Are Clown loaches good community fish?

Category: pets fish and aquariums
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Clown Loaches make excellent community fish. The downside is that they get extremely large and need a large tank with extremely good water quality. Clown Loaches can get in excess of 12 inches sometimes as much as 16 inches in home aquaria.



Hereof, what fish are compatible with clown loaches?

Clown Loach Tank Mates In the aquarium, these fish will do well with nearly all community fish like Cherry Barbs, Tiger Barbs, Neon Tetra, and Black Widow Tetra. Other good tank mates for this species would be other bottom-dwelling fish such as Kuhli Loach, Bristlenose Pleco, and the Borneo Sucking Loach.

Subsequently, question is, do Clown loaches eat fish? Re: Clown loach eating other fish. Loaches are opportunistic, while they don't typically hunt other fish if they see an opportunity to eat a smaller fish they will. Some of the more aggressive Botiine loaches will sometimes go after smaller fish.

Correspondingly, are loaches good community fish?

Most loaches are quite peaceful and do well in community tanks, however, some members of the family Botiidae can become boisterous and may go after smaller or slower moving fish. These species are best kept with larger, more active fish. Always research fish or ask an aquarium expert before purchasing.

How many clown loaches should be kept together?

So, they need to be kept in groups of at least five fish. This can be a problem. First, all clown loaches are fairly expensive, and second, they do grow quite large — eventually a group of five will require a 70-gallon tank or larger.

37 Related Question Answers Found

Can I keep one clown loach?

You can keep them in singles but I believe they won't be as happy as they should be. I agree with Zagz. They are an active schooling fish and would be happier in a group. I had a single clown loach (it was a gift) for almost half a year.

How much do clown loaches cost?

Clown Loach: Species Profile
Popular Name Clown Loach
pH Level 6.0-6.5
Tank size 55 gallons +
Origin Borneo, Malaysia, Sumatra, Kalimantan
Price Starting at $4.99

Do Clown loaches clean tanks?

Clown Loach
They are, however, a large fish with most coming in at about 12-14 inches as adults. They clean off the bottom and go through the substrate to look for food. These require large tanks.

Can clown loaches live with guppies?


Clown loaches require HUGE tanks! Many members will say 75 gallon, but IMHO-I wouldn't put them in anything smaller than a 125 gallon. As adults, they look like footballs with stripes. I'm pretty sure they'd eat your guppies as soon as their mouths were big enough.

Can you keep clown loaches with angelfish?

Yes they are compatible. When i had my Freshwater Tank i had 5 clown loaches and 3 angelfish and they all swam among each other like a school.

How many clown loaches can you have in a 55 gallon tank?

AC Members. You could seriously put 1/2 a dozen Clown loaches in a 55 and not have to worry about them out growing it for YEARS.

How do you keep clown loaches alive?

Water quality is critical for keeping clown loaches healthy. Take care to keep the water very clean, well-aerated and warm; an efficient filtration system and frequent water changes are critical. Tank lighting should be subdued, and the substrate should be soft and sandy.

Do loaches eat fish poop?

Some fish such as Corydoras and Plecostomus catfish are said to eat poop – but even if they did, they still require feeding just as any other fish would.

Can Kuhli loaches live in a 10 gallon?


Yep the more loaches the better! You can do a 10 gallon but its not worth it as you cant fit enough to have them be activate. Plus with a 20 gallon you can add more fish such as me.

How many weather loaches should I keep?

Weather loaches are social fish, and you should always keep in groups of at least three. If they are kept on their own, they will spend most of their time hiding, and will rarely be active during the day.

Are loaches bottom feeders?

Zebra Loaches
These fish are nocturnal bottom feeders that like to hide in plants, rocks, and logs. This is another good fish for eating snails and sifting through sediment with its barbels to keep the tank and plant roots free of debris.

Do loaches eat algae?

Compatible With: Other peaceful community fish. If your tank becomes overpopulated with these snails, some fish such as Cichlids and Loaches will eat them. Ramshorn Snails tend to leave plants alone if there is enough algae and dead plant matter. They can breed quickly.

What food do loaches eat?

Most clown loaches accept commercial flake food and sinking pellets as their dietary staple, but thrive with a variety of food: live (worms, brine shrimp, small snails), banana, other plant matter, freeze-dried (tubifex worms, especially if it is fortified) and frozen brine shrimp (always thaw frozen food to aquarium

Do Kuhli loaches need a heater?


Kuhli loach always by heater. Staying by the heater is most likely because they feel they need to hide. You may want to add more hiding places. Kuhli loaches, by nature, are nocturnal and don't care for bright lighting.

What is the smallest Loach?

Dwarf chain loach (Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki)
At a maximum 6cm/2.4”, this is the smallest botiid loach and excellent for community tanks.

What fish can live with weather loaches?

Re: Tankmates for Weather Loaches
White Cloud minnows or Rosy Minnows (fatheads), glofish danios and zebra or leopard spot danios, all can thrive in cooler water, as can rosy barbs. The rosy barbs in my tank don't seem to bother the dojos. They are small- to medium in size.