Fish with clown loaches

[Biomanjcs72]

I've posted related to this eventual idea a couple of times, but what I want opinions on now is this: When I put my Loaches into a new home (120 or 125) what else should I stick in there with them. I know they'll get along with just about anything, but I wonder whose had what kind of success, what combinations are pretty, etc. Let me know.

[SamiLynne]

In my experience...clown loaches do better with a semi aggressive environment. However in a larger tank ie 100 or 125 you can mix semi and community if you do it carefully. I would recommend lots of places for the loaches to hide. Some combinations that I like, fishwise, are schooling fish, maybe some tiger barbs or green tiger barbs, some tetras, whatever varieties you like and maybe a mated pair or two of swordtails. I'm not sure what your price range is for fish, but larger Discus are also nice and contract well to clown loaches.

But this is all just an opinion...I'm more of a saltwater girl

[Biomanjcs72]

I'm more of a salt water guy too, I'm only doing this because I've had the biggest loach for 7-8 years, and can't even THINK about not keeping him happy. I've thought about discus, they are pretty but boring. Definately going to get some kind of schooling (almost have to in a tank that big) fish, can't decise what else yet. Thanks for the reply though, I posted this like a week ago and nobody said anything. THanks again.

[mr294]

id stay away from the discus. the clown loaches night time activity especially when they get bigger can tend to stress the discus out a bit. i would stick with atleast a couple larger semiagressive/community species since the clown loaches can look kind of out of place at full size in tank with just small fish imo. they make a really nice addition to an african rift tank. if you want to stay away from rift lake cichlids maybe a nice pair of kribensis, aeq. metae, or some acaras with a large school of serpaes or cardinals. just throwing out some ideas.

[Hoplosternum]

I wish I had a tank so large to house my Clowns! I keep my four with Catfish & Bichirs. They all seem to get a long quite well - but as most are nocturnal and/or like to hide away a lot there is some competition for hiding places.

I recommend Cichlids to go with loaches. I used to keep Firemouths with my Striata Botia, the cichlids never harmed the loaches at all. In fact they seemed to be 'loach blind' (like a lot of fish) and the small Striatas would steal the sinking pellets from under their noses. The Firemouths would fight/squabble with my Synodontis Shoutendouni catfish and with my Jewel Cichlids (the later in a different tank).

The advantage with Cichlids is they tend to be bold and will act as Dither fish for the loaches. Of course many other fish are bold too, but unless you are a big Barb fan most of the schooling fishes are too small (will be eaten by large Clowns), get very large (Silver Sharks etc.) or have Unsavoury habits (Leps & Headstanders).

Catfish & Bichirs will live along side Clowns well. Especially Hoplosternums, Lima shovelnoses etc which will not compete for the same hiding places.

If you don't really fancy any of the above just by a lot more Clowns! The bigger the group the more active and dramatic the affect!