Clown Loach replacement. HELP!

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Djay.racer
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Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:03 pm

Clown Loach replacement. HELP!

Post by Djay.racer » Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:37 am

Hello everyone, I was referred here by fishlore.com. I have a 55 gallon tank, temp 74-77 depending on weather outside, sand substrate, planted with purple and green cabomba, crypto wendtii, crypto spiralis, sagitaria, Java fern, Java moss, aquaclear 110 filter, fish are, 1 electric blue acara, 1 blood parrot, 2 Bolivian ram, 1 bristlenose pleco, 11 panda Cory, 10 amano shrimp, 3 Siamese algae eater, 6 nerite snails, malasian trumpet snails, and also have 4 clown Loaches. Now the clown Loaches are getting put into my newly estabolished 180 gallon tank today or tomorrow. I would like to add new Loaches to the 55 just don't want to keep growing out clown Loaches in it. I was recommended here because we had alot of mixed feelings on fishlore. What would you guys recommend and how many?

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redshark1
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Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, Great Britain.

Re: Clown Loach replacement. HELP!

Post by redshark1 » Mon Oct 30, 2017 4:51 pm

Hi there Djay.racer. That's great that your Clown Loaches are going into a suitable aquarium, though I'd recommend people start them off in a suitably sized tank of course and I'd recommend keeping a larger group than four.

I'd say that 55 is a pretty small tank, rather cool temperature, high pH and very heavily stocked with some unsuitable stock. Blood Parrots are big and notoriously aggressive, you already have a huge number of bottom feeders competing for space and Nerites may be eaten by most Loaches.

To find out about other Loaches why not read the species profiles by going to the home page here and go from there?
6 x Clown Loaches all 30 years of age on 01.01.2024, largest 11.5", 2 large females, 4 smaller males, aquarium 6' x 18" x 18" 400 ltr/90 uk gal/110 US gal. approx.

Djay.racer
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Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:03 pm

Re: Clown Loach replacement. HELP!

Post by Djay.racer » Mon Oct 30, 2017 10:21 pm

I don't much mind if the nerites get eaten. They got given to me because of an accidental over breeding in my friends amano tank. I was kind of hoping the clown Loaches would have munched them but they never did and they only ate one malasian trumpet. I'm trying to find a balance between a solid ecosystem that includes the algaes, snails, and such. But in order to control it you have to have snail and algae predators. Also as far as the blood parrot, sadly he's for lack of better words, retarded, he's so friendly to absolutely every fish in my tank. He even brings "offerings" of big chunks of food to the electric blue acara and pandas. He tries to lay in my hand when I have to do plant trimming its hilarious we love him to death. He actually protects most of the fish, get this, when the amano shrimp get too close haha then he snaps at the amanos. He's a weird one that's for sure.

Diana
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Location: Near San Franciso

Re: Clown Loach replacement. HELP!

Post by Diana » Mon Oct 30, 2017 10:35 pm

How about the rather adaptable Zebra Loach, Botia striata?
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/botia-striata

Make sure they have some caves to get away from the aggressive Cichids.
They (like most Loaches)will eat shrimp, and will probably pester the snails, perhaps kill them. Zebra Loaches are good with other species of fish, including small ones. I had them in a tank with a breeding colony of Endler's Livebearers, and now have them in a tank with Tetras and peaceful Barbs.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

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redshark1
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Joined: Sun Dec 26, 2010 6:58 am
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, Great Britain.

Re: Clown Loach replacement. HELP!

Post by redshark1 » Wed Nov 01, 2017 1:54 pm

Haha, I see what you mean about the Blood Parrot. Sometimes you do get a fish that is gentle, weak even, because of the vagaries of fish farming. Sounds like you could make this work in your favour though.
6 x Clown Loaches all 30 years of age on 01.01.2024, largest 11.5", 2 large females, 4 smaller males, aquarium 6' x 18" x 18" 400 ltr/90 uk gal/110 US gal. approx.

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