Thanks Kate
cra*py pics though
and bslindgren and CK your too kind
Botia Robert asked
Given the social structures of clowns, what is the best way of establishing a large group of clowns (12 - 24)?
Would you purchase one large group from a single LFS? or several small groups gradually over time from various LFS?
Great question with no good answer imho....the situation dictates the answer me thinks....
Most stores here only have 6 at any one time. I prefer to buy any healthy Clowns I can find but that is not so easy. I have the advantage here of many tanks plus addtional set ups so if I find a group I buy them and qt them up to 4 months then add them to my baby loach tank.I simply change water from my system into the qts daily until I am comfortable with the fish in isolation.This gives diversity and structure to the group. They are not all clones that way if you will.....
The risk you run is every time you add a single fish or small group a disease or minute parisite may make it through your defenses and get to your big loaches and in my case a substantial risk with my big three in the 8" to 10" range grown from 1" here .That group was originally 25 about 8 years ago or so and illustrates the problem of purchasing a large group. Several crashes over several years and I had to rebuild again.
By purchasing a large group you only have the single introduction opportunity for parisites so proper steps can minimize any contamination in your set up. If you are setting up one tank to grow up in and live there forever I would highly recomend you decide which fish you want and how many and buy them as a group to grow together much like I think Mad Duff did with his Sids.....but
A large introduction creates hazzards of its own that must be worked out although I move established filters and link my water to eliminate that it is a serious consideration.
However ....a huge healthy group of Clowns only exists in our minds and Emmas store and only a few tanks around this forum so the only way I can accomplish a large group of Clowns is by adding them in as groups when found for sale here.I will cycle in some more Clowns in about 2 months when I finish cycling in some of my new recruits already in the loop. I have 20 Dario in qt and 24 syncrossus ? coming next Friday hopefully . btw 25 1"-2" Clowns would be about 250.00 US minimum and less than half would be considered healthy.....
ckk125 stated
No offense...but buying them will increase the demand and eventually make the lfs guys to get more little clown loaches which will sell fast, but die fast in the hands of a beginner.
unfortunataly they are going to the pet store with or without our blessing and this is a vicious circle destroying many specie of animal all around the planet . The ones at the pet stores are the best of the lot as opposed to the tusks and like of the rhinos, elephants and the tiger parts etc....The people here on LOL care enough to take time effort and money to care for these loaches and as evidenced on another thread ongoing having successs at breeding so for all the downsides to collecting there are positives that may save the specie in the longrun.
I do agree with your statement but without a supplier there is no product to sell.....
As far as putting them together I am going to bring all my baby Clowns together with my large Clowns and these plus what I add in the tank Tinman my knife occupies now. He is getting old but shows no sign of slowing yet. His tank was always part of my plan as his life cycle is much shorter than the loaches. I will put all the improvements I have learned and am learning here on LOL into this tank upon his eventual demise one day....and at 15.00US a week to feed it will not be soon enough for my wife
Wow! Or do you have big shot glasses there? 
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