# What is the ideal clown loach setup?



## spinsheet (Oct 12, 2014)

I'm looking to get a 75 gallon tank for my clown loaches. I currently have 3 (one is new, one is 15 and one is 22) in a 30 and wish to get more. I would prefer a heavily planted aquarium with a fair amount of aquascaping, rocks, driftwood, etc. I want to tailor this aquarium around the clown loaches so I'm wondering what the best plants and substrate would be for them.

I currently have a gravel substrate with lots of java moss and amazon swords. Their tankmates are some mountain minnows, hatchets, a pleco (he won't be joining them in the new tank), and some zebra loaches (they may stay in the 30, maybe). I know they like water flow so in addition to the Penguin 350 I'll add a powerhead to keep some current.

What other things should I be considering?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I have been fortunate to put my clown loaches through everthing.
They can be in almost any system.
a little current(strong current) in part of the tank and caves or tight spaces will provide the most entertainment for the buck!
I wouldn't keep them in under a 75g.They don't all get huge, but you expect a fish that can easily be the biggest 6-8 inch fish you have owned.
They can be like cardinals upon purchase ,where they are hard to get acclimated .But once acclimated to your tank they should last 10+ years easy.They aren't the fastest growers so the 75 isn't mandatory in the beginning but they can get big and like to swim fast(it is what the current is for).
Mine used to swim right into the current of large powerheads.
Get your numbers upto over 6 when you get your bigger tank.
I have 11 in my 180g.Basically one of my favorite fish all time.


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## Botiadancer (Dec 30, 2013)

CB hit all the important nails on the head - mine have moved 5 times with me and are all over 10 years old. They seem almost bullet-proof once they settle in - you can't get them too hot - mine were over 90 (a high of 92) for two weeks this summer due to them temporarily being in an uninsulated garage. (I'll never get ick in that tank!) I was floating ice cubes the size of dinner plates in their tank to get it to 90. They were hungrier, more active, and.. .did I say hungrier?
They love to cram in tight spots like sardines, and love to give you heart attacks by playing dead on the bottom. (Why those little $%*#(#)
As long as they have caves to hide in, you can have a hurricane (tornado?) of water movement and they will happily play tag in it.
Did I mention they love to give other fish haircuts by zipping up from behind and running their snout along their dorsal fin?
And like CB (we're not twins, honest), they are one of my favorite fish.

Clean warm water with movement and caves, and you're set for life.


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## discusbreeder (Oct 7, 2014)

There are usually reasons for most fish to have a preference in water movement, substrate, temperature, and plantings. For loaches the reason is that most are stream fishes from areas featuring relatively high current. They prefer rocky bottoms where they can hide from current and predators and long flowing plants. As an experiment in the late eighties I set up a two hundred foot stream in an old greenhouse in Tennessee. The fish loved it to a remarkable point, they bred like crazy. There wasa large pool at the bottom of the artificial stream to gather water for the pump, 1800 gallons an hour through a regular well foot. One day I noticed that the water in the pool appeared black. Upon inspection it proved to be writhing with baby kuhli loaches, literally thousands of them. I sold the lot to a wholesaler in Knoxville when I moved but the experience was truly magnificent.


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