My hex tank

is300zx said:
I forgot, I think around 25-30 gallon.

Clown loaches are most likely going to need a much larger tank that 25 - 30 gallons. They can reach lengths of a foot or more! However, it does take them a very long time to get that large.
 
I understand, just pointing out that they are going to need a much larger tank. Tanks with small 'footprints' are also not going to be good for clown loaches. While I do like your tank, I wanted to help you realize that if you stress out a scaleless fish like a clown loach, you can have some serious problems which are harder to treat than with fish that have scales.
 
Tommy Gun said:
I understand, just pointing out that they are going to need a much larger tank. Tanks with small 'footprints' are also not going to be good for clown loaches. While I do like your tank, I wanted to help you realize that if you stress out a scaleless fish like a clown loach, you can have some serious problems which are harder to treat than with fish that have scales.

Serious problems like? I've already grown out some of my other loaches in the same tank. The bigger loaches are living in a 6'x2'x16" tank. They can't be moved in to the other tank because they would be eaten by my bichirs. I also have a 210 gallon tank that just needs to be set up so I can move my larger bichirs and larger fish in there. Which means the other tank would be free for the loaches. So like I said, don't worry because they ARE going to a larger tank.
 
Please dont get so defensive. The problems that can occur from keeping any fish in a stressful situation would be that they are more susceptable to Ich, Velvet and illnesses. With scaleless fish it is just harder to treat them. It is not the gallonage that matters here, it is the dimensions of the tank an in a hex tank, all of your bottom dwelling fish are going to be more cramped together than in a regular, long tank. They are also best kept in groups of three to five, in which case your tank would really not be a good choice because they would not have room to forrage around like they naturally do.

I am not trying to be rude to you or talk down on you. If you want to keep your loaches in the tank, then fine, that is your choice. I just want you to know that they can be better housed somewhere else. I would say the same for anyone who was keeping them in a similar situation and I am not picking on you.
 
Tommy Gun said:
Please dont get so defensive. The problems that can occur from keeping any fish in a stressful situation would be that they are more susceptable to Ich, Velvet and illnesses. With scaleless fish it is just harder to treat them. It is not the gallonage that matters here, it is the dimensions of the tank an in a hex tank, all of your bottom dwelling fish are going to be more cramped together than in a regular, long tank. They are also best kept in groups of three to five, in which case your tank would really not be a good choice because they would not have room to forrage around like they naturally do.

If you want to keep your loaches in the tank, then fine, that is your choice. I just want you to know that they can be better housed somewhere else. I would say the same for anyone who was keeping them in a similar situation and I am not picking on you.

I don't see how the dimension of my hex is stressing the fish out. My apistos wouldn't breed if they were. My rainbows and tetras would be a lot duller in color if they were. There is more than one clown in there. There are actually 6 of them and they forage just like regular clowns do. They're all only 2" SL or less so I don't see how they can't have any room in there. My previous clowns that were in there wouldn't have grown at all if they were such in a bad situation. I also quarantine my new fishes so diseases aren't a problem.
 
H3D said:
Regardless of whether the fish are stressed out this tank is far from an ideal loach aquarium.

Never said it was. That's why they are being moved to a much larger one when the time comes.
 
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