# Loaches in a Malawi Tank



## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

I've seen lots of pictures of Malawi tanks with clown loaches in them. Do any of you have other types of loaches in with your fish? I've never had a large enough tank for clowns, but I have some yoyos in my 45 with some juvenile peacocks.

I'm going to set up a 125 in a few weeks, and I was wondering whether or not I should have loaches, and if so, which kind to have. The two yoyos i have in my 45 are so active, that I'm tempted to add 3 or 4 more when i move to the 125 just to see how they school and chase each other.

Do clowns have a similar temperament? I know they get much bigger, but I figure I'd have several years before I'd have them outgrowing the tank.

What do you all think? Loaches or no? Clowns or yoyos?


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

As an aside, I also like the loaches because they do a fantastic job of ferreting food out of all of the tiny nooks and crevices in the rocks and sand. Do others keep them as the cleanup crew as well?


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

never kept them but as u said *** seen them in many tanks....and yes keeping more loaches schooled together is way better than have 1 or 2...as far as clowns yes they grow slow and big....id say if u plan on keeping them then just make sure ull have a place for them to go when they outgrow ure tank.....or just stick with the yoyos since u already own some...probably know more about them and u think theyre atractive.


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## chris777 (Jun 27, 2008)

I have 1 clown loach and 2 yoyo botia loachs in my all male Mbuna display and they have been in there about a year ruffly.

I think it just comes down to which you would perfer to have



> ....id say if u plan on keeping them then just make sure ull have a place for them to go when they outgrow ure tank


If he buys smaller ones i doubt he will have to worry about that for a quite a long time.


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

Since I've never kept clowns, I was just curious if anyone had any thoughts on how active, entertaining they are.

Yoyos are almost always chasing one another around the tank or digging in the substrate for food. They're pretty entertaining and always on the move. I was just curious if clowns had similar characteristics.


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## kfisher (May 30, 2009)

I would go the at least 3 or 4 yo yo loaches 5 or six would be better, they are even more active if there is a bunch of them. I have 2 in my 60 gallon and love em.


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## Bweb (Mar 31, 2009)

I'll probably get flamed for this but I have five clowns in my 125gal. they do a great job cleaning up. and are very active in my tank so far the Mbuna do not beat on them besides your average chase.

I will say this thou Clown Loaches in the wild live in very differant water conditions much lower PH.
and softer water I also asked the same question as you before adding them to my tank They also grow to a very large size but it takes a long time an inch a year is what I've read.

My Mbuna are all 2.5" and under so I can't tell you how they fair with larger African's My biggest clown is 4" the rest are 2.5" they also have barbs on the side of their mouths for defense so I guess their not totally helpless in the tank.

My well water is very hard so my Clowns have acclimated to it and I had them in a smaller tank Previously and did not want to part with them plus I like the way they look compaired to the synodonis.

You should acclimate them slowly before putting them in a tank with a high PH.

At time they almost steal the lime light from the African's with their antics.


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

So I'm pretty sure I'm going to have some kind of loaches in there. The only question now is which kind. Have any of you kept both yoyos and clowns? Does anyone have a preference?

I think clowns are more appealing looks wise, but I love the size and energy of yoyo loaches. (I've never kept any clown loaches)


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## kodyboy (Dec 9, 2007)

I think clown loaches do well in a six foot tank in groups of six or more. I would not keep them in smaller tanks in smaller numbers.


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## Bweb (Mar 31, 2009)

Never had yoyo's so I,m not sure how they would work the clowns are very active in my tank they all pal around together they like to be in groups of 5 or 6 the only thing is they can get very large I've seen one profile on them that said they can reach 18" another said 12" that is probably 
more likely in the wild still they get fairly big in tanks so the yoyo's would probably work better again I'm not sure how they would hold up with full grown Africans probably best to get all the fish when their young and let them grow up together.


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## PitBully (Apr 14, 2009)

Do Mbunas accept Clown Loaches in their tank? Do they get along well??

Thanks in advance


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

There are members that have done many types of loaches with Malawi but I decided not to...even with my Calvus from Lake Tanganyika.

While I understand fish can adapt, I prefer to try as much as possible to keep them in ideal conditions for them. And I stock the tank so it will work when they mature, not with a plan to remove them when their job is done or when they become too large.

For clowns the ideal is a group of 6 in a 72" tank or longer with pH <= 7.0. That's not what I have in my Malawi tanks, so no clowns for me.

At the time I was considering loaches, yo yo and tiger sounded good, but I was looking at a 36" tank. Bad fit.

I did find a loach small enough that I could keep the requisite group of six in the 36" tank, the sidthimunki and ideal pH was max 7.5. And tankmates would be the calm, almost timid Calvus. Alas, both members of www.loaches.com and mods on this forum who keep both fish advised against it due to the Calvus being too aggressive for the sids. I really wanted those sids, LOL.


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## Stevozoid (Jun 7, 2009)

I have 5 clowns and 5 yo yo loaches in with my africans aswell as 2 common BN, 1 flying fox, 1 pictus and 4 cuckoos. They have been in my tank for over a year and so far i have not had a problem with any of them. The africans started off small being not much bigger than 2.5inch compared to the pictus who was the biggest of all. I like experimenting with my fish and before anyone disagrees with the fix i have, if i do notice any aggression or stress issues i have and will return my fish to my lfs or put them in my other tank. If your looking to keep clowns or yoyo's give it a chance if you have enough rocks and feed your africans enough they generally keep to themselves. Goodluck and keep us posted on the outcome


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

Someone that has kept both, that's what I'm looking for!

So are clown loaches as entertaining as the yoyos are? I have two yoyos in my 45 and they're constantly playing cat and mouse games, "dancing" with each other, and zipping around. They've got the personality of a group of small dogs. Do the clown loaches do that too?


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## tithe2008 (Jun 13, 2009)

I just got my first setup finished yesterday but I talked to an employee at the store when i got the fish and he reccomended either yoyos clown loaches, a skunk loach, and chinese algea eaters, I got the skunk loach and he claimed a spot in the tank that he chases the cichlids from when they get too close..... I dont know if this helps you at all but he is not being bullied or anything yet.


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## Stevozoid (Jun 7, 2009)

i find both to be very active but make sure you give them enough room aswell as keeping them in a small group. I enjoy the two different types of colors they have. I honestly dont see a problem with keeping them with mbuna altho the fish i keep with my loaches arent very aggressive aswell as water parameters although fish can and do acclimatize. Goodluck and im sure if everyone goes alright you will be very happy with the outcome


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## chris777 (Jun 27, 2008)

MHenrichs48 said:


> Someone that has kept both, that's what I'm looking for!
> 
> So are clown loaches as entertaining as the yoyos are? I have two yoyos in my 45 and they're constantly playing cat and mouse games, "dancing" with each other, and zipping around. They've got the personality of a group of small dogs. Do the clown loaches do that too?


The yoyo's seem to interact more with each other then clown loachs do from what i've seen with mine if thats what you are asking.


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

Yes, that's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the response. I think I'll just add a few more yoyo loaches to the two I already have. Thanks for all of the recommendations!


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## TedL (Feb 1, 2009)

Any thoughts on zebra loaches w/ Cichlids? Same thoughts as about the clown loach?


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