Determining the sex of a clown loach

[Pearl Trade]

is it possible to determine the sex of a clown loach and how long does it take for them to start breeding?

[Arkie]

i dont know if you can sex them but from my understanding clown loaches dont breed in captivity?

[cocoa_pleco]

theyre hard to sex, and they HAVE bred in captivity but its extremely rare. im lucky my rainbow sharks bred.

[gm72]

cocoa has the LOVE shack, baby! :28: thumbs2: :luxlove:

[cocoa_pleco]

i do! in the 55g, the rainbow sharks and black neons bred, and the white convicts bred. i would LOVE to breed saltwater damsels! if the 4 clown loaches in my 55g breed i will literally eat one of my socks and post it for everyone to see!

[Dave66]

i do! in the 55g, the rainbow sharks and black neons bred, and the white convicts bred. i would LOVE to breed saltwater damsels! if the 4 clown loaches in my 55g breed i will literally eat one of my socks and post it for everyone to see!

It's fairly rare, but clown loaches have bred in aquariums. They were at least six inches, kept in a heavily planted tank, and left to their devices. When the plants were desturbed out came dozens of youngsters. Happens occasionally, though no one's seen them spawn that I'm aware of.

Dave

[Lady Hobbs]

I've read they are still one of the few imported due to the rarity in which they breed.

[Dave66]

I've read they are still one of the few imported due to the rarity in which they breed.

Seems they have to be at least four years old to even be able to breed.

Dave

[chizuchan]

I think the best way to sex clown loaches is to look at the width of the body. If the fish seems really thick then it is a female, and a thin fish is a male. I remember reading this somewhere, but I'm not positive.

[squirt_12]

Well if they are rearly bred in captivity....then where do the ones you buy at your LFS come from????? The wild??

[Dave66]

Well if they are rearly bred in captivity....then where do the ones you buy at your LFS come from????? The wild??

They are pond bred in Asia. Originally they used hormones to induce breeding, til they figured out the natural method (hollow bamboo).

Dave

[squirt_12]

ooooo.....ok so you need a HUGE area for them to breed and hollow bamboo???? lol
I learned something new today.

So well if you wanted them to breed could you put them into a big tank and put some hollow bamboo in there? and would they maybe breed?

[Dave66]

Lots of live plants, large tank, bamboo laid flat in hidden areas, good foods, clean water and lots and lots of patience. Everyone I know that's had them breed had the tank in a low traffic area and pretty much left the fish alone.

Dave

[squirt_12]

ooo.....so i think what i am understandin is that you have to have like a natural environment an leave them alone for like a couple of weeks and let them do their thing???????

and have them in like a room by their selves?????

[Lady Hobbs]

I doubt you will ever see them breed. They live about 30 years and are very slow growers.

[squirt_12]

yeah well i am not planing to breed them becasue well i don't have any or the room to but i was just curious. lol.