Clown Tank Dimension Advice

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Holdstrong
Posts: 118
Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2007 11:36 am
Location: Boston, MA
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Clown Tank Dimension Advice

Post by Holdstrong » Wed Aug 05, 2015 6:54 pm

Hi gang,

Time for me to upgrade my tank. I currently have a standard 4 foot long 75g (48 x 18 x 21) with 4 clowns. The biggest of the group has gotten big enough that I am uncomfortable keeping him/her in this tank much longer. A quick wag of that tail and in the blink of an eye she moves from one end of the tank to the other. I'd like to give her move room.

I know that 125g is the recommended minimum size, unfortunately our new home won't accommodate that.

I have, however, discovered that GlassCages sells a 100g Long tank. Dimensions are: 72 x 18 x 17

That is a 6 foot long tank, has the same width as my current tank, but loses 4 inches of height. I'm trading length for height and adding 25 gallons, which I am assuming is a good trade off, but wanted to check in with you guys to see what your thoughts were before I order.

Bas Pels
Posts: 360
Joined: Sat Nov 30, 2013 9:08 am

Re: Clown Tank Dimension Advice

Post by Bas Pels » Thu Aug 06, 2015 2:30 am

Height is not important for them. Still, I wonder whether you should not better consider selling them - after all, the tank only measures 6 feet lang and one and a half feet from the front to the back, while clowns can reach a whole foot in length.

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redshark1
Posts: 585
Joined: Sun Dec 26, 2010 6:58 am
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, Great Britain.

Re: Clown Tank Dimension Advice

Post by redshark1 » Sun Aug 09, 2015 10:49 am

Similar dimensions to my own.

My fish are large (but not maximum sized), old and seem healthy.

I would buy a bigger tank if mine broke, but that is not economically justifiable at the moment.

I feel a larger tank would be better but I have seen that Clown Loaches can have long lives in smaller. So, it may depend whether you regard smaller fish as healthy.

I often wonder how big would be big enough? After 21 years of research it is still hard for me to say but I don't disagree with the recommended 72" x 24" x 24" minimum put forward on this site. This seems reasonable to me.

However, I didn't see evidence to prove it. I mean, Clown Loaches reportedly have the potential to grow to 15" (though I have also read that in their natural habitat 8-10" is the more common size encountered by the fishermen who eat them). Will they grow to 15" in the recommended tank size? Despite much research I still don't know. Big old ones are scarce despite a reported 20 million being exported annually from Indonesia.

From evidence in my research I have seen they remain smaller than their potential size in smaller aquaria. I have seen that they can live long and apparently healthy lives at 4" length in a 3ft tank though I do not recommend this personally. Mine have reached up to 9" at 21 years of age in a 72" x 18" x 18". I had to decide on those dimensions 21 years ago as a beginner without the knowledge I have now (and with the retailer recommending me a 3ft tank).

We are lucky to have better information today, even if it does not give us the whole picture.

Ideally you will be comfortable with your choice of Clown Loach aquarium having viewed the evidence.

I guess I am a little less than comfortable, but I still enjoy my fish.
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.

Loachloach
Posts: 787
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:11 pm

Re: Clown Tank Dimension Advice

Post by Loachloach » Mon Aug 10, 2015 10:46 am

The ideal tank would be longer, wider and taller than what you can accommodate but doing your best is still something.
In my personal opinion, they like height as well as length. The width will come into play when they are large enough.
I had to move my bunch from a 65cm tall tank to a 45cm tall and they don't do the up and down the glass display anymore which they did for years every day. They just can't in such a shallow tank. As far as length goes 6f is plenty enough if the tank is tall and wide at the same time

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