Clown loaches and plants.....

[valkyrie]

I have just joined the forum and at the moment have 6 clown loaches in a 55gal (I know that is not big enough they started at only 1" and now range between 4" to 6") anyway they are moving into a 180gal tank within the month.

My question is I have been told that Clown loaches destroy planted tanks. Is this true or not? Is there a way I could have plants in the tank with them successfully.

Cheers

[Diana]

My Clowns do not dig up the plants, or bother them in any way.

One possible way is to get the tank set up and planted, and let the plants get well rooted before adding the Loaches. You can do a fishless cycle, and let the whole eco-system of the tank get established.

Lucky fish, getting to move up to such a large tank!

[valkyrie]

Thanks Diana,

What plants do you have in your tank and do you have any attached to drift wood?

As for the new tank I already have 2 of the three Canister filters that will be on the tank running on my current tank to cycle them before the other tanks arrives and using the medium in my current filter for the third canister.

I was thinking about putting the plants in pots and strategically placing them under driftwood, rocks etc. Any thoughts?

Cheers

[shari2]

Diana, how big are your clowns?

What I've found is that younger clowns will root around the bottoms of my swords and crypts sometimes exposing the roots (I have a sand substrate), but rarely doing much damage otherwise.

However, larger clowns (6" or so) decimated even well attached (several years worth of growth) java fern and moss. Not to mention snipping off all new crypt shoots and popping holes in the leaves of my echinodorus. They actually lifted the rhizomes right off of the wood, tunneling under them like rodents!

All you can do is try. Give the plants the best head start you can. Is their current tank planted?

[Glostik]

My young clowns didnt bother my plants, but my larger and older clowns uprooted all my anachris, snipped the stems off all of my cryps and destroyed all of my java fern.

[Diana]

Perhaps mine are too small to cause such problems, then. The largest is about 5", the others are about 4".

Java Fern on the wood, Water Lettuce floating, Sunset Hygro, Valisneria, Crypt ciliata, some other stem plants (not Cabomba, but looks a bit like it) and a small sword in the substrate. Substrate is 50/50 Eco Complete and Soil Master Select. Other decor includes large slabs of rock across the back and 2 very large chunks of roots in the mid-ground.

[shari2]

It may be that I don't feed enough veggies and they want more of that than they get. Maybe.

But they do get some veggies at least once a week. I believe Emma feeds veggies much more frequently than I do and still has a similar problem.

Just be happy Diana.

[Diana]

OK

[valkyrie]

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies. So from what I can gather most of you with the exception of Diana have problems with loaches and live plants. As my loaches range from 4 to 6 inches, and at the moment I have plants is their tank but they are a recent addition and are not the type that are planted but just attached the driftwood. Java fern etc.

The tank is also going to have Geophagus 'Orange Head Tapajis' in the there as well and these guys being earth eaters, I don't see how I can keep plants that need to go into the substrate.

Any Ideas on how to decorate/terraform this tank would be appreciated. (Pics of tanks for ideas as well) As I do want the tank to look great as well as being a great home for my fish. The only thing at the moment I know for sure is the the substrate will be white sand.

Cheers
Debbie

[Marcos Mataratzis]

I have Clowns from 3.5 to 8". They love to dig holes on leaves. The very single plant my Clowns did not bother was Java fern. It is said that they have bitter taste for most fishes.

[helen nightingale]

i think Emma had to give up on live plants for her clown tank.

i have yoyos, striata and rostrata, and i now only bother with java fern and moss. i tried this moss ball, which has lasted surprisingly well too. i dont worry about the tank lookng pretty though, as long as it gives them a suitable habitat.

as you cant have substrate plants because of the geos, java fern and large amount of bogwood seems like your best option to try. i bought a big clump of anubias on wood that was well established and looked sturdy and well attatched, but that turned into a big game for the loaches.

[Sue Tegland]

i have gone through many plants since setting up my tank 14 months ago, due to the loaches stripping, punching, pulling, and just plain eating them.
Water wisteria went in a few days, like three days, I remember. The java fern I have tied to driftwood: the loaches went after the young growth first. Whatever sprouts its tender and they have figured that out. My loaches range from 2" to 4 1/2". Anyway, with the java fern, I tied more leaves onto the wood, and these have sprouted their own plants. Hopefully the new plant growth there and other places will keep up with or surpass their appetite.
Anubias: also tied to the driftwood near the top (I wanted height in my 35 hex) and it's going great guns, has for about 8 months, despite the loaches and any other fish chewing on its roots. it's looking pretty lush, with the occasional rip and hole from guess who.
eleocharis (hair grass): will get chewed and uprooted, but is still alive. I have folded weights on them so if they get uprooted they won't go far.
crinum:( have the wavy kind-starts with c): they have uprooted, which doesn't seem to hurt it, so how I have larger rocks over the roots and it's stayed in place more than a month. They generally leave it alone as far as eating as it's a member of the onion family and doesn't taste too good.

That's my experience. Would love to get more plants in; maybe the straight crinum would work. Hope yours works out well.

I read somewhere that the loaches tend to attack anything directly in front of their 'door' to clear the way for them to see. my answer to this dynamic is to not plant in that area, and recently, I made their 'hole' area larger by leaning the driftwood over the original so they feel more secure in their hole, and they now seem to chew at the plants less.