New to Loaches

55gal · Post by **55gal** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 9:14 pm

Hi I have had my 55 gal for about 6 months now and i thought i was done when i discovered the clown loaches.
I bought 3 and have been reading about their habits, likes, dislikes, etc trying to give all the fish a good home.
I am woundering though how much do you feed your clowns and how many times a day?
I am havijng no trouble getting them to eat but i don't want to over feed them.
I feed my other fish 1 time a day as much as they eat in a few minutes
But for the clowns it can take them a while to find the food so judging what is 2-3 minutes worth is dificult.
Thank you

Diana · Post by **Diana** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 10:15 pm

Hi 55, welcome to Loaches.

I feed such a mix of foods that trying to time it does not work. I feed about the same volume of food twice a day, and sometimes the Clown Loaches pounce on it and other times they ignore it and other fish grab it. Sinking pellets and wafers can be left in the tank overnight, and several species of fish will work on them.

Try some sinking pellets such as Omega One Shrimp Pellets.

Looks like from your stocking list that a new tank is in the not too distant future, you have several fish that will outgrow a 55. What kind of Knives? I have a Black Ghost with my Clown Loaches, (6' long tank) and an African Brown Knife in another tank. They are slow growing.

starsplitter7 · Post by **starsplitter7** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 10:45 pm

I feed right before lights off and throw in sinking foods and cucumber for my Clowns. I would also add when you set up your new tank to get a few more Cories. They really need to be in a group. I think 3 is the smallest number, I try to have 5 or more per species. In the wild they are in groups of hundreds.

soul-hugger · Post by **soul-hugger** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 2:06 am

Hello...

I have never kept clown loaches before, so I can't give advice in that department, but I just wanted to say welcome to the forum!

soul-hugger

55gal · Post by **55gal** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 6:19 pm

Thanks for the advice, I have learned alot from this site so far.

Joe Khul · Post by **Joe Khul** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 8:55 pm

That is a hazard that the moderators and owner of this incredible site do not warn you of when you join....

Whether you want to or not, you will learn something here and you will be a better loach-a-olic for it

Welcome to Loaches Online

bslindgren · Post by **bslindgren** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 1:26 pm

Welcome to LOL. The best food to get the loaches eating that I have found is frozen brine shrimp. Once they get going they seem to eat pretty much anything, including TetraMin flakes, and they absolutely love algae discs. I fed once a day for many years, but now I feed morning and late afternoon, also just enough for all of it to be consumed in a few minutes. My main problem now is a school of giant danios that seem to get to everything before any other fish, plus one clown loach that hides when all other fish are feeding.

Gary Stanton · Post by **Gary Stanton** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 9:32 pm

If I fed my clowns what they could eat in 2 -3 minutes I'd be feeding them
4 -5 times what they currently get. Only the romaine lettuce and zucchini take longer than 2 - 3 minutes. Any shrimp, bloodworms or sinking pellets take one minute or less.

I also don't feed them one or two days a week.

55gal · Post by **55gal** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 4:17 pm

Thanks for all the great advice!

As you know i am becoming addicted to the clowns.

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