Do clown loaches survive in a Malawi fish tank? I have read conflicting information on this from books and internet sites. I like their colors and after reading that they live well with malawis, I added 2 of them in my tank. However, in less than a week, they were dead. I initially thought they were just hiding behind the rocks as I also read that they don't like bright lights. I have been seeing them mixed in a Malawi tank in some aquarium shops.
ClownLoaches in a Malawi Tank
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
Joined
·
7,198 Posts
They usually do just fine, but it can be a bit challenging adding them to a well established tank with subadult or adult cichlids that have already "settled in".
I would also suggest adding them in larger groups, if you try again.
They are notorious for carrying ich, so be sure to QT them for a while before introducing them to your main tank. :thumb:
I would also suggest adding them in larger groups, if you try again.
They are notorious for carrying ich, so be sure to QT them for a while before introducing them to your main tank. :thumb:
Joined
·
41,194 Posts
I did quite a lot of research on loaches recently in pursuit of a solution to my snail problem. I even joined loaches.com forum. They are quite convinced that clowns and Malawi are a bad mix, you might want to read their article. They say clowns need max pH=7.0, attain a maximum size of 12 inches and should be kept in groups of 5 or more. Also that Malawi are way too aggressive for clowns.
I was actually looking for a different loach to keep with Calvus from Lake Tanganyika. (Calvus are very calm and quite timid.) Even though I found one that liked a higher pH and less water flow than the usual "river" loaches, after exchanging posts with lots of people knowledgeable about both fish, we concluded that even the Calvus, when adult, would be too aggressive for both fish to thrive when kept with loaches.
My conclusion was: it can be done, but the loaches won't thrive.
Barbie was one of the Cichlid-Forum posters who responded in the General Aquaria forum and helped with my decision.
I was actually looking for a different loach to keep with Calvus from Lake Tanganyika. (Calvus are very calm and quite timid.) Even though I found one that liked a higher pH and less water flow than the usual "river" loaches, after exchanging posts with lots of people knowledgeable about both fish, we concluded that even the Calvus, when adult, would be too aggressive for both fish to thrive when kept with loaches.
My conclusion was: it can be done, but the loaches won't thrive.
Barbie was one of the Cichlid-Forum posters who responded in the General Aquaria forum and helped with my decision.
Joined
·
363 Posts
I have 2 Clown Loaches in my 125g tank. They do quite well with the cichlids I-even being aggressive themselves towards the Mbuna etc. I keep them in pairs. I can only relate through my experience with them. 8)
Joined
·
155 Posts
i had clown loaches in my tank for almost 4 years and they never got picked on. I had 3 and they would come to the surface and feed with the mbuna, as well as scurry around the substrate looking for uneaten food.
I keep hearing about mbuna being too agressive for them, however in my experience, they showed more agression toward the mbuna than visa versa. I supose it would depend on which mbuna you keep.
PH obviously is an issue. If you keep your PH super high I definately would not try it. I keep my PH around 8.0-8.2 and they adapted well, even showing more color than most *** seen that were kept in neutral PH.
Adding any fish to a tank full of adult (or sub-adult) mbuna can be a difficult experience. If you have a well estabilshed tank with adult mbuna I would probably not add them. As has been stated, QT them to make sure they are clean, and be mindful that some meds can be harmful to scaleless fish.
A long, SLOW acclimation is best.
I keep hearing about mbuna being too agressive for them, however in my experience, they showed more agression toward the mbuna than visa versa. I supose it would depend on which mbuna you keep.
PH obviously is an issue. If you keep your PH super high I definately would not try it. I keep my PH around 8.0-8.2 and they adapted well, even showing more color than most *** seen that were kept in neutral PH.
Adding any fish to a tank full of adult (or sub-adult) mbuna can be a difficult experience. If you have a well estabilshed tank with adult mbuna I would probably not add them. As has been stated, QT them to make sure they are clean, and be mindful that some meds can be harmful to scaleless fish.
A long, SLOW acclimation is best.
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
