Loaches Online Forum

Hello,

Just to check, I have 15 clown loaches.
If someday I can get bigger 300 littre aquarium, i will get another species. Should i get dwarf chain loach or zebra loach or both ? how many recommended per species. How are they getting along if anyone ever has them together?

Dwarf chain and zebra loaches are about 10x the price of clown loaches. Clown loaches is about 2 USD at 6cm size.

Thank you,
Joie

Even a 300 liter aquarium is too small for 15 clown loaches.

I would not get different species that both inhabit the same area of the tank.

This is a very interesting question.

I don't have experience of keeping these species together but in theory it should be possible as though Clown Loaches are a much bigger species they are one of the most gentle.

Some of the other more aggressive species would probably not be suitable but chain and/or zebra loaches might work.

However, I'm not sure if they live together in the wild or how it would work out in captivity.

As your Clown Loaches grow you may find them satisfying to keep without adding other species.

When you said 300 litres did you mean 300 gallons? I ask because 300 liters would be frankly ridiculous for 15 Clown Loaches.

For 15 Clown Loaches alone you would need far more. Aquadvisor recommends 1416 liters.

Mine are 11.5" in total length and very full-bodied fish but I only have six.

I have approx 65 litres per Clown Loach and would ideally want more but advice for me to base my decisions on was limited 25 years ago.

In fact advice back then was completely wrong (e.g. can be kept singly, only 3ft tank/130 liters needed for a group, max size 6", max lifespan 10 years) and I had to make my own judgments. This kind of poor advice is still being given in some shops today.

I have kept sids & striatas together, they were fine. But clown loaches get to be 4-6 or more times their sizes. Clowns are not aggressive but are so much larger fish, by their shear size are not a good choice. I'm thinking your clowns are still quite young. They "should" grow to 4 or even 6 inches in their first year or so but more slowly after that...but they live a long time & will continue to grow (or should). I can't imagine the size tank you'd need for 15 10+ inch fish, let alone other small loaches Think hard!! Whether 300L or 300g, it seems small for all those clowns.

Woops, yea I have been keeping the small loaches for close to 3 months.
They didnt grow much eventhough i feed them abit sinking pelets / algae wafer like 4 times a day. Bloodworms once a week.

How much would you suggest i feed my 15 clown loaches one time ?
I am not sure what is considered feeding too much ?

May be the small size aquarium makes the growth stunted?
I am thinking if they get bigger then i will get bigger aquarium, or if that is not possible then return them to the farm.
Out of those 15, i have one loach that i have been keeping for 9months, it is still at 3inch 7.5cm. Didnt grow much.

Thank you all for your feedback.
Regards,
Joie

I have 10 dwarf chain loach and 4 small clown loach, and thay all get on really well, I would recommend them as very compatible tank mates.
Does anybody have any yo yo loach and are these peaceful loach to keep with clowns and chain loach.