good tank mate?

[fishfanatic]

Ok, I have a 33 gallon tank, I have it stocked with 6 neons, 2 dalmation mollys, 4 danios, a red tailed shark and 4 cherry barbs. I used to have 2 clown loaches......yes I know I shouldnt have had them in there....newbie mistake, but I love them. Recently 1 of the loaches died, and I noticed that now he likes to pal around with the red tail shark. What type of fish other than another loach can I get for him that he could be buddies with,cause I know they are really social fish.

[jaysee]

Maybe a couple clown barbs - they at least look like clown loaches. Really though, I don't know that you'll find a "buddy."

[Jacko]

Really, there aren't any other "buddy" tankmates for clown loaches than their own kind, you won't see their greatest behavior if they aren't kept together, they're a schooling fish that gets 16+ inches so I think the best thing to do for your loach would to either return him to a store or find a hobbyist near you with a proper sized tank that already has a school of clown loaches and would be willing to take one more.

[mac]

Ok, I have a 33 gallon tank, I have it stocked with 6 neons, 2 dalmation mollys, 4 danios, a red tailed shark and 4 cherry barbs. I used to have 2 clown loaches......yes I know I shouldnt have had them in there....newbie mistake, but I love them. Recently 1 of the loaches died, and I noticed that now he likes to pal around with the red tail shark. What type of fish other than another loach can I get for him that he could be buddies with,cause I know they are really social fish.

I agree with Alex. No fish will be any good Buddy for the Clown Loach bare for Clown Loaches.

IMO Return the fish if you can, or maybe find some one who has a tank large enough to look after another Clown Loach.

Maybe you might want to up-grade tank and get a tank of 200 gallons and get a Clown Loach tank set-up for them?

mac

[frank_zappa]

i do not know about the growth rates of clown loaches, although what ive read says they grow to about 6" fairly quickly, and then the rate slows down a great deal. that said, how long would it be until a clown loach was too large for his 33 gallon tank? are they too large for it at 6"? i know that my fish guy would buy back a fish that was outgrowing a tank.

perhaps you can ask your fish guy (or gal) if they would let you sell the fish back to them for store credit once it grows too large, whenever that would be. then you could possibly give your current clown loach a pal or two of his own kind, if only for a matter of months or a year or whatever.

just a thought...

oh, and ive seen lone clown loaches swimming around with tiger barbs, although i am sure they still would rather several other clown loaches.