How many corys and clown loaches?

[aparker2005]

Hey everyone, I'm getting a new 75 gallon tank in the next month or so. In my 29 gallon tank right now, I have 3 Schwartzi Corys and 5 Pepper Corys. I'm really wanting to get 3-4 Pandas or Bronze Corys when I get the new tank. However, I also want to get 3-4 Clown Loaches. Will 11 Corys and 3-4 Clown Loaches be too many for a 75 gallon tank? I will also have a lot of livebearers (mollys, guppys, platys) in this tank as well. I figured since the corys/loaches were bottom dwellers they would be fine. What do you think?

 

[Cory Lover]

Hi,

First of all, do you relize if you get Clown Loaches you will have to upscale your tank size in the future because Clown Loaches need very big tanks?

In most cases, Clown Loaches and Cories don't mix, because the Clown Loaches will out compete the Cories for food and be bullies. So I would strongly suggest not to get Clown Loaches.

So, if you don't get Clowns, you could get more Cories. You could have a shoal of 20+ for the bottom zone of your tank.

Cory Lover

 

[Aislinn]

I think a 75g is too small for clown loaches.

You could keep 3 schools of corys in a tank that size, but you should have at least 6 individuals of each type of cory so that they have true schools.

 

[aparker2005]

They have very small clown loaches at my Petsmart and I was going to get those. Don't clowns take years to get large though? By that time, I could probably upgrade to a larger tank. Will the clowns only get as large as the 75 gal. will let them?

If I don't decide to get the clowns, I'll get more Corys. My Peppers and Swchwartzi school together, so will other Cory's as well? I am not sure, but I thought I had seen a black cory before? If so, what kind are those and do any Petco, petsmart's carry them? I also want some pandas and bronze, so would they school with my peppers and schwartzi's?

 

[Aislinn]

I would never buy a fish that I KNOW will get too big for the tank I have now unless I was absolutely positive I'd have a tank big enough to comfortably house the full-grown fish as soon as I would need it. That means a tank big enough to fit the MAXIMUM size that type of fish may grow to.

Personally, even if I knew I was going to upgrade tanks, I don't know that I'd even be comfortable getting a fish that I don't ALREADY have a tank big enough for. Since I see my fish every day, I don't always notice how much bigger they're getting...sometimes it's like it just hits me one day that they've about doubled in size. I'd rather get the proper tank first, and then get the right fish for it. That way the fish outgrowing the tank is literally not an issue. It just seems to me to be the fair way to treat my fish.

As far as the way corys school, corys are some of the most social fish I know of. They really suffer when not in groups, and really love to party it up in numbers. Because they depend on this social interaction so much, most corys will school with ANY other type of cory, but as with all fish, they are certainly capable of distinguishing which fish are their same species. Having a proper school of each species is best. It's very likely that all your schools will shoal together, but it's also best for the corys that they each have a school of their own species.

 

[canucksfan1]

I have 3 clown loaches in a 55, i am going to buy probably 3 more soon, and before i get ragged on i do have a bigger tank that will be setup in hopefully < a month, its a 518 gallon tank (7x3.3x3) which would be more then adequate, now although u won't need a tank this big clown loaches will definatly need a bigger tank, and they will grow to the size of your tank in a way, if u want stunted, unhealthy, and very subseptible to disease fish!

 

[Aislinn]

...bigger tank that will be setup in hopefully < a month, its a 518 gallon tank (7x3.3x3)quote]
518 gallons! Neato - I've always loved clown loaches, but have never had a tank nearly big enough to healthily keep them, so I've never had any. You'll be able to have a whole school, and I bet it will be the coolest thing to watch! What else will you have in the tank? Keep us updated!

 

[GirlieGirl8521]

Clown loaches are fine in a 75g, as long as you realize that they will eventually need a tank that is around 6 ft long. If you are able to provide them a tank that large in the future, by all means get 4-5 of them now and let them grow in your tank.

Aislinn, I am like you in that I don't buy fish that I know will outgrow the tank, but many people are not like us. As long as a person realizes that a fish will outgrow their existing tank and can provide the proper housing for them in the future, I see no reason why they can't get that fish now.

As far as cories and clown loaches go, I've never kept them together, but I do keep Yoyo loaches together, and while they aren't the same fish, they are both silly loaches. My Yoyos don't bother the cories and the cories get their share of food. The loaches are more active and voracious at feeding time, but I put enough food in the tank at night to ensure that they all get something.
I can see how a large clown loach could outcompete cories for food, being that the are larger, but I don't see them being aggressive.

Maybe someone who has kept cories and clown loaches together can provide some input. I know someone here on AC has to.

 

[aparker2005]

Thanks everyone..........I may get the small clowns they have at my Petco. They also have medium sized ones that are a little more expensive. I'll stick with the small ones and when they eventually get bigger, i'll upgrade tanks.

So now, *IF* I get 3-4 clowns, should I add any more cory's? I have 8 right now......

 

[Kyohti]

Maybe try yo-yo loaches. I don't think they get as big? I'm not a loach-person, so I'm just tossing this suggestion out there to see what people think. I love my cories.

Personally, I decided when I get a large tank, I'm going to have my albinos, pandas, and sterbais. That way they can school together but it's still obvious to unknowning onlookers that I have a varitey of cories in my tank. Maybe it'll make it obvious to them? Who knows.