I hate to be this guy...

gatotsu77

AC Members
May 17, 2006
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But... I am considering changing a few of the fish that are in my 55. My fish are all very lively and seem to be happy, but I am beginning to question whether or not its really fair to have them in my tank. I didn't think that either of my tinfoil barbs would grow nearly as rapidly as they have (they've gone from 2" to 5" in 2 months) and I feel kinda bad for my catfish as well. Both of my catfish just kinda sit around all day, but that's partially because I've got lights on my tank for my live plants. I know I need to find a new home for the tinfoils for sure, but I think I'm going to find a home for both of my catfish as well. (If you're in the so-cal area and are interested, let me know... I don't want them to go to a lfs with little aquariums if I can avoid it) I do care about my fish, and that's why its taken so much thought to even actually consider letting them go. With them gone, my tank will feel kinda bare with my 3 clown loaches, 2 opaline gouramis, and african brown knife in there. What would you guys suggest I get to take their spots? (prefferably something that won't get quite as big) I'm thinking about getting a synodontis eupterus, but I'd like to avoid getting a bunch of bottom dwellers too. My clown loaches are bottom/mid most of the time, and my brown knife has his own hiding spot. What would be some good mid-upper level fish which wouldn't beat up my gouramis? I've considered the possibility of adding another 2-3 female opalines, and would be happy with that, I just have to track a few down. (the store I work at is out of them at the moment) Are tiger barbs likely to pick on my gouramis? I'm absolutely not giving up my brown knife or clown loaches (I know I'm being stubborn about it, but I'm way too attached to them) but am willing to consider finding a home for the gouramis as well if we can identify a good mid-top dweller that would do well in my tank, but wouldn't do so well with the gouramis. Thank you everyone for your ideas. :-)
 
I think you will still be overstocked after getting rid of the ones you list and need a bigger tank.
 
Seriously? The 3 clown loaches have stayed right at about 3" each since I got them 4 months ago, the two opalines are about 3" for the female, 3.5" for the male, and the african brown knife is approx. 6". I understand that you're going off of the adult size of these fish, but they won't be in there for much more than another 8 months to a year. I am very adamant about maintaining pristine water conditions... I change approx. 30% of the water 2-3 times every week. I really don't mean to be rude here, especially because I respect you as being a very knowledgeable board member rbishop, but would those 6 fish really be overstocking a 55?
 
If you arent careful and dont get the tank within the next 8mths then you will probably be stunting their growth. I mean the Clowns themselves can reach 12"...over the course of time...they are SLOW growers thats why you havent seen much change in their size. The sooner you get the tank the better IMO. At adult size you're going to have some pretty big fish
 
Nope, don't think you are rude at all. I'm just the old timer that would rather live with an empty looking tank for years if necessary until the fish grew into it. :clap:

I just worry about individuals , in general, who hope/plan/promise to upgrade in time to prevent stunting or problems with aggression, and then are unable to for whatever reason.

Or a newbie who sees your stock/tank size and just walks away with it must be okay, so maybe a little smaller will also work.

Have no qualms about grow out provided the upgrade happens conservatively early, gat. Please continue to do your excellent work on tank maintenance!
 
My clown loaches have doubled in size since I got them. They were both about 2 inches when I bought them and one is easily 5 inches and the other is 4 inches. I received them about a month apart so I've had them about 6 months or so.

If yours haven't grown in 4 months it could be because the tank was overstocked, which will also stunt a fishes growth.
 
I do realize they are slow growers, and I was hoping that having as much room as they do for now wouldn't stunt their growth... but I'd become concerned about them if they got past 4 or 5" each.. I definitely agree that would be pushing it. I also agree that it wouldn't be wise for someone new to fishkeeping to try to keep as many fish as I do... I wholeheartedly acknowledge that I am overstocked, and I'm just fighting a losing battle to enjoy it while it lasts without endangering any of my fish. As it is, I think I'm going to be taking my tinfoils into my lfs today. I'd like to get one more female opaline gourami, to try to dissipate some of the aggression the male shows towards her, but I don't know if even that's a good idea. Perhaps I'll just find her a home also. (I feel so bad for her... he seems to chase her around quite often) I don't blame you for being wary of people saying they'll upgrade too. Unexpected expenses come up, work schedule changes, big project for class, etc. comes up, and suddenly it gets pushed back again. I'm really hoping that I will be able to get my tank when I plan to (since my folks won't let me keep any more tanks while I live here... I'm moving out next june and hopefully going to get a 125+ when I do) but if I can't, then I will be finding the clowns a suitable home so that they continue enjoying the freedom of movement they currently have, if not more freedom. I guess part of my problem is that I brought the tinfoils home knowing well that they would grow quickly, but I felt bad for them, as there were about 15 of them approx. 2" each in one of our tanks at work. (which are about the size of a 10g tank) I've taken this information to heart, and perhaps I will try to find homes for my catfish, and just simply keep with what I've got for now, and see how they do. Thanks again for your advice. :-)
 
My hopes are to do a tank that is 60" x 24" x 24"... but that may or may not be in the cards for me. (That'd be a 150g tank) I've done a lot of research on clown loaches, and too many places tell me they get different sizes... its friggin confusing. I know not to trust everything you read, but I've found their maximum size to be anywhere between 7 and 15 inches according to various websites. I could assume that they could get to 15 inches, but I'm certain that's rare. I could also assume they'll only get to 7", but I somewhat doubt a healthy one would stop at 7". After continually looking back at my tank and trying to remember exactly how big they were when I bought them 4 months ago, they have gained some size, but a little more in girth than in length. I'm totally in love with these little guys, but I also want to do what is best for them. What do you guys think about yoyo and zebra loaches? To what I can find, they seem to top out at approx. 4" rather than the potential yield of nearly a foot the clown loach possesses. I did have 2 quick questions for homer3d455840. How do your clown loaches get along with the ottos? I feed my catfish and the tinfoils I had endlers (feeder guppies) and I'd watch the clown loaches catch one every now and again. I realize that ottos are bigger than endlers, but do you think they'd bug them once they got a bit bigger? Also, and I really do not mean to start an argument here, but you say that a 125 isn't big enough for clown loaches, yet you have 3 yourself in a 55 (same as me) and say you've got a 90g tank coming soon. Do you also plan to get a much larger tank than that at one point? Like I said, I'm really not trying to pick a fight here, I'm just curious as to what you plan to do with them, knowing how large they get.
 
Hi gatotsu77. If you take good care of your clown loaches I would say 8" to 10" is the minimum, but 12" to 15" should be expected. You are correct it is rare that clown loaches get to be 15" or more. However, it is also rare that clown loaches get well taken care of. My clown loaches get along fine with the otos for now, but when they are moved to the 90 gallon the otos will not be going with them as the clowns loaches will eventually eat them. I plan to move my 3 clown loaches (which are 2 years old and about 6") and 4 more 3" clown loaches that I have in quarantine to the 90 gallon after the tank is up and running for about 4-6 months. When my clown loaches reach 9" I will move them to a 180 gallon or larger. Considering that clown loaches can live for over 25 years it is worth the investment to me to make sure they are well taken care of.
 
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