Clown loaches - advice

[FastFish]

Hello! I'm planning for my first tropical tank, and I'm somewhat confused about clown loaches. I've seen them at the LFS, and they are really cool and I really want one... but it is strongly recommended that they be kept in shoals, and honestly, how many full grown clowns would be comfortable in a 55g long? Are they compatible with, for examble, harlequin rasboras and small tetras that are larger than neons? Could I get clown loaches for a community tank with small fish, or should I plan on small loaches and oto cats instead? Thanks.

[dethjam316]

zero.

55 long, i assume you mean the regular 4' standard 55g tank, since i've never heard of a 55g in any other form. you could keep 3 (3 being the recommended minimum to keep) in there for a couple years, as they are slow-growing fish, but they exceed 1' when full grown, so keeping 3 foot-long fish in such a tank is inappropriate. you would need to upgrade. they would be compatible with the other fish you mention, but you can't really keep them in a 55g when full-grown.

[FastFish]

Thanks, as I have not yet bought a tank, what would be a reasonable size and length for 3-4 clowns at full size?

[dethjam316]

a 6-foot tank. 125g+. it's one of those things i'd love to buy now, but can't as i live on the 2nd floor of an old apartment complex. eventually, i will, and my clowns will move into it. but, i must emphasize, they do grow slow...from everything i've read, once they get to 6", their growth is exceptionally slow, probably since they have very long lifespans. they'd probably be fine in a 55g for a couple *years*. you could go with a 75g instead of a 55g and keep them in it longer thanks to the 18" width of those tanks, and they probably could live in it at full-size, but a 125g would be much preferred in my opinion.

[Must4ng s4lly]

I have two clowns in my 58 and they love it! I have had them for two years.... when they get too big , I will trade them at the LFS for smaller ones. They eat my snail pop so they are always welcome :)

[chefkeith]

Buying clown loaches can be real tricky. If you’re lucky, you might be able to scout them out at the LFS and watch them for a few days or weeks before you buy them.

Clown loaches change their color based on a few things. They change color based its surrounding/substrate color. They also change color based on pecking order. The dominant clown loaches in the shoal will grey out and lose most its color.

Many Clown Loaches at the LFS are nocturnal, so they might seem sluggish when you get them. Clowns like to sleep a lot, about 10 hours per day. They are very social fish and will only hide when they are stressed or are napping.