Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

[Loachloach]

What NancyD says is exactly right, but I'd like to add that in my experience clown loaches do seem to get a bit stressed when the tank temp is below 80 F, which can make them more susceptible to illness. I run my setup at 81-82 degrees, and

Would you please specify what you have observed as "being stressed" in temperatures below 80? And is it a personal opinion or a known problem? I am only asking because I've never kept my clown loaches above 80 and as far as health goes, mine are perfectly healthy and growing, very chunky too.

[DainBramage1991]

All the literature I've read states that clown loaches should be kept in water that's between 78 and 87 F (25 to 30 C). I've also read that fish can get stressed when kept at temperatures that are close to or at their minimum or maximum.

Beyond that, I can only speak from my own personal experience: When running the tank at 78, my clowns were acting slightly stressed (It's difficult to point out specific behaviors, they were just acting a bit different than usual), and they were routinely getting ill with symptoms that are considered indicative of stress.

Whenever I raised the temperature, they acted happier and stayed healthy. I found that 81 - 82 F works well for all of my fish, none of them are stressed or sick. Other than the occasional tussle for dominance, all of my fish seem happy and healthy.

If your clowns are happy and healthy below 80 F, that's great. Like I said, I can only speak from my own experience. Fish are all individuals, as are fish keepers. What works for me may not work for you (or anyone else), but I'm still happy to share my experiences in the hope that someone may find them helpful.

[Loachloach]

Thank you. Well the temperature in my tank is normally about 78.8, 79 max and I've never had health issues but since I've had mine for less than a year I can't speak from experience really. All I know is they seem fine to me and have grown lots since purchase. This is them below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YimKHvcYCAI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cbL_ecBMFA

[DainBramage1991]

They certainly look happy and healthy to me!

[bookpage]

Well the temperature in my tank is normally about 78.8, 79 max and ...

78.8? That is really getting it down to the nth of a degree. Can I ask what kind (brand) of thermometer you are using for your fish tanks? I have five tanks and three of them have the same type of thermometer. None of the five tanks have the same temperature. Even when I put two thermometers in the same tank they do not give the same reading.

What kind and what brand to others use?

[Loachloach]

I am using a digital thermometer. The brand isn't on it, it just says digital aquarium thermometer. I think I paid 20 quid for it some long time ago.
But I also have a TDS meter(AP-1: AquaPro Water Quality Tester) which tests the temperature as well and both show exactly the same temperature. It's in Celsius but both are pretty accurate and the temperature is shown in small increments. Here are the pictures I just did:

Digital Thermometer:


TDS meter(temperature reading is the bottom one)

[Cubbies26]

Great post!

14 years ago, before I knew better, I cycled a 10 gallon aquarium and added about 5 neon tetras and a corydoras julii. After all the neons passed on, I added some plants that were "infested" with small nails. After a little research, I learned that clown loaches love them, so I got a pair of small ones. Within 3 days, all of the snails were gone, and the clown loaches were happily bloated with snails. I may have been imagining it, but it seemed to me that they were even more colorful than normal.

I had the pair for about a year, but one day one jumped out and I was not able to save it....broke my heart. The remaining one, affectionately named "Clownie", has had a few roommates through the years (a horse faced loach, another Corydoras, an inherited algae eater and glass catfish) but none have lived for very long. About a year ago, we got a plecostomus (clown pleco of course and both of them are doing very well and actually hang out together.

Bottom line is I am very lucky to have a 13 year old Clown Loach that is very animated, happy to get fed, never avoids the light, plays "dead" and is only 3" long. I know now that I should have done everything that is recommended for it, but at this point, I am afraid to change anything as he/she is doing so well.

I am sure that my case is not a textbook case, but I just wanted to pass on the fact that my single clown loach is doing very well. It is a year older than my older daughter!