clown loaches

[adamrf1126]

I currently have a 94 gallon tank, but only two fish in it:
1 giant danio
1 rainbow cichlid

I am looking to add some clown loaches, maybe about 3-4 inches long each.
How many can i fit in my aquarium?

The dimensions are approximately 54"x18"x18"

Also, what are good water conditions as for ph, becuase right now it is about 7.4 in my tank, but i will definitely lower it if i need to.

[tariesindanrie]

Hi adamrf- welcome

Sounds like some good fish to start with- only a couple things to address. One is that, in my experience, a lone giant danio tends to act up some. They are rather social, and like company of their own kind and become territorial without other giant danios in the tank. You may want to consider adding some companions for him so he doesn't get lonely when you add a bunch of clowns!

Please realize that the clowns you buy may be 3-4 inches long now, but they can get to be upwards of a foot long and can live for many years. They are also extremely social, and it's not recommended that you keep fewer than 5 or 6. So- with that in mind, I'd suggest 4 more danios and 8-10 clowns in the 3 inch and smaller range.

Also might be a good idea to read some of the articles here- lots of great info.

Kate

[adamrf1126]

thanks for the response.
First of all, i should have made myself more clear. My tank has been up and running for over 10 years, with a 2 year period of no fish and no maintenance in that time. The first few years i was getting my tank maintained by a professional fish guy, and I had a huge school of cardinal tetras and many other types of fish. Then, we could not afford to pay the guy anymore, and since i was a little kid, i could not take care of the tank myself, so it fell into a very bad state.
Last summer, I started it up again by myself with 4 giant danios and a few zebra and leopard danios. Over that time, I have had troubles with my water temperature and ph, and all i have left now is the one danio and a rainbow cichlid. However, my tank looks apsolutely amazing now in my opinion, and I am ready to put some great fish into it.

However, I don't want to get any more danios, because i am not particularly fond of them, but are there any different fish i could add that would get along with the danio, such as a rainbow fish or something? I am just not crazy about the danios anymore.

Also, I was thinking more along the lines of 3-5 clowns, and maybe 3 yo-yo loaches as well, and also some more fish that would swim in the upper levels of the water.

I am still in school, so this is a very big project for me, but i'm just trying to learn a lot and have fun, and have a beautiful tank.

I am going to try to put up pictures of it in a few minutes but i have a very bad camera so they are not going to be great.

[adamrf1126]

here are some pictures:
I couldn't get the danio to stay still for one.

[chefkeith]

keep in mind that loaches have special requirements. You might want to consider starting a new tank from scratch because they are a bottom dwelling fish, that prefer soft substrates like sand, lots of water flow, and lots of cover/hidey holes. Your tank looks great for mid level and top level fish though.
A happy loach is a loach that you won't see for 12+ hours per day. They like to have their privacy and to be in groups.

[adamrf1126]

thanks, but i'm not in a position right now to start a new tank, so i'm just going to have to deal with what i have. My tank has great water flow, and an extremely powerful filter. I can rearrange the rocks and wood to create great hiding places as well. I have had clown loaches in the tank before many years ago, but i have never kept more than maybe 3 at a time. Now i am looking to get possibly 3-5 or more.

[Emma Turner]

Hi adamrf1126,

Your tank will need a lot more decor that what you currently have to make it suitable for loaches. The more cover the better and at the moment it is much too sparsely set out.

Also, what type of substrate is that? Does it feel smooth to the touch? If not, it will really need replacing with sand which is much kinder on the loaches delicate sensory barbels. I personally would not keep loaches in a tank with lava rock, it is notoriously sharp, so again, that needs replacing if you go with loaches.

Do you know exactly why you lost the Danios? I am a little concerned as they are relatively hardy fish and usually easy to keep. Loaches however, are much more sensitive and need a lot of care and attention. You'll need to be doing partial water changes at least once a week. The size of your current tank is ok for juvenile clown loaches, but kept in the right conditions, they will outgrow this and require bigger quarters within a few years. Coupled with the long life span (20 years +), are you ready to make that commitment to keeping them? If you can't see yourself upgrading at some point, and if you still have your heart set on loaches, you'd be best off choosing some of the smaller species.

And if you do go for loaches, that Malawi cichlid will need rehoming.

These articles will be worth reading, if you haven't already done so:
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/cl ... cracanthus
http://www.loaches.com/articles/an-intr ... ping-botia
http://www.loaches.com/articles/why-loa ... i-cichlids
http://www.loaches.com/articles/my-clown-loach-aquarium

Emma

[adamrf1126]

Honestly, I can not say exactly why i lost the danios.
My heater was broken for a while and it raised my water temp. to about 86 degreees Farenheit. I unplugged it and it took me a long time, even with water changes, to get the water down, and i now have it at about 81 degrees.
Also, my Ph was pretty high for a while, at the beginning of this week it was about 7.8, now I have gotten it down to about 7.2 or 7.0.

Additionally, I was having a lot of problems over the past year, and unfortunately, my fish tank sunk to the bottom of my list of priorities. I was not doing frequent water changes, and I was not taking great care of my fish.
Aside from feeding them once daily, I did not take good care of them.

Now i am definitely ready to make the commitment. Removing the rocks will be no problem, and i can definitely add more plants and wood to make great hiding places. The gravel in my tank has been in there for at least 8 years, and it is very smooth, though obviously it is not sand.

Thanks for your advice.