Could my clowns live in this tank?

[jaytech33]

Can my clowns live in this planted 75gal. tank? It's for sale in my area at a good price.

Thanks.

[shari2]

What size are your clowns? They'd probably love it. But in very short order their rooting around and digging and penchant for snipping of stemmed plants would wreak havoc on the beautiful aquascape.

So it's for sale in NJ? Fully set up? Or do you mean just the tank size?

[jaytech33]

I have 5 clowns. They are about 4" now. I'm in the market for a new tank to replace my 47 gal.
It's about a 2hr. drive to where the tank is. He's asking 400 OBO

This is what is included:
75 gallon glass 48" aquarium
-Black Pine Perfecto Stand -Eheim 2213 Filter (perfect condition) with Spray bar
-5 gallon Pressurized CO2 with Dual Gauge Regulator, Clippard Needle Valve, CO2 Tubing and DIY CO2 Reactor including water pump.
-120+ Lbs of Flourite and CSC for Substrate, 60/40 mix
-2-3 foot gravel vac
-Custom DIY Lighting
-Large (300w?) Eheim Ebo Jager Submersible Heater
-Large Natural Driftwood from Pre-Katrina Mississippi Basin area (in tank 3-4 Years)
-Extra box of Eheim EHFISUBSTRAT
-15-20 Male and female (tank bred personally) gold barbs
-2 Gold Albino Bristlenose plecos
-Chock full of plants

[shari2]

Nice deal!
But the loaches will trash those plants. Honest.

What does he keep (fishwise) in that tank? It looks like an Amano-style tank. Lots of plants, not too many fish.

It's a good deal. I'd be tempted to get it just because it's so beautiful, but I wouldn't make it a clown loach tank. Probably put the barbs, some shrimp, and maybe ancistrus in there and call it done.

A 48" footprint the clowns will outgrow eventually, too. I'd look for a longer one for them, or be prepared to upgrade again later.

[Rocco]

If you can get your hands on a customized tank, it would be best to get something long and wide. Depth isn't as important.

[Diana]

Great price on a beautiful set up, but ditto Shari's remarks: That beautiful a set up is not for large fish.

A note also: To move this tank will be quite disruptive. It will need to be re-done when you get it home.

A 4' long, 75 gallon is a good move for the Clowns; I have 3 @ 4" in a 72 bowfront. At the moment there is plenty of room, but I can see them growing!

Ditto Rocco's comment about footprint: my Clowns are really only using the lower half of the tank. Yes, they will swim all over, but probably 75% of the time they are playing among the driftwood and plants in the lower half.

[crazy loaches]

Mine are in a heavily planted 75G right now. The issue is a 75 is only going to last em a couple years before you should be thinking about upgrading... and well at 4" yours are already half way through that estimate IMO.

If your going to put your loaches in a new tank I'd seriously consider only having to move em once... meaning get a tank big enough for them for good, something with like a 6'x2' footprint if possible. Its a pain to keep upgrading the tank, especially if the new tank is going in the same spot as the old tank. Just something to think about.

When it comes to plants clowns are hit or miss. Most folks here have not have good luck at all mixing them. Mine so far havent been a problem other than a few holes punched into leaves. And my new tank I am setting up will be heavily planted. But its sort of an experiment just to see. I am guessing eventually the tank will end up being no plants and clowns, or plants and no clowns. But hopefully not till we move into a new house and I can setup another tank for whichever moves out.

[Rocco]

Try this; I haven't tried it and I don't know if it will work but it seems logical.

Get your loaches accustomed to eating algae flakes and other veg stuff before you introduce them into a planted tank. Might be that they're browsing on the leaves to supplement their diet and that if you provide veggies for them on a regular basis, they might not need to chow on your plants.