Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

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Sand
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Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by Sand » Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:11 pm

I have ALWAYS only had 3 clown loaches.
Two just passed away from Ich.

My only Loach left, I've had since at least 2005 I think it was, anyway, he's in a community tank and is eating and swimming just fine like he always did.
Should I get him buddies or leave it be? After all I'm am assuming he may or may not like new loaches if I put them in?
Plus I only have a 55 gallon long, so though it's a nice sized tank and he's not huge, I also don't want to overcrowd.

Anyone with experience with only one?

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bookpage
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Re: Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by bookpage » Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:53 pm

Welcome to the forum. Yes, I think your clown needs friends, but not the the small aquarium that you have. You might like to read this: http://www.loaches.com/species-index/cl ... cracanthus
240 - Clowns(15), Polka-Dot(6), Sids(57), Zebra(12), Burmese(5), Red-fin(4), YoYo(5), Sumo(2), Skunk(4), Peckoltia sabaji(1), L144 Black Eye Bristlenose Pleco(3), Odessa Barb(9), Roseline Sharks(6)

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davo
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Re: Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by davo » Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:58 am

Yes I would get him some new friends-you don't want to overcrowd them, but I have a normal 55gal and have never had problems with keeping loaches-others on here said its not big enough, but I don't agree-although I would like to have a bigger tank and am going to asap it will be fine to get 3 or 4 more as long as you don't have a ton of other fish in there already, but I think its more important to have friends for him-make sure the ich is treated and gone first though

I don't understand some of the beliefs some of the other forum participants have on here either-as in mixing loach species and the 55gal thing-I have 11 years of keeping loaches in a 55 and never had them killing each other and most get along with one another-the skunk loach don't like others though-so I wouldn't mix those

Sand
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Re: Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by Sand » Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:59 am

thank you both for your input.

Davo, when i lived alone and had more tanks,lol, i had the three clown loaches in a 35 gallon hex tank. they swam up and down the side twirling around, clicking and playing A LOT. they were in my bedroom and woke me every morning clicking and staring at me me for food.

when i moved they were added to my 55 gallon long community tank. it was not overcrowded and they weren't that big themselves, HOWEVER, i didn't hear them click for years! then one day i heard them click while eating a sinking wafer. my point is that when they were in a species only tank, although it was smaller, they were happy, noisy and playful. so i definitely understand what you are saying.

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redshark1
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Re: Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by redshark1 » Tue Feb 19, 2013 5:31 pm

I was sorry to read about Clown Loaches dying from ich as I have always found this a curable disease.

As a veteran keeper of Clown Loaches who has done his fair share of research I would offer this advice.

Clown Loaches are social fish and it is considered important to their wellbeing that they live in a group.

Also, while Clown Loaches can survive in aquaria smaller than 6' x 2' x 2' it is not considered ideal as they will not reach their full size and will remain stunted.

I should reveal that I started as an 11 year old with a single Clown Loach in a 2' aquarium so I am as guilty as anybody but knowledge and good advice were both completely absent then. Happily things are very different now so take advantage of the great info available.
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.

Arden
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Re: Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by Arden » Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:42 pm

Clowns are very social and do best with buddies. That being said I have known them to buddy up with other types of fish. I had a trio of loaches 6 years ago and also had an ich outbreak. It killed every single fish in the tank excluding one loach.

Once I for everything cleared up I bought a pair of juvenile angelfish. "Lucky" the one surviving clown loach acctually made friends with the angels. I have since added more loaches and lost one of the two angels but I still have lucky and lucky still loves Urie (my veiled angel) ....When Gabe, my other angel got sick a couple months ago, lucky "checked on him" constantly like a nurse maid. He even seemed a little depressed for a day or two after he died. He and Gabe had played together often and he would sometimes even pick sides and "defend" him if Urie started picking at him. I was worried a little about Luckiest depression after Gabe died but it seemed after a week or so he took to Urie as well.

Even though he has other loaches with him he still shows affection towards Urie.

When they say clowns are social, they're social. Other clowns or not.

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Re: Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by NancyD » Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:23 pm

How big is your lone loach? You'll need a plan when he gets to ~6 inches, rehome or bigger tank...he should be getting close (or more). He needs room to at least turn around.
That said, I'd get him some pals & start saving for a bigger tank soon, even a 75 or 90g has more room for now & only 6 inches deeper so it may fit where your 55g is now, they're 4 ft too. But eventually...
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Arden
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Re: Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by Arden » Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:43 pm

With proper care and filtration a standard 55 gallon tank can hold 3 clown loaches. At this your stocked to 96%. ideally you would not add anymore bottom dwellers. You could however add some top and mid to top swimmers. Ideally you would want to stick to small fish like common hatches, neon tetras, etc.

And by proper filtration you will need to exceed 55 gallon filtration. The more the better but I've sucessfully done this type of setup with 70 gallon filtration capacity

"Ideally" it is recomended you have 5 loaches and a 6 foot tank. This would ibe my common tank standards a 120L or larger. But you can make this set up work.

Arden
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Re: Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by Arden » Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:52 pm

Also, what temperature are you keeping your tank? You can pretty much avoid ich all together with a warm enough tank and clowns are not harmed by "higher" temps. My tank is always at or above 80 degrees F and I (knock on wood) have not had any issues with ich sense I raised the temp and its been that way over 5 years now.

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Re: Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by joeybab3 » Sun Feb 24, 2013 12:39 pm

Same Here :cry: but my Situation is That My Brother also has a fishtank and he stole my heater :evil: i am also down to one but he is very lonely so there will soon be some new additions to the tank
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Re: Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by bookpage » Mon Feb 25, 2013 9:56 pm

Arden wrote:With proper care and filtration a standard 55 gallon tank can hold 3 clown loaches. At this your stocked to 96%. ideally you would not add anymore bottom dwellers.
With proper care you can keep 3 German Shepherds in a 4'x4' pet enclosure. But, that doe not mean that you should.
240 - Clowns(15), Polka-Dot(6), Sids(57), Zebra(12), Burmese(5), Red-fin(4), YoYo(5), Sumo(2), Skunk(4), Peckoltia sabaji(1), L144 Black Eye Bristlenose Pleco(3), Odessa Barb(9), Roseline Sharks(6)

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boxercrazy156
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Re: Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by boxercrazy156 » Wed Feb 27, 2013 8:22 pm

I agree loaches are a social fish I have 15 loaches all together only 5 of them are clowns but all my loaches hang out an play together I also keep my aquarium over 80 degrees plus I have a uv sterilizer installed inline so far never had ich

Loachloach
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Re: Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by Loachloach » Wed Feb 27, 2013 9:08 pm

Is the temperature so important to the succeptibility of clown loaches to ich? My tank varies between 77 and 79, definately never over or below that range and they haven't got ich either, even when I got them.

NancyD
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Re: Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by NancyD » Wed Feb 27, 2013 10:42 pm

Ich does not "magically" appear, there is no temp or other parameter that causes it. It is a parasite with a known lifecycle with known treatments. It can be a low level issue in otherwise compromised tanks but it's either there... or not. There really isn't a need to fear it breaking out unless it's been in the tank all along, clown loaches or whatever...visible or not. Higher temps cause a faster lifecycle for ich but in the most part is neither a "cause" or "cure", despite what many insist.
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DainBramage1991
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Re: Anyone only have 1 Clown Loach?

Post by DainBramage1991 » Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:37 am

What NancyD says is exactly right, but I'd like to add that in my experience clown loaches do seem to get a bit stressed when the tank temp is below 80 F, which can make them more susceptible to illness. I run my setup at 81-82 degrees, and my clowns are healthy, active, happy, and growing like weeds.

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