Suggestions for 125g Biotope tank for Clown Loaches

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Tay690

Addicted to Loaches
Feb 5, 2009
666
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16
Hi there,
I got my 125g tank! wicked price too $250 for a full setup gravel, lights, lids, stand and all
I guess patience does pay off

Now I need some help planning it...it won't be functional at least until november

So i want to start planning the setup / accessories of the tank now

Basically I want this to be a clown loach specific tank and I want it to be as close to a natural habitat as humanly possible...I saved a lot on the setup so I'll blow what I would have paid on the accessories

any suggestions...ideas...amount of filters / heaters / power heads etc

I want to make this absolutely perfect...that's where you lovely people come in

Thanks in advance,
Sincerely,
Taylor
 

stratusfearrr

AC Members
Feb 25, 2009
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i'd def go with one or two canister filters. either eheim or fluval. and some power heads to get the currents going good.
 

Tay690

Addicted to Loaches
Feb 5, 2009
666
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16
Driftwood? anyone have any ideas on Live plants that do better with Clown Loaches? I know they like to peck away at plants for fun / food

I was wondering if anyone knows of some live plants that generally survive with Clown's pecking at them? or some that aren't so tasty?
 

pinkertd

Moderator
May 29, 2007
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Debbi
Like most loaches, this species does best if the tank is arranged to form plenty of nooks, crannies and hidey-holes. Water-worn rocks, plants and driftwood can all be used to achieve the desired effect. I prefer malaysian driftwood hands down over the other varieties. Pick pieces with really cool nooks and hidey-holes, pieces that you can stack on top of each other to form caves and your clowns will love it! Clown loaches prefer soft lighting, and the addition of some floating vegetation is also a good idea to reduce the amount of direct light entering the tank. You'll find your loaches are much more active and visible when maintained under these kind of conditions.

A soft, sandy substrate is best since these loaches like to grub about in it for morsels of food, and occasionally bury themselves. A soft substrate is therefore essential to protect the delicate mouthparts and scaleless skin of the fish.

The combination of sandy substrate and subdued lighting is unfavourable for most aquatic plants, but tougher species such as java fern (Microsorum pteropus), java moss (Vesicularia dubyana) or any of the African Anubias species should be ok. These have an additional benefit in that they grow best when attached to wood or other tank decor, thus escaping the foraging activity of the loaches. Any plants growing in the substrate should be well-established before you add your loaches to the tank, or they risk being uprooted constantly. Even then choose robust species, as softer-leaved varieties may be eaten or vandalised.

The water shoud be extremely well-oxygenated with a decent level of flow. Installing a couple of additional powerheads at one end of the tank should do the trick. The filtration should produce a high turnover and be biologically effective, in order to maintain the pristine water conditions required by these fish.

And their favorite food is snails! Ramshorns in particular. Never to soon to start raising up some live snails for food!
 

Tay690

Addicted to Loaches
Feb 5, 2009
666
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LOL wow that was amazing

thank you so much Pinkertd

I actually have a 15g with guppies and snails that breed out of control...so they're basically my treat
 

FSM

Pastafarian
Mar 30, 2008
354
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Georgia
My yo-yo loaches destroyed some Hygrophila, but Ludwigia, Rotala, java fern/moss and some echinodorus haven't been touched.
 

Tay690

Addicted to Loaches
Feb 5, 2009
666
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16
hooray for first rate experience

much appreciated

Only other question that you and Pinkertd didn't cover was my sump system? First off I would like some recommendations as to which companies are more reliable than others and any suggestions on whether to build one via home depot or just to buy one? I was also wondering how many GPh the sump should have for a 125g tank?

other than that my tank is set...I will go to buy the sand this weekend and possibly a new heater...the one that came with it is OLD and i'm not even sure if it still works...the tank already has the sump hole drilled also...the guy filled it in cuz I guess he didn't need it but should be easy enough to remove the silicon trash he filled it with

I feel like a kid on christmas eve ... November is too far away

And I did check the DIY sump sticky's...not to say I understand them all that well...but I'm sure if I got the concept it would be a breeze
 

pinkertd

Moderator
May 29, 2007
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New Jersey
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Debbi
Tay I'm clueless about sumps, but I can tell you to invest in a new heater. Don't take a chance of cooking your fish with an old one. I keep a lot of different crypts in the tank with my loaches and some taiwan moss on diftwood as well as java ferns and anubias. They knock some moss loose from time-to-time but I see no damage to any of the plants.
 

Tay690

Addicted to Loaches
Feb 5, 2009
666
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16
I think I will stick with Java fern / moss and some type of anubias plants
You're the 3rd person that has suggested those specific plants that I've read just today alone...

I really need to get the sump figured out and whether or not I'm going to take that silicon glob out of the hole that was already drilled...or have a HOB sump system

thanks again Pinkertd you really love your loaches too I see :thm:
 
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