My Dream 300 Gallon Clown Loach Tank

[cameronpalte]

Hello Everyone,
This is a thread I decided to make about my 300 gallon loach tank. It'll probably take some time to get the tank started but I wanted to post everything here. Ok here is the tank I'll be getting.

It'll be a 300g marineland deep super system which is what I'll be using. It comes with a built in sump to put on the bottom of the tank. I plan on stuffing that with a lot. Here's my equipment list so far.

*6 (250w aqueon pro heater), I plan on keeping temp of around it at around 81 degrees.
*2 magnum 8 power filters to put in the sump for the tank

I want to put around 400g of sand in the bottom of the tank nice white sand. I also want to put lighting on the top and make the tank all live plants and driftwood. I may have a C02 system in the bottom of the tank to help with the plants.

Loaches will be the only thing in the tank, how many do you think it will hold? (30-50?)

Looking forward to learn everything about the tank.

I also want to get 1-3 whisper 100 pumps in the sump that also help pump air into the tank. The tank has two overflows on each side that take around 4000gph from the tank.


Thank You,
Cameron

[redshark1]

Sounds like a dream - congratulations on your vision, I hope you make it a reality.

But why should it be a deep system if you are only having loaches? Is that YOUR preference?

Anyway, good luck with the dream!

[cameronpalte]

Sounds like a dream - congratulations on your vision, I hope you make it a reality.

But why should it be a deep system if you are only having loaches? Is that YOUR preference?

Anyway, good luck with the dream!

Thanks for the support. I just would like it to be a deep system and that tank is my preference.

[larcat]

Chase that dream!

Fiancee and I have been planning a 120 gallon Clown tank for well over a year now.

Found a perfect drift wood center piece for a 120 at a trade show about 1.5 years ago and bought it, it has been sitting under our mantle since then. Pretty, and a constant reminder about our dream tank

We haven't done it yet because we know we won't be in our current apartment for all that long. After we move, we will set the tank up.

Have you thought about plants much yet? Our plan is lots of Crypts and moss, with a foreground of S. Repens. The staurogyne is a neat plant for a loach tank. Bigger than most carpeting plants, with a much deeper root system and tougher leaves. Crypts are a good choice also because of how deeply they root.

IMHO, you would want to give the plants several months to root before adding your Clowns. That way, not only do you have a mature tank but the clowns also won't uproot your plants

Here is the biggest problem:

In our case, where to find 7-9 BIG Clowns.

In your case 15+

[NancyD]

Sounds cool! My clowns were kept in low light with crypts, java fern, anubias. I tried swords but the loaches evenually ate them. They punched holes in some crypts, not often if I fed romaine or zucchini 2 or 3 times a week.

[chefkeith]

Deep water, sand, plants, CO2 system, lighting, and loaches! This tank sounds very challenging as a loach set-up. A CO2 system in a large loach tank probably won't help much because you'll probably want to have plenty of water flow and surface agitation.

My favorite plants in high water flow loach tanks are Cryptocoryne balansae. In nature, C. balansae are found in fast flowing streams. I haven't had much luck growing them in sand though. Probably not impossible, but it would have to be a deep and well fertilized sand bed.

Good luck. Let us know of your progress.

[cameronpalte]

Progress is probably going to take some time, I'm just planning everything out now:)...


however thanks for the advice on plants I've been keeping them in my mind but haven't thought too much about them yet. Great advice, I'm reading it all and it's really helping me learn.

For plants I know for certain I want to have anubais, and java fern, maybe I'll try amazon sword but give it longer to grow. I want it to be a 100% natural thank so none of those man made statues and caves for decorations just plants and driftwood for shelther.

Thanks for the great advice guys!

[chefkeith]

I use to have nothing but driftwood and plants also. The problem with having driftwood for shelter, while having lots of loaches, is that they'll compete for the best shelter spots. Those that have the best spots won't want to leave them either. They may even get stuck in the driftwood for weeks or months, until either they starve to death, or get thin enough to get themselves back out. I had one get stuck and lose half of it's caudal fin (tail) before also.

I use nothing but PVC caves for shelter now. I still keep lots of driftwood in my tanks, but I took out their favorite pieces that they hid in and might get stuck in. Another thing to keep in mind is if there are not enough shelter spots, the loaches will pack together tightly, like fish in a sardine can. So I have about 30 PVC caves of various sizes, so that they won't all try to squeeze together in the same spot.

[cameronpalte]

Chef,
Interesting post. I will still get driftwood and plants however for my driftwood I'll try to pick places that won't allow the animals to get stuck. However I think it'll work out.

[larcat]

That was actually why we bought our piece of drift wood what we knew would be YEARS before the tank was set up: It forms one large natural cave, and the rest of it is pretty without giving any cracks for them to get stuck in. We saw it before with our old clowns : /