Clown Loaches...

[fishorama]

Emma is a moderator at loaches.com. The 2 big loaches were rescued from a pet store when they had out grown their previous owners tank. She runs an aquatic shop in England but that tank is in her home. I think it's a 1000L 7ft x 3ft tank & they are eating chopped prawns (that's what I remember anyway).

Animal ownership comes with responsibilities. If you are unwilling or unable to care for them for their known, expected lifespan & size you shouldn't get the animal. Like puppies (& children) they don't stay little nearly as long as they need care, although loaches often stay cute longer IME. This attitude of disposible pets is wrong whether for dogs, cats or fish.

 

[loaches r cool]

To be honest I dont think many people consider fish on the same level as most pets. Many consider them more as a decoration than a pet. Everyone including you has thier opinion, but as far as I am aware there are very few pet laws anywere regarding fish. Alot of animals are raised to be killed be it feeder guppies, snails, or turkeys and cows. Were do you draw the line? Pet worms? What about that big beautiful deer I shot to death last week... plenty of people are against that and plenty of people enjoy doing it. I would never condone purposefully inflicting harm on a fish but its debatable how much harm is caused by stunting and too small of an aquarium. I would never house them in a small aquaria other than raising them from being very small, but thats my choice. As far as I am concerned if the fish is healthy, active, and lives a long time even in a smaller tank it could very well be better off than the average fish sold from the lfs, or its wild counterpart for that matter, even if its stunted. I just think people get far too worked up about this matter, I mean c'mon, were stuffing fish into a little cube for thier entire life.

When people have fish that are getting to be 8" or so and they didnt realize it would get so huge the common response is to give it back to the lfs. Sometimes I wonder who is worse, the one housing it in a too small aquaria (under all other ideal conditions atleast) or the one who told them to take it back to petco or petsmart.

 

[syddakyd]

i agree with the thread starter. it seems that those people that are freaks and say "each convict cichlid needs a 55g" are just as messed up as the "misinformed" or stupid person buying an oscar and thinking its ok in a 20gallon

its like watching the news (mainly right wing/republican/conservative based ....regarding the war) and all these left wing conspiracy "theories"(real left wing i mean like socialists anarchists communists etc).

my point is the truth always lies somewhere in the middle. you just have to use common sense.

in the wild, clown loaches can get up to two feet i read? sounds like a 180 is way too small for a school if you ask me. for a school of 6 to reach their proper 2ft size, i would recommend a 500gall minimum.

so since 99% of the hobby is unqualified, ban the species.


now back to reality. 3 in a 125 is fine, case closed

 

[Ulan]

To be honest I dont think many people consider fish on the same level as most pets.

I agree. Buying fish is more akin to buying flowers for a vase. At least that's my experience from watching people buy fish at Petsmart or Walmart. They go around and pick fish that look intersting to them. That's the only criteria.

As far as I am concerned if the fish is healthy, active, and lives a long time even in a smaller tank it could very well be better off than the average fish sold from the lfs, or its wild counterpart for that matter, even if its stunted. I just think people get far too worked up about this matter, I mean c'mon, were stuffing fish into a little cube for thier entire life.

A good point. I have often thought about what I actually do. Yes, I make sure I keep certain standards, but in the end I subject a few living beings to my fancy. And some of them die due to what I do. I'm not sure whether I should be proud that my fish die by educated care.

When people have fish that are getting to be 8" or so and they didnt realize it would get so huge the common response is to give it back to the lfs. Sometimes I wonder who is worse, the one housing it in a too small aquaria (under all other ideal conditions atleast) or the one who told them to take it back to petco or petsmart.

I wonder where all those big plecos or loaches go. Probably to a similar place as most cats go.

 

[cohazard]

but if you think a full grown one can be house in such a small tank then you should watch this video.

http://s88.photobucket.com/albums/k...urrent=DSCN1258.flv&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch1

That loach is deformed and stunted. Even in a large tank, without enough room to move properly (i.e. too much driftwood... or too many other loaches), or the correct environment (fast flowing water), even large tanks can cause your loaches to stunt.

I've read a lot of threads where people are mazed by that loach... "ooh, wow, ahh", but I've seen loaches of equal size who have the normal stream lined shape of a juvie, just that they're 13" not 2.

That loach looks like a brick with a tail.

 

[is300zx]

That loach is deformed and stunted. Even in a large tank, without enough room to move properly (i.e. too much driftwood... or too many other loaches), or the correct environment (fast flowing water), even large tanks can cause your loaches to stunt.

I've read a lot of threads where people are mazed by that loach... "ooh, wow, ahh", but I've seen loaches of equal size who have the normal stream lined shape of a juvie, just that they're 13" not 2.

That loach looks like a brick with a tail.

How is a foot long clown loach stunted? Deformed maybe but stunted? Like someone said, that loach was a rescue made by Emma Turner, one of the experts at loaches.com. I've read that it has grown bigger since that video was made.

 

[Shelby_Tempo_GT]

Clown loaches can be housed in smaller aquariums when they are little but eventually will need a 180 gallon aquarium or larger.

so what will you do with the Loach in your signature when it outgrows your 90?

Will you buy a 180 to house it?

 

[Shelby_Tempo_GT]

I think this is pretty simple.

Anyone getting on their high horse about tank sizes can take all of their fish back to the store and sell their tanks.

Its doesnt matter how large or small your fish is. You are putting it in a tank. Period. You are stunting it from its natural habitat which would be hundreds of thousands of gallons.


So just keep in mind, the louder you thump your chest, the more a hypocrite you sound.

Like was said earlier, fishkeeping is what it is. Don't you dare be "holier-than-thou" about tank sizes while keeping fish at all.

 

[loaches r cool]

Just don’t confuse someone’s statement to be "holier-than-thou" with giving factual information or honest advice. Mine are only in a 75G right now. That doesn’t mean I don’t plan on upgrading. As far as that big fellow being stunted, most clowns I have seen 12" or more look 'about' the same as that one. Stunted, maybe I don’t know, clowns are known to stunt very easily. But please provide some pics of some 12"+ ones that are still long and skinny so we could clear that up, I'd really like to see as I have not seen any like this.

Not to add fuel to the fire but there are many ways to look at what we do. One way like I said a while ago above is that even in a large few hundred gallon tank the fish is limited to an environment much smaller than their native one. Or, due to predation, sickness, lack of food, etc, our aquarium housed fish could have a high chance of being much better cared for than they would have in their native environment, and could outgrow and outlast their native cousins by far. There’s always different way of looking at things, its not just black and white. I dont try to take any sides, just make some points.

 

[Shelby_Tempo_GT]

Just don’t confuse someone’s statement to be "holier-than-thou" with giving factual information or honest advice. Mine are only in a 75G right now. That doesn’t mean I don’t plan on upgrading. As far as that big fellow being stunted, most clowns I have seen 12" or more look 'about' the same as that one. Stunted, maybe I don’t know, clowns are known to stunt very easily. But please provide some pics of some 12"+ ones that are still long and skinny so we could clear that up, I'd really like to see as I have not seen any like this.

Not to add fuel to the fire but there are many ways to look at what we do. One way like I said a while ago above is that even in a large few hundred gallon tank the fish is limited to an environment much smaller than their native one. Or, due to predation, sickness, lack of food, etc, our aquarium housed fish could have a high chance of being much better cared for than they would have in their native environment, and could outgrow and outlast their native cousins by far. There’s always different way of looking at things, its not just black and white. I dont try to take any sides, just make some points.

that's cool.

I just don't like it when people start to take themselves a little too serious with fishkeeping when the very act of keeping fish destoys any argument they have... while turning newbies away.

I like to think that today's newbie is tomorrows instructor.