Loaches Online Forum

Hi to All,
Joined the other day after I bought 6 clown loaches. I bought a tank (240 l) about 2 months ago after not having any fish since I was a kid, approx 30 years ago (how time flies). The clowns are doing well after a minor scrape with white spot which (fingers crossed) I have successfully treated and they are really fun to watch. 2 of them have taken to resting in the vertical position in amongst some fake bamboo uprights and I get the impression that they feel really smug about the fact that they think that I can't see them, but it took some time and I finally got my head count to ensure they were still all doing their own thing, plus were O.K.
One of the quickest alliances I have ever witnessed was between the Zebra Danios and the Clowns, the Zebra's have quickly picked up on the fact that they can grab a quick cheap meal within all the sand that the Clown's kick up when they are foraging around.
Any tips would be greatly appreaciated because I have to admit that I am still a bit nervous about keeping loaches as I know they can be sensitive and it's not the money, but rather giving the Loaches plus all my inhabitants the best enviroment / life possible. My tank contains 11 Zebra Danios, 5 Thread Fins, 2 Honey Gouramis 6 Clown Loaches and if all things go well I will be adding 4 or 5 Red Stripe Barbs then 4 or 5 catfish of a smaller social species.
Finally I would like to say any response will be greatly appreciated and I would like to take this oppourtunity to wish everyone (including tank mates) well.
Cheers,

Welcome to LOL forum. I'm glad that you like clown loaches and I see that you want to keep them healthy and happy.

I think that your 240 liters (63 gallons) tank is too small for six clowns. They can reach 12 -16 inches if taken care of properly. Do have plans to upgrade your tank to six feet (182.88 centimeters) or longer? Please read this article on clown loaches.

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/cl ... cracanthus

and this website: http://www.clownloachfish.com/clown_loach_care.php

hello too....im from borneo Indonesia...and im a clown loach maniac too...
cheers....
my 30cm clown loach...
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php ... 3793070549

Hey, living in Borneo, can you fish your own loaches?

in the video is my own loaches....
its catch in the river near my house....

bookpage wrote:Welcome to LOL forum. I'm glad that you like clown loaches and I see that you want to keep them healthy and happy.

I think that your 240 liters (63 gallons) tank is too small for six clowns. They can reach 12 -16 inches if taken care of properly. Do have plans to upgrade your tank to six feet (182.88 centimeters) or longer? Please read this article on clown loaches.

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/cl ... cracanthus

and this website: http://www.clownloachfish.com/clown_loach_care.php

Thanks bookpage, It's on the itenary to upgrade as I know they can get rather large.

That loach is the biggest thing ive seen, how bigs your tank borneo24?

Hi yendor, welcome to our (and now your) forum.

This is the place for Loach keepers and I am so glad to have found it.

I have found my Clown Loaches entertaining, beautiful sociable and very sturdy. Surely the greatest aquarium fish.

My six are 17 years old and are 8" (females) and 6" (males) in my 90 gallon which measures 6' x 18" x 18".

I have seen a 12" Clown but that was in an aquarium the size of a living room and I read an account by a researcher of interviews with fishermen in Borneo who said the normal size of mature fish they catch for food is 8-10".

When my fish were young, they always caught whitespot when new fish were introduced to the aquarium, but they haven't done this in the last ten years.

i would think that Zebra Danios are much too small to keep with full size Clown Loaches but yours will be OK for their 2-year life spans, I expect.

It may be worth checking that fish you intend to keep with your Clown Loaches are happy with the 80F temperature. Many Danios and Barbs usually prefer cooler water.

I have found that smaller catfish get in the way of the faster Clown Loaches and get bumped around and larger catfish are irritated by this behaviour also, so I personally don't keep catfishes with them and have a seperate 4' tank for my little whiskered friends! I think they occupy the same niche, but each to his own.

Good luck with your fish. The pride you have when you have mastered keeping fish and have mature Clowns to show for it feels like a life achievement!

borneo24 wrote:hello too....im from borneo Indonesia...and im a clown loach maniac too...
cheers....
my 30cm clown loach...
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php ... 3793070549

Hi borneo24, great to meet somebody who has them in his local river! That's amazing. Not sure about the tank decorations though, haha !

I was inspired to add a pic of my only local loach in a new thread.

i only had simple tank....because most of my fish will be shipping soon to the buyer...im a supplier for fresh water ornamental fish endemic species from borneo......

You should keep your monster.

ClownLoachSharky wrote:You should keep your monster.

yeah...thats the bigest clown loach that i found....but its so hard to keep...its very very sensitive fish...more big more risk.....

Well, on the bright side, if you find one the same size and they are different genders, you might have success in breeding them. Also can you show pictures of where you caught him.

ClownLoachSharky wrote:Well, on the bright side, if you find one the same size and they are different genders, you might have success in breeding them. Also can you show pictures of where you caught him.

there many big size botia and different gender...but its spend high cost to take care the baby too trade size...its more cheap if we got it from the nature....every years in the month like now botia baby always caught in million pcs and never end...hehehe...
this is the picture where botia habitat in borneo...SEMBULUH LAKE central borneo