to buy another aquarium, and I don't know anyone that would want some black fin sharks and I am sure the lfs wont take them off my hands becasue they can be kind of mean like that. So I am pretty much at catch 22.

 

[zao]

I got another quick question, it is not about clown loach this time. But on my 120Gal I bought a canister fitler it is a Filstar Xp3. Well I bought some bio-chem stars, and it said in the on the paper that it came with that 20 stars supports up to 100Gallons. Do I need to go buy another pack of stars to just add 4 stars to make up to support a 120Gallions. Or does it not really matter, and everythiing will still be fine.