Clown Loach II?

Question

To MM: thanks for the advice i will try to see if the pet stores carry clown loaches..

but what im wondering is.... will it be too big for the 20 gallon tank???

if anyone has any suggestions and tips please dont hesitate to tell me!!!!!!

thanks!

Answer 1

You usually find clown loaches rather small at most pet stores. 1.5 - 2" long is normal in most places I think. They are quite long lived fish and grow rather slowly. They do however get fairly large eventually. Your 20 gallon should be fine for a clown loach for several years, maybe as much as 5 years, after that it will need a larger tank. Once the fish gets to be about 1/2 - 2/3 as long as the tanks shortest side it's time for a new tank.

As for tips, they really, really love bloodworms and blackworms, but let sinking pellets be the main staple in his diet and the worms be a special treat 2-3 times a week.

MM

Answer 2

Yes. Clown loaches grow to 12" and need to be kept in groups of AT LEAST three. You could keep clown loaches in a 20 gallon as a TEMPORARY home, if you'll upgrade when they near 5" and begin to require more room.

There are smaller species of loaches that would work for your tank, including kuhli, zebra, yo-yo, and Thai loaches that will stay around 4". Three would fit fairly well in a 20 gallon, although a 30 would be better.

C.G.

Answer 3

Clown loaches come in a variety of sizes. Since a fish will normally only grow to a size that their environment permits, I'm sure with a little searching you could find one suitable for your aquarium. Know of course that loaches can sometimes be aggressive so don't keep any very small fish in the same tank with him. They are also scale-less fish, so buying chemicals to medicate your tank (...if need be somewhere in the future..) will be difficult. Make sure you read the label to determine whether certain medications are safe for scaleless fishes. You probably already know that they are scavengers so purchasing food for them is not hard, but feed black worms every once in a while to keep them healthy. Best of luck with your loaches! And if you can't find them at any local pet stores, there are fish distributors that will mail you fishes, often with a live guarantee.

Answer 4

The clown loach will outgrow a 20g tank, they can get to be around a foot long.

Try any of the smaller 4-6 inch loaches of the botia family.

Answer 5

You should be OK with 2 of them in a 20 gallon tank they very rarely get over 8in in the aquarium, they also feed on snails, blood worm that sort of thing and not algae. I've half a dozen in a 6x2x2ft planted tank between 5-8 inch's largest have been there about 8 years. if you can get specimens over say 3 inch as below this they are very susceptible to white spot and being scale less fish are a bit fussy about proprietary treatments.