# clown loaches?



## tyger_eyes (Mar 11, 2010)

i just set up a 37 gallon tank a week ago. so far i have the following in it:
3 plattys (2:1 ratio)
3 fancy guppies (2:1 ratio)
1 clown loach
1 cory cat
i did not realize how large clown loaches get (6 inches to a foot) until i got him home and did some research. he seems to be socializing with the cory cat right not. im not sure if i need another clown loach for him to be happy or if something else would work just as good (cory cats, some type of shark, ect)
if i do have two clown loaches will upgrading to a 55 gallon be alright or would i need to go bigger. he is only 1.5 inches now.


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

To be honest, it will be a looooooooooong time before he gets too big to fit in a 55, especially if there are only two. You'll probably be fine with a 55 for quite a while, although I've heard 75 is the recommended size for clowns. Like I said, though, you have a substantial amount of time before you have to worry about them outgrowing a 55. 
And two clowns are better than one, so you're on the right track. They like to shoal and hang out together.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

don't be adding any more fish to that tank until it is cycled.


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## Kerbins (Mar 7, 2010)

I wouldn't want to keep a group of clown loaches any smaller than 5, also 75 gallon would probably be the smallest tank I would keep them in. They're a fish you buy and set up a tank just for them.


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

Man I cannot stess enough how people should do research before buying.


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

I only have 2 clown loaches in my 55 and the happily flirt with each other. :]


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## Guest (Mar 13, 2010)

what u guys forget is that in a 55, with the space available and being fed well they will grow really fast. 

tori...months no. 3 months tops and he will need to move to a much larger tank.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

You seem to be in quite a mess here, it takes clowns a long time to grow but I can be sure that he wont last long on his own. Clowns need to be in large shoals, which require a good size tank. Same for the cory's as they hate being alone, a shoal is needed or these wont live for very long I can guarantee.
However don't add anymore fish until the tank is cycled, once it is then id take the clown back to the fish store and then add another 3 or 4 cory's. 
Nat


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## aspects (Feb 1, 2009)

Zakk said:


> what u guys forget is that in a 55, with the space available and being fed well they will grow really fast.
> 
> tori...months no. 3 months tops and he will need to move to a much larger tank.



BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH :lol:

you may want to check on that info.
CL grow very slowly. and once they reach the 4-6" mark, the growth slows een more.


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## tyger_eyes (Mar 11, 2010)

thanks for the input. i had done some research but the guy at the little ma and pa store seemed to know his stuff. and when he suggested the clown loach, i was all over it because they are so pretty. if its in his best interest, once the cycles over i may take him back.
as for corys do the different colors school together? since the panda is similar in looks to the clown loach i may get a few of those.


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## Guest (Mar 13, 2010)

aspects said:


> BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH :lol:
> 
> you may want to check on that info.
> CL grow very slowly. and once they reach the 4-6" mark, the growth slows een more.


BAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA i have seen a 5 month old monster in my LFS. i saw him when he 1st got him at 1/2 inch 5months over and saw him last night at over 8inches all by himself in a 6 foot tank that he has held since he was 2 months old.


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

Zakk said:


> what u guys forget is that in a 55, with the space available and being fed well they will grow really fast.
> 
> tori...months no. 3 months tops and he will need to move to a much larger tank.


I have had a clown loach in my 55 tank (well fed) for two years and he has only grown 2 inches, MAX.

And no, hes not, by any means, stunted or anything of the sort. He is still growing and seems to be doing very well in the tank.


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## eguthrie (Mar 13, 2010)

Different individuals seem to grow at different rates. I bought 3 clown loaches in September 2007. They were all about the same size (1.5 inches) when I bought them. 

Currently, here are sizes: 3.5 inches, 4 inches, 6.5 inches. 

I sure hope they quit growing for awhile, since I have them in a tank that is too small for them (29 gallon) and I can't upgrade my tank for awhile. I have to do partial water changes every day or two.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Personally, I would take the clown back and let it live a happier life in a bigger tank somewhere. As for the cory's then yes, all varieties shoal together and its really nice to see them as a group.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

WOW!!!!!!!lots of conflicting reports here..while i am still kind of a rookie in this hobby...here are some of my experiences with clown loaches...

1.your clown loach will not die of loneliness..yes;they like to hang in groups;but if properly kept a single fish will be fine..

2.normally it takes about 5 years for them to reach 6 inches in length..in that time ,the majority of hobbyists will either be out of the hobby or have a house full of tanks..and several big ones..after the 5 years their growth slows considerably..

3.clown loaches can live well beyond 25 years...just take good care of them..


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## Guest (Mar 14, 2010)

Loha....a rookie......i'd belive that the day the pigs sprout wings and learn to fly!


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

I own 2 clowns myself. Plan is once they get to a certain size they will be traded back to my lfs for 2 really small ones again.


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## tyger_eyes (Mar 11, 2010)

thanks for all the suggestions, lots of info to go through.
i have just acquired a 55 gallon tank but haven't set it up. once i do and have it cycled, i think i will keep him in there with 2 or three other clowns. 
then we'll see how fast they grow. if its as slow as some say i will probably have a larger tank by the time they outgrow it. if its fast, i can just trade them in for smaller ones. now to figure out what to put in with them...


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i kind of have an issue with folks spending hard earned money and then throwing it away.
that is why i scratch my head over folks giving fish back to you shops..for instance..
you buy 5 small clown loaches for a total of $30 or so..you keep them in a 75 gallon tank for 6 or 7 years and they are now 8"+ in length...you give them back to the shop in exchange for 5 more little ones...within the next couple of days you will go in and see your big clowns with a price tag of at least $100 each...
when your clowns get too big;let me know..i won't rip you off so bad.

good luck to you tiger..you are going to enjoy your clowns for many years..they are my favorite fish...


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## aspects (Feb 1, 2009)

Zakk said:


> BAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA i have seen a 5 month old monster in my LFS. i saw him when he 1st got him at 1/2 inch 5months over and saw him last night at over 8inches all by himself in a 6 foot tank that he has held since he was 2 months old.



lol. that has to be the mot ridiculous false claim i have ever heard. :lol:


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