jrp1588
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'll probably have to get some clowns when my cichlid tank is set up. My mom nagged me so much about getting rid of those things
Large clown loaches
- Thread starter Big C
- Start date
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Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
Our LFS here had one about 7 inches a couple months ago. It was the biggest one I've seen. 
mrcrazypants05
Aquarium Advice Freak
My friends mom has had hers about 3 years in their 75 gallon. I think they only have 2 left now and some yo yo loaches... her biggest of the 2 is about 6 inches i'd say. It's beautiful. I keep telling them im going to sneak over and steal it at night. lol
Galerius
Aquarium Advice Regular
While I've never seen a "fully grown" Clown Loach in any of our LFS, I have a bit of experience with large Clown Loaches. We have had 3. Clown Loach Number 1 grew to about 5 inches long, and lived 9 years. She (only a guess as to sex) was probably stunted from water that was too hard, as I had a well at my previous home. Clown Loach number 2 lived 8 years, and was just under 9 inches, nose to tail. Clown Loach number 3, is currently about 4 years old, and just under 8 inches long and we have just added number 4 to our tank(s).
The three things that I have found for optimal growth in Clown Loaches: weekly 25% water changes; a heavily planted tank with a cave or root for a dark place to sleep; and most importantly - snails, and lots of them (well, snail eggs, and fresh hatchlings). And the best place to get snail eggs, is of course, a plant purchased from your LFS.
The three things that I have found for optimal growth in Clown Loaches: weekly 25% water changes; a heavily planted tank with a cave or root for a dark place to sleep; and most importantly - snails, and lots of them (well, snail eggs, and fresh hatchlings). And the best place to get snail eggs, is of course, a plant purchased from your LFS.
FishFingers
Aquarium Advice Regular
LFS says he can get me 8in Clowns if I want but they will be expensive and that I would have to wait until May 2006. They said that they would more than likely not survive even in a 190G tank and usually have a viral infection that will manifest when confined and stressed. Said it would cost about €100 a fish.
They had 2 Clowns 11inch in a huge tank but they died about 4 months ago.
By far my favourite fish
They had 2 Clowns 11inch in a huge tank but they died about 4 months ago.
By far my favourite fish
jhd
Aquarium Advice Regular
I have bought 3 very small clown loaches almost 3 years ago and by now the biggest one is 4.5 inch long (more or less). It will take another at least 3 years for them to outgrow 55g. For 75 g tank add another year. I would just buy at least 3 and enjoy them. Most of the time people change fish type more often then 6-7 years. I know I would have no problem selling them back to the store, they are expensive when they are big. I saw a 6.5-7 inch one for like $80 in BigAl’s. All gone quick. People sometimes have big tanks and this is pretty fish and full of personalities.
Big C
Aquarium Advice Freak
I'd guess that in the US you can get much better prices than here. CDN$20 is a little over US$16.bosk1 said:
poppab02
Aquarium Advice FINatic
That's about right in my area for clown loaches. They are usually around $5 apiece here so...
As for what's hard to maintain with them---First they nearly always seem to have ich no matter where I buy them when I get them home or some other sort of infection. If they survive that they seem to always be the first fish to manifest any problems in my tank and if any virus shows up they always contract it no matter how soon I get a fish into a qt. They have no scales which makes salt and other medication a life threatening ordeal. Pretty much everything about them was high maintenance. that said, they were definitely worth every second of it. Gorgeous and playful and I sure miss the guys, they died when I tried to introduce another clown(he had ich which never manifested itself during a qt of nearly a month).
As for what's hard to maintain with them---First they nearly always seem to have ich no matter where I buy them when I get them home or some other sort of infection. If they survive that they seem to always be the first fish to manifest any problems in my tank and if any virus shows up they always contract it no matter how soon I get a fish into a qt. They have no scales which makes salt and other medication a life threatening ordeal. Pretty much everything about them was high maintenance. that said, they were definitely worth every second of it. Gorgeous and playful and I sure miss the guys, they died when I tried to introduce another clown(he had ich which never manifested itself during a qt of nearly a month).
fishfingers--
i wouldn't get fully grown clown loachs. IME they tend to slow down and get lethargic as they get big. start off with little ones (mine were all about an inch when i got them) and watch them grow. they are really fun to watch when they're little, and they grow fairly slowly (mine are now about 4" after a year). i have 4 out of my original 6 left (one was a suicide--he managed to jump out of the tank and one succumbed to some kind of disease--possibly ich). yes, they are very susceptible to ich--although mine have survived 2 outbreaks--the first treated with heat and salt, the second with only heat. i keep my water conditions as pristine as possible, and have had NO problems with any of my loaches.
they are well worth the effort!
i wouldn't get fully grown clown loachs. IME they tend to slow down and get lethargic as they get big. start off with little ones (mine were all about an inch when i got them) and watch them grow. they are really fun to watch when they're little, and they grow fairly slowly (mine are now about 4" after a year). i have 4 out of my original 6 left (one was a suicide--he managed to jump out of the tank and one succumbed to some kind of disease--possibly ich). yes, they are very susceptible to ich--although mine have survived 2 outbreaks--the first treated with heat and salt, the second with only heat. i keep my water conditions as pristine as possible, and have had NO problems with any of my loaches.
they are well worth the effort!
jrp1588
Aquarium Advice Addict
I never had much trouble with mine. He caught ich once but recovered very quickly. He did much better than a catfish I had in there, that poor guy got some MAJOR ich...it was terrible
FishFingers
Aquarium Advice Regular
Cat
At the moment I'm beggin to get the 190g
And when I do I will get 5 or so about 5in in size.
Long search because everytime I see a clown in LFS its always got ich.
I wish someone could learn to breed them so they might be hardier then.
But to end on a happy note its nearly thanks giving and then xmas so thats two nice presents for the tank/fish/me.
At the moment I'm beggin to get the 190g
And when I do I will get 5 or so about 5in in size.
Long search because everytime I see a clown in LFS its always got ich.
I wish someone could learn to breed them so they might be hardier then.
But to end on a happy note its nearly thanks giving and then xmas so thats two nice presents for the tank/fish/me.
