keeping a solo clown loach
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:15 pm
Currently I have a 55gl freshwater planted tank. I am running about 500-650 gph or enough for about a 150gl. I bought some fish online locally from a girl who was coverting to saltwater. I got 3 discus, 2 clown loaches, about 4-5 Agassiz's corys, and 4-5 otto cats. I already had a red tailed black shark, 2 paradise gouramis, and some tetras. I gave 1 loach to a friend who also has a 55gl planted tank and kept the bigger one for myself. Since then I have rehomed the discus and currently have 4 gouramis, the loach, cats, shark, and african leaf fish, and a school of buenos aires tetras (plus one rosy barb who thinks he's a tetra and schools with them). My tank is 4ft long and has gravel substrate, a bige chunk of driftwood, live plants (basically the stuff you get at pet smart, nothing too exotic) and some larger stones. I have made a small cave where the shark and the clown loach like to hang out, but I have never seen them fight. he also stays between some of the larger stones unless its feeding time and he's all over the place. I feed a mix of flakes and sinking discs (with a clown loach on the bag from pet smart) and frozen brine shrimp, blood woorms, tubifex worms, and beef heart (recommended by "discus girl"). I have seen how potentially large my clown loach will get and have always seen them in groups but I was wondering if I could keep one solo loach in a 4ft tank, or if I could keep one solo loach at all. Right now I just don't have the space for a bigger tank and it really wont be years until I do.
I am getting bored with how the tank is set up and would like to re-do it. I would like to take this time to make it more loach friendly if that will increase my chances of keeping him happy and healthy long term. I really love things to look natural and realistic so I would probably make him a few more rock and driftwood caves instead of getting pvc or clay pots (unless I can cover the pvc with stones).
So what does everyone think? Can I keep this guy happy? what changes should I make to my tank? what changes do I need to make to the tank mates i have for him? Any info would be greatly appreciated.
I am getting bored with how the tank is set up and would like to re-do it. I would like to take this time to make it more loach friendly if that will increase my chances of keeping him happy and healthy long term. I really love things to look natural and realistic so I would probably make him a few more rock and driftwood caves instead of getting pvc or clay pots (unless I can cover the pvc with stones).
So what does everyone think? Can I keep this guy happy? what changes should I make to my tank? what changes do I need to make to the tank mates i have for him? Any info would be greatly appreciated.