tony12 Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 I have a 100 litre tank containing: 2 clown loach 1 leopard pleco 3 kribensis 3 chain loach 4 mollies I added this to a site and I got slammed for overstocking, being cruel, clown loach need 500gallon tanks, how can you keep a 5inch pleco like that etc. I know the loach need watching and they may need rehoming in years to come but I was surpised at the vehemence that I would cause pain to the loaches as theye would have stunted internal organs etc... Any views from you guys in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 All looks ok, but the Clown loaches and Pleco will need to be rehomed or a upgrade, the pleco sooner though as they get big. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinsonMassif Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 Well my view is that a 100L tank is small. You are overstocked clear and simple. Also poorly stocked. Chain loaches need a group as they are social fishes. The molly's, chain loaches, and Kribs would be ok for now. The leopard pleco gets to 20", the Clown loaches get to 18" - that is 50cm. IMO you should rehouse them in the next weeks, certainly not years. Clown loaches, like all fish, need space to grow when young and small to grow and develop healthily. They are a social species and need to be housed in a group as well. Fish keeping is about looking after the fish appropriately and housing them in what they NEED, not by what you WANT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 Yeah even if the sizes are okay right now you definitely need more than 2 clown loaches in a group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 50cm clown loaches?!?!?! :lol: I'm yet to see a pic with a ruler of a clown loach over 30cm. However, clowns need to be kept in groups of three at the BARE MINIMUM, but IMO 5 should be the very least you would want to keep. I have 8 all around 6" and they're fantastic to watch interacting, and I can't wait until my 14 smaller ones are large enough to go in with them! A tank as small as yours could very quickly lead to stunted growth. Most people think clowns grow slowly, but that is only because they aren't given the room to grow. even a 3' long tank can restrict the growth of a small loach as they are active fast swimmers from rivers with strong currents. It won't be in "years to come" that the clowns need rehousing, more like months. What you may not realise is that in the realm of online fish enthusiasts, a 100L tank is tiny to most people. At the end of the day there is more to stocking than just the number/size of fish in the tank. Filtration, feeding, water changes etc all play a role in how many fish you can get away with. Care to post a link to the site you originally posted on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony12 Posted August 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 I used to have larger tank but went down in size to fit in house. Yes I know 100l is small in enthusiasts mind but fits well. badmans fish was the site. Clowns grow slowly, that is a clear fact. They are currently 3cms long. I do a 20% water change wed and a 30% water change at the weekend with an aqua one trickle filter above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 Clowns grow slowly, that is a clear fact. Rubbish. In Emma Turners article in May PFK magazine she says young clowns will grow at an "amazing rate if given space from the word go". I purchased six clown loaches to grow out in my 5'x2'x2' tank about 7 years ago. In 12 months they had gone from small 1.5-2" little things commonly seen in the LFS to fat healthy 5-6" clowns. That might be slow compared to an arapima or red tailed catfish, but for a clown loach thats good growth. Since then I have sold them to a friend who kept them in a 4'x18x18 tank for about 2 years, then in a 3'x15x15 tank for a year while he was away, and then back into the 4'. I still see them regularly and have hardly grown since the day I sold them. The whole "clown loaches grow very slowly and don't usually get over 6" in captivity" thing is a myth that has risen from improper keeping. If you put 20+ baby clowns in a 6' tank with strong filtration, water slightly acidic and around 28C, fed them a good diet I think they would grow very quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreedingFrenzy Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 i have two clown loaches that are perfectly happy together. and i only have a 160L tank. though in saying that i am planning on rehoming them soon (when i feel i can part with them.. theyre my babies) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinsonMassif Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 Yes I know 100l is small in enthusiasts mind but fits well. Housing fish appropriately has nothing to do with enthusiasts minds. It is common sense and needs of the fish. There is nothing wrong with having a 100L tank. But you must house fish which fit into that 100L tank and have small space requirements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia-15 Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 right now the tank is fine, as stated above, i mean ive seen fish kept in way worse conditions (eg. Most gold fish/betta in tiny bowl without filter setups). Having said that, the set up is fine, but not ideal. There are plenty of alternatives, keep bn instead of goldspots. Skunk (nasty beasties) loaches or cories instead of clowns. Etc etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 Interesting thread, ive had my eye on the Clown Loaches since i started a couple weeks ago. But due to my small 135 litre tank ive realized they are not really an option. But there seems to be plenty of other choices like the Kuhlie which i will now be getting instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony12 Posted August 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Dear all Thanks for your help, and sorry to anyone who is involved with Badmans fish site, as I know they were only trying to help. Thanks to who ever sent them my post about them, I was exaggerating a little but I did post a question about what to stock and was very upset by the replies that I got as it had contradicted what I had discussed with people face to face that had many years experience and many tanks. I will finish this issue with the apology and will be asking that advice be given, not soved down the throat of the person asking the question. Currently I have changed the tank around and changed fish. Th JD's are gone. I have 6 mollies, 2 Kribensis, 2 clown loach and a pleco. I will rehome the pleco soon, and will swap the clowns for chain loach in a month or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkie Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Hey Tony i wouldn't let the people from that site get you down mate.Some people can come accross as very arrogant when giving advice and it's a shame because it can put novices of asking questions.Some of these people have been around a while and seem to forget we all start somewhere and the fact you went online seeking advice tells me you are trying to do your best buy your fish.Don't let it put you off asking more questions in the future, as there's only one type of dumb question and thats one that isn't asked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.