Loaches Online Forum

Hi all,

Thank you all for a wonderful site.

A bit about me to start with. I have been keeping fish for about 42 years, I stated when I was 7. For the past 20 years I have specialised in South and Ccentral American Cichlids. I have several 6 foot tanks and some smaller ones of around 3 & 4 feet.

Anyway long story short, I have decided after much deliberation to go for a Clown Loach Species tank, it measures 6 x 2 x 2, and has been running for several years, a nice 6.5 pH and temp of 29c hardness is low at around 9gh and 7kh. At them moment I have 11 little characters in there measuring from 1.5" upto 4.5". What would you guys say is the maximum stocking level for for the 6 x 2 x 2 tank in a species only situation. O and one other inhabitant a sweet little bristlenose plec around 2" long.

Just one quick question, does anybody know how big the tank is that Marge resides in, as the caption only says it is huge.

Thank you.

Just thought I would add a link to a video of some of my fish

Hi, I am new as well. I don't have so large experience, but my guess is no more fish to the bottom. I am not sure about the size of the tank, I am a Czech knowing more centimetres , but I have got some idea about the size anyway. I think, you can still have some fish to the top of the tank (upper part), but not too many.

In centimeters the tank is 182.9 x 61 x 61, internal size/actual water volume, and this totals 680litres.

Sorry for the delay in answering.

So my 182.9 x 67 x 67 will be fine for a few loaches then (800litres actual volume). And maybe something else.

I am going to try and do a Clown Loach Biotope system.

Welcome to both of you to the forum. I am not sure of the answer of how many loaches. Glad you are working on a bitope. I'll ask Emma how big Marge's tank is (unfortunately passed away a while back:( She was a beautiful and very old fish. Also take a look at Marcos' thread on his loach tank. It is pretty amazing. Where are you from?

Stocking level depends on the filtration and water changes. A 180 gallon tank could house 20 clown loaches as long as the pollution levels were kept in check. I have about 40 clown loaches in a 400 gallon system that has a 24 hour a day continuous drip water changer. It's drips about 1.2 gallons per hour of fresh carbon filtered tap water, which is about 30 gallons per day.

Also be sure there is plenty of surface agitation or else oxygen levels may be depleted over time. As this is one of the easiest things to overlook.

starsplitter7 wrote:Welcome to both of you to the forum. I am not sure of the answer of how many loaches. Glad you are working on a bitope. I'll ask Emma how big Marge's tank is (unfortunately passed away a while back:( She was a beautiful and very old fish. Also take a look at Marcos' thread on his loach tank. It is pretty amazing. Where are you from?

Hi I am from West Wales. Thank you for the welcome.

I will take a look at the thread you have mentioned. I have also started another thread showing the tank and giving some details.

Hi Jaguar,

I'm sorry that I didn't spot this thread earlier. You asked about the tank that Marge lived in. It is 7ft long x 2ft 3" wide x 2ft 4" high. In case you are wondering about the strange dimensions, this tank was made to fit an alcove in the living room and was the largest that would fit into this location. The internal volume of this tank is over 1000 litres. The tank is filtered by the following: 2 x Eheim external Professionel 3's, which are rated for tanks up to 1200 litres each (each one increases the tank volume by an extra 25 litres of water per filter) and 1 x Eheim external Professionel II 2028, rated for 600 litres. Two large Tunze Turbelle Stream powerheads are utilised for further water movement and oxygenation. A 30 watt TMC UV steriliser is also fitted to this set up.

Hope this information is of interest,
Emma

Thank you Emma, that is appreciated. I have done something fairly similar to you, so you have put my mind at rest. I have put a photo of my tank and some specs in another thread at the following link, http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=22920. I still have a lot to do, but when it is finished I hope to have around 30 Clowns in there.

I am also starting another tank (72 x 24 x 20) for Botia Striata, the only problem I am having is finding somewhere that sells them. Can anybody help out with this in the UK. I still have a few weeks before I can get them as the tank is still cycling so no great rush at the moment.

Emma, what temp do you keep your clown tank at?