My lone clown loach

[KeenieKonie]

Hello experts. I am a novice fishkeeper with a single clown loach, who is 1.5 years old, two platies, who were born in our tank December 2005, and two suckers (forgive me, I cannot recall their proper name). Today, we purchased 3 cardinal tetras and two zebra loaches. Their home is a 21-gallon tank.

My first question pertains to the clown loach. He was sold to me to combat snails over a year ago. I have been meaning to get another loach to be his companion, but just haven't done so and he is doing very well on hos own. Now I am not sure whether I should get him a companion or whether I should leave well enough alone! At the time that I purchased him, I was unaware of the size of adult clown loaches. I am not presently prepared to upsize our aquarium, so 21 gallons is it for now.

We have two decorations that provide hiding spots for the loaches. We are struggling with plants - - when we left the lights on 12-13 hours per day, they were thriving, but so was the algae. Now we have the lights on only 6 hrs per day, so the algae is better controlled, but the plants are slowly dying. Does anybody have any suggestions regarding a second clown loach? What about the plant scenario??

[Emma Turner]

Hi KeenieKonie and welcome to Loaches Online.

I'm sorry to hear that the aquatics store gave you such bad advice and sold you a single clown loach, and that they sold you it for a 21 gallon tank - that's just terrible.

I'm afraid that if you have the best interests of the fish at heart, and if you can't upgrade to a larger tank, your only option is to re-home him. Do you have any fishkeeping friends with larger tanks (and more clowns) who could take him? If not, is there a more reputable store that you could take him to in exchange for credit? (I suggest another store as the original one obviously didn't know what they were talking about).

Keeping clown loaches in a tank of only 21 gallons is likely to stunt the fish - they really do need a lot of space and lots of current if they are to thrive. This is in addition to needing many of their own kind.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Emma

[shari2]

Hi KeenieKonie and welcome to LOL.

As you've already found out, clowns get LARGE given the right conditions, good care and time. 21g won't do for too much longer. They do like company, too, but in a 21 I wouldn't recommend it.

I can't really tell you what to do, other than read up on loaches and decide for yourself what will be best for you and your tank.

As for the plants, what kind of plants are they?

[KeenieKonie]

Hi there and thanks to Emma and Shari2 for your replies! I think you told me exactly what I was afraid to hear. My 6-year-old son's heart will be broken if I tell him that we have to give up our (his) clown (A.K.A. "Loachie"). I am currently on maternity leave and when I go back to work, I will look around for somebody who might be able to offer him (the fish, not my son!!) a more suitable home and perhaps allow us some visitation rights!

Now, some new questions . . . .

Since we added the zebras and cardinal tetras last week (on Monday), Loachie's behaviour has changed significantly. I have been very worried about him for the last two days. On the first day, he dominated at feeding time, so I was worried that the others might not fare well, but I see now that the new fish are doing just fine. Loachie seems to be sharing his favourite hiding spot with the zebras, who are back and forth between the "house" and the "clam." I was surprised by this, and initially delighted, although now I wonder if this is a good thing. Moreover, he has always been very active during the day, and for the last two days, every time I went into the room, he was hiding in the back of the clam. I actually had my husband lift the clam up today because I feared that he had died in there. He's still alive and doesn't look any different than usual, but it is very out of character for him to hide so much. Does he just not like his new friends or do you think the water changes have been a problem for him? I'm admittedly not a regular tester - periodically, I take water into the shop to have them test it for me - I was planning to do this next week to see if the tank had cycled since adding the new fish. Might it be something else altogether?

With respect to our plants, I think what we have left are bunches of Vallisneria americana (Corkscrew). We started out with a few broad leaf plants as well, but we have lost them all over the past year. The Vallisneria americana has done fairly well and at one point was actually sprouting a lot of new leaves; however, since we decreased the number of hours of light, we are down to three little bundles. I would like to add some more plants as hiding spots for the loaches (and to liven up the tank again), but I don't want to be fighting a losing battle with algae. I would like to go back to intermittent lighting, so that the lights are on when we get up in the morning and again when we return home in the afternoon/evening. I'm not sure what intervals are best for the fish. I used to have the timer set to have lights on from 0630-0800 and again from 1600-1900. Should I simply choose some plants that require less light? They have to be easy to maintain . . . .

[newshound]

loaches hide alot and more so when they mature.
Search the internet for low light plants.
Tons of info on them.

[Beowulf]

If you are looking for a home for him I am more then willing to give you a hand. I am from Montreal but currently live in Ottawa as I work for the federal government. I go back to Montreal once a month or so to visit family and friends and the next time will be next weekend 23-24-25 of February. I will be in the West Island. I am currious as to wish store in Montreal told you to get a single clown. Have you ever visited the Big Al's on the west island great selection and prices and the staff give good advice.

[Icewall42]

Hmmm let me give you my own experience with clowns (and I've made mistakes, but that doesn't apply here).

Ten years ago, I bought a single clown loach for my 20 long. He was about 2" when I got him. I had him for about 3-5 years, by himself, in that 20 long. He probably grew to about 3-5" in that time, I can't remember, so yes, his growth probably was stunted. I bought him two buddies and together all three were placed in a planted 55 gallon (when I was old enough to upgrade--I was young). My first clown grew to about 7-8" alongside his buddy clown (the third one died young) and after 2-3 years in the 55, they were moved into my largest and by far my favorite tank, a 90-100 gallon. That last tank is by far the ideal size for these clowns, which are now 8-9" and 6-7".

They've been sick with columnaris, velvet, fin rot, and ich, but are currently very healthy. I shouldn't mention that their intermediate tank after the great migration, before their current 72 gallon bow front, was a 30 gallon for about a year, and not by themselves--I had various small loaches and three large modestas with them too.

What's the point of all this? My point is that your clown loach probably won't suddenly die once it realizes it's in a 20 gallon. It's growth might be stunted, but it's not like it will never grow bigger if it's given a bigger home--it will, though maybe not to its full size. The clown probably won't be suicidal from being alone for so long, but they DO enjoy the company of other clowns.

There are optimal conditions for keeping clowns. Optimal conditions guarantee their health and happiness. But clowns have different temperaments and will react to situations differently. You should keep in mind what everyone here is telling you about clowns, but I don't have a problem with your keeping the clown as long as you can eventually upgrade the tank size. I don't believe the situation is dire that you have to return the clown or give him away, unless the 20 gallon is the only tank he will ever live in.

Fish stores make easy mistakes. I should have warned the people I sold clown loaches to, though I believe they had decent size aquariums (20 gallons and up, most had 55s). Fish stores should provide more information. I wish I provided more when I was helping to run a fish store. But people do make mistakes, and I'd only consider it a gross over-sight if an LFS sold a clown to someone with a 5 or 10 gallon.

Make of all that what you will... I know what I've done in the past wasn't all right, but it wasn't cruel either (except for the 30 gallon.. ugh. Don't ever do that to fish that big).