Best substrate for Clown Loaches

naps

naps

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Jan 1, 2006
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Just curious to see what people here think about substrate for clown loaches. I know that they love to dig and I enjoy watching them do this, so I am now in the midst of getting a new larger tank to move my clowns to and I want them to have the most enjoyable substrate possible.
So is it sand or fine gravel??? Is sand worth all the problems??(getting into filter/stiring it up for gases etc..) or should I just go with a fine gravel?? Any recomendations for a good gravel that will be like their home/natural setting that won't break the bank??? What do people here think??? THANKS!!!! ;)
 
Hey, I would get some gravel that is about 2-3mm thick. They love to dig and move gravel around and must be able to do this without injuring themselves. I dont know if sand or large gravel are good for clowns. I've got a natural looking gravel thats about 2-3mm thick and my clowns used to (they outgrew my tank so i moved them) loved it. Make sure lots of little hiding places, caves, plant roots etc. See my pic for example...

http://www.users.on.net/~iduthie/IMG_0590.JPG
 
Nice pic!! That's the same gravel that I have them in now in my 20g. They pick up the pieces of gravel in their mouthes and actually throw it to the side, it's great to watch. BUT what I was wondering is should I get something smaller like sand of fine gravel for them to burrow in the new tank, do they like this more??? i was told that clowns LOVE sand and burrowing in it, but not sure if this is the case and if it's worth all the problems that sand can cause???? So then I was wondering if there are some specific types or names of substrate that the loaches also love, that people might know of or have had experience with. THANKS!!! :)
 
It is very entertaining watching the clowns dig. I had larger sized pebbles in my gravel and the clowns would move them one by one by putting them in their mouth and transferring them....it was cool.

I am transferring them to a larger tank and the gravel is smaller in that.
 
Sand should be fine with clown loaches. I think you have to stir the sand up a bit every now and again to prevent anaerobic pocket buildup. I dont know of any names or specific types of gravel, but as long as it is either sand or fine gravel (2-3mm) that is not sharp, the loaches will appreciate it. Also better off to pick a darker substrate i think.

heres a good article bout aquarium sand

http://www.petresources.net/fish/article/sand.html
 
Yeah I was thinking about the color too. Is darker better?? Red or black or specific types??? Thanks again for info!! :clap:
 
If it's a big tank, keeping sand stirred up to avoid anarobic pockets can be a challenge. Especially if you have alot of caves set-up for the clowns. Clowns hate it when you mess around with their caves.

I used to have sand in all my tanks. Short term it's a great substrate. Long term, it's a pain. I don't have sand anymore and will never try it again. I use a small sized gravel in 3 of my tanks and Eco Complete in my big tank.
 
Thanks for the advise!! I was thinking that a bigger tank (70-100g) and being planted and well designed with caves and drift wood it will be too hard to stir up the sand. I will most likely go with a finer black gravel. If anyone can think of something better I'm all ears!! Thanks again for the help!! :)
 
If you're planning on Live Plants perhaps go with Flourite. It's a mixture of reds, browns, & blacks.

Just make sure that you wash it really good before putting in the tank...if you don't, your tank will look like "The Mississippi River" immediately!
 
Ah, Flourite!! Now this looks good to me!! It will help the plants and it's the color I'm looking for! BUT since it's clay do you think it will be too sharp for the clown loaches??? Don't want to cut the little guys all up.
Thanks for giving me a heads up on this product, do you know how expensive this stuff is??
 
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