It's been a while but it seems like 2" loaches got 4" or so in a year but that may have been using the standard length (without including the tail) instead of total length. SL is/was the Euro-centric fish measurement. I kind of like that since body size, not fins is what counts to me. Fish that are bred for long fins or have tail extensions aren't "really" bigger than "normal" fish. But for bragging rights, total length rules!
I've been seeing very tiny clowns under an inch TL the last several years. I don't like fry being sold that small, they need extra care & some will likely not survive. Or the "dolphin nosed" short faced clowns that probably should have been culled. I blame the fish farmers for these sad trends. 1.5-2 inch clowns are probably close to a year old & are now medium or even large sized at lfs.
As I recall, their growth slowed at ~4" with males always bit smaller, more slender & slower growing. It took 2-3 years to go from 4 to 6+" for the largest chubby females.
As you know feeding more often & keeping water very clean helps fish to grow faster. I also used to treat loaches for internal parasites just in case. While maybe not necessary, parasites can slow growth & may be 1 cause of "skinny disease". I've used Levamisole or flubendazole (not fenbendazole) with botia type loaches. Something else to think about...
I've been seeing very tiny clowns under an inch TL the last several years. I don't like fry being sold that small, they need extra care & some will likely not survive. Or the "dolphin nosed" short faced clowns that probably should have been culled. I blame the fish farmers for these sad trends. 1.5-2 inch clowns are probably close to a year old & are now medium or even large sized at lfs.
As I recall, their growth slowed at ~4" with males always bit smaller, more slender & slower growing. It took 2-3 years to go from 4 to 6+" for the largest chubby females.
As you know feeding more often & keeping water very clean helps fish to grow faster. I also used to treat loaches for internal parasites just in case. While maybe not necessary, parasites can slow growth & may be 1 cause of "skinny disease". I've used Levamisole or flubendazole (not fenbendazole) with botia type loaches. Something else to think about...