# Clown Loaches



## kerbchek (Apr 1, 2008)

I was thinking of getting some clown loaches to control the snail population in one of my 55 gallon general community tanks (gouramis, tetras...etc.) but I know they get big... and I think they're neat... so when the snails are gone and the loaches get big, can I add them to any of my large (100+ gallon) cichlid tanks?? Mostly I have Mbuna, haps/peacocks, and frontosa... I think I've heard of people putting fronts with Clown Loaches... did I remember that right?


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## gunner36 (May 10, 2008)

You should be able to, I have some clown loaches with my mbuna and they all get along nicely. Clown loaches are awesome fish, they are by far my favorite fish in the tank. I thought I lost one today, he was on the water intake, I thought oh no not my loach. However I went over there and he peeled himself off it, and started swimming around. He always sits on the rocks on the bottom of the tank, just rests there, I guess he found that he could stick himself/herself to the intake and not have to do any work at all. It cracked me up, those fish are always doing something to make me laugh, get a couple, they are awesome and should do fine with your cichlids.


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## ZachDees (Jun 28, 2008)

Yea IHave 4 baby Clownloaches lol they Are Funny TwoThey Sleep on there Side and its very Funny And then i Find them Swimming around Upsidedown Like a catfish on a wall but above by the Water Surface lol he Came Swimming upside down over two the glass lol My Loach is funny two 
They are also Awsome Fish


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## dkreef (May 23, 2008)

i have Four 4" clown loaches also in my 350gal malawi/tang community tank. they get along fine. only thing is loaches only come out and hang during daytime. when i get home in evening they are hiding somewhere. 
anyone why?


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## alicem (Jul 26, 2007)

> anyone why?


Don't know, but mine are like that too. They are about 5" and in my 90g. rainbow community.
Out during the day, cruising around, sniffin' on stuff. 
Around sundown, in the evening, they settle down and rest behind slate or in a corner along the glass sides. 
opcorn: 
If you approach the tank like you were going to feed them, they snap out of it though.
Such funny things.


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## kshafer (Dec 31, 2005)

My loaches are the opposite. I have 6 CL's in my 125 and don't see much of them during the day. They come out to play and look for food in the late afternoon or early evening.


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## kerbchek (Apr 1, 2008)

Well, I went to a fish swap at our local zoo the other day... a guy had clown loaches for sale... I got several and put in the tank... They aren't very big, but they are already attacking the snails. They are very fun to watch. I'm not exactly sure what the future of that 55 gallon tank is, but my plan is to move the clown loaches in with my Frontosa Burundi eventually... I think anyway.

I heard they get ich easily... anyone know if they're more suseptable to other type of diseases as well... I really hope they stay healthy... I'd like to keep them around for a long time.


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## kshafer (Dec 31, 2005)

I've had trouble with Ich in the winter months with small Clown Loaches. I think they probably got too cold on the trip home. I keep my tank warmer at 80 deg F than I did in the past. I think that helps too. You won't regret adding a few loaches. They are fun to watch. I wish mine were out more during the day. Right now I see only 2 of 6.


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## djjay71 (Jun 12, 2008)

This isn't for my cichlid tank, but I have a 125 with live plants and tetras. Are 5 clowns together ok in a 125?


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## kerbchek (Apr 1, 2008)

djjay71 said:


> This isn't for my cichlid tank, but I have a 125 with live plants and tetras. Are 5 clowns together ok in a 125?


Well, everything I've learned about them in the past week or so... (lol) I would say yes..., but maybe only for a while...

I have some in with tetras and gromies (sp?) in my kitchen 55 gal to get rid of the snails... and I put a few more in my living room 46 gal to get rid of those snails... eventually I want them all together - I heard they like to be in groups of 3 to 5 minimum sized groups... They're always hanging out together it seems...

Now, they get kind of big I think... there's a pet store in town here that had one about 5 or 6 inches... so I was thinking I'd put mine with my frontosa by then... I'd guess a 5 or 6 inch fish might eat some of my tetras currently with them... (lol)...

I wonder how fast clown loaches grow??


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## djjay71 (Jun 12, 2008)

Well, I do have a 6 inch black shark with 2 5 inch plecos and so far they haven't killed off too many of the tetras. (Or at least the ones they have killed were the ones introduced within week...)


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## kerbchek (Apr 1, 2008)

kerbchek said:


> I'd guess a 5 or 6 inch fish might eat some of my tetras currently with them... (lol)...


Well, as far as the 5 or 6 inch loach eating small tetras... I could be very very wrong... I really don't know (lol), I've spent too much time with my more aggressive cichlids... Putting a 5 or 6 inch fish with a 1 inch fish = feeding the 1 inch fish to the 5 or 6 inch fish... lol!


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## kshafer (Dec 31, 2005)

The more the merrier with Clown Loaches. They grow slowly. They might bully each each other a little at feeding time but that's about it.


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## dkreef (May 23, 2008)

do clown loaches eat fish detritus?


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## Alleycat (Dec 2, 2006)

dkreef said:


> do clown loaches eat fish detritus?


They eat about everything !! But not that


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