# Hey new to fish forums clown loachs and african cichlids



## AL-PAYSOs (Sep 24, 2010)

Just wanted to know if clown loachs can go with african cichlids ???Such as yellow labs frontosa's and green spotted puffers ?????:fish::fish::fish:


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

puffers aren't cichlids. I wouldn't do it. How big a tank?


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## Peeps (May 24, 2010)

A green spotted puffer will not work. they are very nippy. Plus they are brackish/salt water fish. I personally would not add clown loaches with africans, africans need a high ph and different water requirements.


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## AL-PAYSOs (Sep 24, 2010)

I have a puffer with my africans already They seem to get along well,I also have a high ph from all the coral i have in my tank 
I have a 72 bow front 
3 yellow lab's
4 blue's 
2 frontosa's
1 puffer
I wanna add some clown loaches


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## AL-PAYSOs (Sep 24, 2010)

I have pictures in profile check it out


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## kay-bee (Dec 6, 2006)

I've kept a group of six clown loaches with my mbuna's in a 125gal for over 3 years with zero issues. This combination is definately not recommended by clown loach purists (citing different pH and dietary requirements).

With that said, you already have an unconventional combination of fish which needs addressing before clown loaches are even considered. I would actually recommend reconfiguring your stock for the following reasons:

1. The green spotted puffer (GSP) will eventually require brackish water (salinity 1.012-1.015 specfic gravity (SG) for its long term success; they will also thrive in full saltwater conditions as well (1.020-1.026 SG). This factor alone means that this fish should be relocated to another tank, preferably a solitary 29gal brackish tank. They also ramp up in aggression the larger they get (and they will reach upwards of 6"), so the peaceful nature that your GSP is currently exibiting is not indicative of how it will behave in the future.

2. Your tank (from what I've seen in your album) is ideally suited for mbuna's. I would suggest converting your tank to a mbuna set up and adding more mbuna's. What types of foods do you feed your puffer? The foods that your GSP will thrive on (various crustaceans and (preferably shelled) mollusks, etc), runs full counter typical mbuna dietary requirements. A diet of clams, prawn, shelled shrimp, snails, squid, etc, if consumed by the mbuna's, can lead to the often fatal 'malawi bloat'. Most mbuna's are primarily herbivores, while the GSP will thrive on a carnivore-diet. As they mature the mbuna's will become the most aggressive fish in the tank.

3. The frontosa's will actually require a much larger tank. I wouldn't recommend keeping them in tank that wasn't at least 6ft in length. These fish can easily attain and potentially surpass 1ft in length. They also do best in larger colonies comprised of at least 6 frontosa's. When kept in low numbers or with non-frontosa's, they can become really shy. Frontosa's may also appreciate rocks that are smooth because they can be skittish and may swim full-tilt into rocks when startled and rocks with rough surfaces or sharp edges can inflict damage. Temperament-wise they're not compatible with mbuna's; fronts can be stressed by fast swimming aggressive fish (which mbunas are). Like the puffer, they're primarily carnivorous (in nature frontosas are nocturnal piscovores), and have diets significantly different that the mbuna's. 

With the puffer and frontosa's moved to different tanks, clown loaches may work, but just be aware that it would still be an unconvential set up rather than one ideal for the clowns.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

blues? blue labs? blue zebras? Labidochromis caereleus is one of the more carnivorous of the Malawian, eating more snails and less algae and is less bloat-prone. But Zebras do have the long, convoluted digestive tract that makes them bloat prone. Purists would separate the front out, too. Fronts are slow growing and i have often seen small ones in with Malawians for a while. I have to agree with the above poster that its not a good long-term combination. A 70 gives you some time, but the bigger fish get, the less likely unconventional combinations are to work. I think 6 clown loaches could outgrow a 70 by themselves as they get 16 inches, and they like big groups and prefer soft acid water to the hard, alkaline water preferred by the Malawians. But they are also slow-growing. 

So again, i wouldn't do it. But i won't predict imminent disaster either, it could be ok for a while.


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