Loaches and Corys

LuckyJGuy

Mah Fizzzi are off the Hizzi
Mar 17, 2004
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Do loaches and corys get along ok? I have a Clown Loach and plan on getting 2 or 3 Zebra Loaches, and I was thinking about adding some cory's, have no idea what kind yet though. Do these guys get along ok, or would that be too many bottom dwellers in one 20g tank?
 
mine get along ok, but i make sure i scatter alot of pellets around the tank for them.sometimes the loaches invade the cory cave, and it's funny seeing 6 cory's and 3 clown loaches all pilled up.
 
Neither clown loaches or cories are aggressive fish normally. I HAVE seen clown loaches pick on a sick/dying fish, though, and as their name implies, they sometimes playfully chase other fish around. But cories are kind of "armor plated" and unless they lose their fins, are usually OK. Not much messes with clown loaches, they're too fast.
The only thing to keep in mind is you have a fairly small tank, and clown loaches do best in schools of at least 3 (5 is better.) Also, cories like to have at least one playmate of their own kind. That's pushing it for a 20 gallon tank.
 
Clown loaches need at least a 55 gallon tank and more like a 75 gallon tank. They can grow to be 8-10 inches easily. They are slow growers though. As it stands I wouldn't add the cories due to the space the clowns will need.
 
While I agree in part with the previous post (you don't NEED cories when clown loaches will scour the bottom cleaning up), I disagree with you needing a 55 gallon tank to keep clown loaches. Fish grow to the size of their environment for the most part (yes, nit-pickers, there ARE exceptions.) But clown loaches grow rather slowly compared to some other fish. And it would be YEARS before you need a 55 gallon to house them.
 
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