How fast Clown Loaches grow?

very nice pics! I want to post an mpeg of my clowns feeding from the surface. they are pigs. If i put my hand in there with food in it, they all fight over it.

they are old too (9 years so far) but are 3-4 inches in length.

I suspect that competition for food has held them down.

See, the loaches online site is a GREAT site, but it makes it sound like growing up giant clowns is easy and common place in our hobby, just like growing up oscars, barbs and other tank busters.

the problem is, quite the opposite is true.

and its not all about tank size either.

growing a clown up to 12 inches should be just as likely in a 90 as it is in a 180.

but again, there is more to it than that.

Part of the problem I suspect is diet.

In the wild, clowns forage for food eating small benthic invertebrates and worms.

In the aquarium, they seldom are fed such things.

I just don't think frozen foods will cut it.
 
very nice pics! I want to post an mpeg of my clowns feeding from the surface. they are pigs. If i put my hand in there with food in it, they all fight over it.

they are old too (9 years so far) but are 3-4 inches in length.

I suspect that competition for food has held them down.

See, the loaches online site is a GREAT site, but it makes it sound like growing up giant clowns is easy and common place in our hobby, just like growing up oscars, barbs and other tank busters.

the problem is, quite the opposite is true.

and its not all about tank size either.

growing a clown up to 12 inches should be just as likely in a 90 as it is in a 180.

but again, there is more to it than that.

Part of the problem I suspect is diet.

In the wild, clowns forage for food eating small benthic invertebrates and worms.

In the aquarium, they seldom are fed such things.

I just don't think frozen foods will cut it.
Agreed. I feed my clowns with live tubifex worms and earthworms..

Even that, their growth rate is particularly slow. Unless one if them is going to be the alpha clown, 1 inch per year from 6 inches will be a good feat.
 
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one of your clowns had different markings. i seen one clown with similiar ones in a petshop. are they a mutant colouration or a subspecies
 
Nice pics H3D!
 
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