adding a new loach to an established loach tank

[DarrenMnaples]

i found a some what large clown loach the other day but he is larger than all of my clowns would this up set my tank or would they just accept him as the new alpha because he is so much bigger

[Emma Turner]

I wouldn't go adding any more Clown Loaches until you have re-homed the Malawi Cichlids.

Adding larger Clowns to your existing group shouldn't pose too much of a problem, but they can be a little harder to acclimatise to new surroundings and generally take longer to settle in. A stressful environment full of Malawi's will not help this process.

Emma

[Graeme Robson]

If you are seriously wanting to keep your Clowns happy? I've suggested in the other posts that your ignorance is the problem. Emma will not 'give' up on giving advice. Nor will most members here. Dont become a "troll"

Btw: Do you know what "sucker fish" you have?

I concur!

[DarrenMnaples]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY TROLL??/???JUST TO LET EVRYONE KNOW I HAVE GOTEN RIDE OF 6 CICHLIDS TO DAY AND I ADDED 1 MIDSIZE CLOWN AND 2 BABY SOLID YELLOW LABS SO KNOW I HAVE 4 LABS 8 LOACHS 2 BABY BLUES 2 BLUE AND BLACK STRIPE AND GREY BLUE EYED AFRICANS AND 1 AMBER AND BLACK SPOTTED PLECO,,,.........AND JUST AFTER A HALF HOUR OF HIDING MY NEW CLOWN IS OUT AND ABOUT SWIMMING AND PLAYING WITH ALL OF THE OTHER FISH ...SO WHAT EVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Martin Thoene]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY TROLL??/???JUST TO LET EVRYONE KNOW I HAVE GOTEN RIDE OF 6 CICHLIDS TO DAY AND I ADDED 1 MIDSIZE CLOWN AND 2 BABY SOLID YELLOW LABS SO KNOW I HAVE 4 LABS 8 LOACHS 2 BABY BLUES 2 BLUE AND BLACK STRIPE AND GREY BLUE EYED AFRICANS AND 1 AMBER AND BLACK SPOTTED PLECO,,,.........AND JUST AFTER A HALF HOUR OF HIDING MY NEW CLOWN IS OUT AND ABOUT SWIMMING AND PLAYING WITH ALL OF THE OTHER FISH ...SO WHAT EVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Errrrr....I think Graeme's case rests M'lud.

Darren....what is the point of "goten ride" (I think you mean gotten rid) of 6 cichlids if you then added two more (you mean Labidochromis by "Lab", yes?).

No wonder the new Clown is out "playing" with the other fish. With that many fish in a 55, it probably doesn't have anywhere else much to be.

A 55 gallon is too small for 12 mixed cichlids, OR too small for 8 Clown Loaches IMO (and other's opinions I'm sure), so having them all in together is just asking for a disaster down the road as they grow. Not knowing specific sizes now, I cannot specifically comment on wether your tank is presently overstocked, but even based on average "small" retail sizes for these species, I would guess so. Once the fish grow, and they most definitely will, there's no way I would keep that fish mix in even a 130.

I wouldn't keep that fish mix in ANY size tank in actual fact which if I recall was probably the advice you've already been given. You have two choices in life. You ask questions or you don't. Based on the advice given, you either choose to act upon that advice or you do not.

If you cannot act wizely based on the vast amount of sage advice and experience that's available here to you for free, then you are not acting in the best interests of your fish in the long-term. People will only give freely of their advice for so long before they give up.

Either you heed the advice for the benefit of your fishy pets or you will be sentencing them to a bad existence within your aquarium. That is tantamount to cruelty and I cannot honestly believe that you wish to be guilty of that.

There is no kudos in proving that you can "beat the system" by keeping these fish together. You ain't fooling nobody but yourself buddy and you are doing the fish a serious disservice.

The use of capitals in internet posting is conventionally used for EMPHASIS. Printing a whole post in capitals is universally regarded as shouting, and therefore emphatically rude. Jumping up and down and shouting doesn't make what is being said correct.

But it is absolutely classical Troll behaviour, so you might wanna think on that

Graeme doesn't use the term lightly, just like you don't stock your tank lightly......well actually you do.....lightly on common sense.


Martin.

[DarrenMnaples]

no my caps lock was just on and i didn't think any thing of it im sorry no shuting was meant to be implyed....yes yellow labs.......a nother thing is on the cichlid forums tons of people keep clowns in there cichlid tanks as cleaner fish mabey not eight but usally 3-5 and some have for years.....also my both of my LFS have told me that as long as you have plenty of hiding spaces and a good filter system the fish should be fine...im sure that you guys are correct most LFS just want to make money but this one that i goto here in hollywood fl seems like they truley care about fish where as the other one will tell you anything........i will post some pics of my tank called my 55 so tell me what you think i will also countine you with this response....no yelling i promise....lol

[Emma Turner]

a nother thing is on the cichlid forums tons of people keep clowns in there cichlid tanks as cleaner fish

With regards to the wellbeing of your loaches, you'd rather believe what is written on a cichlid site than a dedicated loach site where numerous regulars have decades of combined knowledge on the subject of keeping these fish as they should be? I will repeat - just because you see/hear of people "getting away" with it, does not mean that your fish are happy. You are, as Martin has already pointed out, subjecting them to much cruelty.

'Clown Loaches - Cleaner Fish'....don't be taken in by such crap! They are a magnificent bottom-dwelling species that require their own varied diet, not just shoved into a tank to clean up the remnants of food given to the other species!

also my both of my LFS have told me that as long as you have plenty of hiding spaces and a good filter system the fish should be fine...im sure that you guys are correct most LFS just want to make money but this one that i goto here in hollywood fl seems like they truley care about fish where as the other one will tell you anything

As we have all said before. These shops clearly do not have the best interests of the fish at heart. If you want to be taken seriously, you should start listening to the good advice that you have been given.

Emma

[WhtDragn101]

Cleaner fish? The lil' piggys usually make MORE of a mess.

[DarrenMnaples]

yes emma your right so how many loachs can i keep in my 55 know as babies 2-3 inchs and or as adults thank you for your response

[Emma Turner]

The correct answer to your question would be NONE. Not until you re-home the Malawi cichlids.

Emma

[DarrenMnaples]

thats what im working on and i wanted to know if i could keep all of the loachs or do i have to many untill i get a bigger tank next year??

[andyroo]

Darren,

D'you mind me asking what you are a student of? What is your course?

A

[Gary Herring]

I'm starting to feel a bit dizzy.......

[LES..]

I'm starting to feel a bit dizzy.......

Hey Gary, phone NHS Direct immediately! Dizzyness is a symptom of heat stroke and your fish need you to healthy to look after them ;-)

It's not just our fish suffering in this weather :-(

[DarrenMnaples]

i set up my 29 gallon a few days ago so that i can move all my cichlids out of my loach tank i put in one tester fish in to day (the meanist cichlid i had and with in a half hour my newest loach was out and about.....first time i really got to see him in day but he seems very happy know so slowly but shorely i will be moving the rest out.........any suggestion on new tank mates for my loachs would be appreciated .......thanks everyone [/img]