Bottom feeders

[chicago1847]

What bottom feeders can I get that are not shy? I bought two clown loaches but all they do is hide.
20gal
1 red dwarf gourami
10 neon tetras
2 freaked out clown loaches

[mooman]

cory cats, but only if you have at least three or four. Otherwise they'll get reclusive too. How long have you had the loaches?

[chicago1847]

About 4 days now. I wanted to get some Emerald corys but I couldn't find any.

[wwildcats04]

It takes some time, but soon they will almost always be out. They are great fish and very intertaining. Mine hang out by the front glass and sleep there on their sides or on there back. Occasionally they will swim around the top with their noses out of the water and start to click, it even wakes me up! They're real cute, all they like to do is play!

[chicago1847]

Is 20g too small for loaches? I should have checked before hand but that guy at the LFS said it would be fine...now I'm reading that they can get up to six inches long in captivity.

[Slappy*McFish]

Actually, they can get up to 12"+ in size. Many people raise them to this size in large tanks. So to answer your question...no, a 20g isn't big enough to house clown loaches. Especially since they are pretty long-lived fish if kept in the right conditions.
You could try some Zebra loaches, Dwarf Chain loaches or Kuhli loaches.

[Holly9937]

Often the people at an LFS will tell you that alot of bad things are fine, some because they don't care about the welfare of the fish, some because they don't know any better themselves! Its always best to do your own research, that way you don't have to rely on someone who may not know the answer and just takes a wild/uninformed guess!!!

[Deltaway]

I remember the person at the LFS completely contradicted my research. He said that oto catfish were extremely agressive, wereas the flying foxes were not. This is the opposite of what I heard, and now I'm not sure whether or not to get them. Maybe he was just trying to get rid of the foxes...

[chicago1847]

Are the Zebra loaches, Dwarf Chain loaches or Kuhli loaches as much fun as Clown loaches? Or would corys be more appropriate (in terms of size) for a 20g tank?

[Slappy*McFish]

Otos are extremely aggressive. lol..that's just absurd.

IMO, those loaches are a lot of fun...as are corys. If you'd rather have corys, then by all means get them. Most corys would do well in that size tank, anyway.

[chicago1847]

Thanks for the info slappy...also would you happen to know price ranges for the loaches you mentioned and emerald corys if possible? The clown loaches were $9.99 a pop at my LFS.

[Slappy*McFish]

Prices vary from store to store. I'd call your LFS and ask them. If they don't usually stock a certain species, see if they can order it for you.

[WinterWind]

Are the Zebra loaches, Dwarf Chain loaches or Kuhli loaches as much fun as Clown loaches? Or would corys be more appropriate (in terms of size) for a 20g tank?

I read that dwarf chain loaches are especially fun and interesting, especially if you get a group. If you choose them, get at least 4. I read that they like to play with each other by having one loach sitting on a higher area, like a rock or bogwood, and the others will try to get him off, like a game. That sounds very interesting.

[chicago1847]

Cool, I'll see if the LFS can order chain loaches. Can anyone else corroborate that their max size is 2 inches?

[mooman]

You loach fans are always anthropomorphising these guys. maybe i should get a few. :p:

[Slappy*McFish]

Cool, I'll see if the LFS can order chain loaches. Can anyone else corroborate that their max size is 2 inches?

Well, I think the largest ever caught wild specimen was a whopping 5". Though that size would be very rare in aquarium raised fish. I'm pretty sure 3" is about the biggest you'll ever see them get. Most grow to around 2-2.5". They are really cool fish with an intelligence that will surprise you. Give them some driftwood and rocks to hide under for security and they'll repay you with their playfulness.

[chicago1847]

Thanks for the info. I live near Lake Michigan...if I find driftwood on the beach is it suitable to place in the tank? Do I have to do some sort of curing process first? Also, I thought I read somewhere that driftwood will alter the ph of the water...any input would be appreciated.

[Slappy*McFish]

To cure driftwood just boil smaller pieces and scrape off all soft decaying wood leaving behind the hard wood underneath. I found the edge of a spoon works very well for this. Large peices of wood are put in clean trash cans of very salty water for a week or two. Rock salt in bulk works well for this. The salt will cure the wood and kill anything that may be living in it...also it will help release the tannins from the wood so your tank water won't turn brown after adding it. Just be sure to rinse it very well after soaking it in the salt water and it helps to soak the wood in freshwater for a day or two after the salt treatment. Driftwood does alter pH as it softens water and makes it more acidic overtime. This really shouldn't be of any concern, however...especially with regular water changes.

[chicago1847]

Great...thanks for the reply...you are a wealth of info slappy.