Keeping a lone Clown Loach. OK?

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S

Sidrock

Candiru
MFK Member
Nov 20, 2009
579
3
48
Bombay, India
Hi Guys,

I have a question:

Can I keep a single Clown Loach in a 4ft tank with other fish (of compatible sizes)?

I am asking because I think most people keep CLs in schools.

I had an opportunity to buy a 5-6" Clown Loach for less than 10 USD. (It was the only piece that size in a batch of 2-3 inchers). I had to pass that offer because I didn't know if I could keep one alone.

So, what do you guys think?

Thanks,
Sid

PS: A few months ago, I lost a 7" BGK (which I had grown out from 4" and was in a cycled tank) after nothing more than a water-change. (I also lost 4-5" Red-Tailed Sharks a few months before that..) I have lot a bit of my confidence with scaleless fish.. I don't want to make any decisions without consulting the experts here on IAH.
 
I personally wouldn't put a Clown loach by himself. I also wouldn't plan on keeping a clown loach in a 4 ft tank for the long haul. Clowns are a schooling fish that can easily get to 8+ inches long in no time, and have been reported to max out around 16 inches. They should also be kept in at least a group of 3 IMHO.

Mike
 
short answer is yes you can .... i had a single cl in a community tank for a few years and he was great . eventually i put him in with a group and he had a hard time socializing . he was grumpy for a couple months ... but came around eventually . it is generally not encouraged but it is do-able .
 
I kept 3 in a 4ft 55 for a year. Got them when they were small to keep with my tiger barbs. Maybe I over fed or something because they were almost 8 inches in a year. and I gave them back to the LFS.
 
Mavrick813;4821967; said:
I kept 3 in a 4ft 55 for a year. Got them when they were small to keep with my tiger barbs. Maybe I over fed or something because they were almost 8 inches in a year. and I gave them back to the LFS.
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You set some records then. Clowns are slow growers which is one of the reasons large ones cost a lot.

I would get a few,not just one. I have 7 right now. They are in a 55 gallon.
Yes I know they get large, but that takes a long time. The biggest is only 3 inches right now. They are very fat though :)
 
Thanks Mavrick, Tom and Woody for your input..

Besides the possible tank-size issue, what do you think about impact on temperament/behavior of the CL when kept alone?

(For instance: It the impact of keeping a CL without a school as "dramatic" as keeping a lone Silver Dollar?)
 
my single clown loach was happy in his community . it was an active community with tetras , danios , and angelfish . he was 4" and pretty much the co-boss of the tank along with the angelfish . i moved him to another tank that had 5 smaller cl's and thats when he got all grumpy . mainly they don't like being moved but also i think he wasn't properly socialized and needed time to adjust . now he's doing great again . i think whether a single would be ok depends a lot on the other stock in the tank .
 
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