Natural habitat "friends" for Clown Loach?

[-clown-]

Hello!

This is my first posting here and I am very hopeful to get some help from you!

In september I will start a biotope tank.
The main inhabitants will be Clown Loaches. I will try to get the environment to mimic the natural habitat that Clown Loaches live in. I think I have a pretty good idea how to create that.

I also want one to three other species (other than loaches) of fish in the tank. Here comes the problem: I really would like to create a true piece of nature, therefore I only would like to have the same kind of fish that live togheter with Clowns in the nature.

Not just any southeast asian fish, and not just any fish from Borneo or Sumatra either but in fact fish that truly live side bye side with Clown Loaches.

Can anyone help me? Which species (other than other loaches) live together with Clown Loaches?

[-clown-]

Hm....

Not even a tip on who to ask or were to look for information?

Or is my english that bad?

[Martin Thoene]

Hi -clown- and welcome to Loaches Online. Looks like everyone's busy today. You have to remember the time differences involved. Many of us are in North America, so there's a quarter of a day between us.

I can give you one place to ask that's not a million miles from you actually.

Try Antii Vourela in Finland. He's been out on expeditions and seen the fish in the wild, so might be able to give first-hand knowledge. I'm not sure if this E-mail is any good still, but you can search on his name.

vuorela.antti@kolumbus.fi Also, check out his website: http://www.kolumbus.fi/vuorela.antti/indexenglish.htm

Antii is a nice guy who can probably help you out.

By the way....Your English is excellent which seems to be the standard from Sweden

Martin.

[Undescribedspecies]

I think he likes you

*kidding*

[-clown-]

Thanx!

Forgot about the timedifference...

I will contact the finnish guy and report to the forum if I get some info!

[Martin Thoene]

I think he likes you

*kidding*

Thank you for your input angelfish83

Martin.

[angelfish83]

I think he likes you

*kidding*

Thank you for your input angelfish83

Martin.

No problem Martin.
Honestly- for the initial poster (a compliment if I may)
I've found Swedes to be among the most capable and responsible fishkeepers in the world. A good friend of mine (Hans- some of you may know him as NyNick way back on PNA) is an absolute savant in aquariums- and I remember hanging out with him and his cousin once as he set up a 20G for him (a reef tank- his cousin's first tank)

I was amazed at the way he picked up everything Hans explained to him as if keeping a fish tank were in the guy's DNA- that tank now looks as good as any of the best reef tanks I've ever seen- and its the guy's first tank!!

The swedes, dutch, germans, imo, make the nicest tanks and care the best for their fish... its gotta be something in the water (get it? something in the water? like fish? haha?)

Meanwhile, I dare say the spanish and portuguese set up some of the ugliest catastrophes under water I've ever seen *I reserve the right to trashtalk my own people

[angelfish83]

Thanx!

Forgot about the timedifference...

I will contact the finnish guy and report to the forum if I get some info!

I've always wanted to pick a body of water, go dive in it, and take a picture of my favourite spot- then go home, convert the swimming pool over and recreate it to scale with the same fish

Alas, I always come up $70 000 short...

Its really cool that you want to try to recreate the natural environment/friends these guys would have in the wild

[helen nightingale]

have a look on mongabay.com. you can find out details about your chosen fish, and about which rivers they live in. there are also lists of rivers with all the fish that inhabit that river. its an interesting site to look around.

sadly its not the same as actually going there - that must be amazing. when im rich......

[-clown-]

have a look on mongabay.com.

That is one of my favourites, but sadly it is not very userfriendly (my opinion). I never really understand how to navigate that site...

But if u say the information is there, I will try again...

[-clown-]

I think he likes you

*kidding*

Thank you for your input angelfish83

Martin.

What was all that about?????
U guys REALLY lost me there....

[-clown-]

Honestly- for the initial poster (a compliment if I may)
I've found Swedes to be among the most capable and responsible fishkeepers in the world.

*proudly nodding*

... its gotta be something in the water (get it? something in the water? like fish? haha?)

There is! Havent u heard of Ramlösa?

[-clown-]

Its really cool that you want to try to recreate the natural environment/friends these guys would have in the wild

Biotope aquariums are quite common here... it is more of a challange... and I like challanges!

Of course I will keep u updated on the project!

[helen nightingale]

Martin is a very knowledgeable and clever man, and his advice is always worth listening to.

Angelfish has several imaginary friends called undescribedspecies and others i cant remember right now. he has a habit of coming across here as quite blunt and rude, and has upset quite a few people. i am sure he doesnt mean to come across this way, but it seems he hasnt quite learnt the etiquette of web forums yet. but if you need to knnow about rocks, he may know.

im afraid it seems like you posted a decent question at around the same time as angelfish is dicsovering that people dont always warm to his ways of putting things across. mostly people post questions here and get sensible, helpful replies (even if people dont agree on the correct answer), and sometimes a bit of humour thrown in too. sorry that your post got some of the overflow from others going on at the moment. have a look at some of the posts on the off topic forum and it may make more sense to you.

i will have a look around mongafish, and see what i can find. you are right, it can be hard to get around, but worth the effort if you have plenty of time.

i hope you get on well with your biotope tank. it would be great to see some pictures of it when its all set up and stocked. let us know how you get on.

[Eyrie]

I've rooted around on mongabay in the past (have attempted a biotope myself) but don't recall there being anything with quite that level of detail.