# Pacing fish



## watts300 (Feb 21, 2009)

My tank is a few weeks old.

In it I have two mollies and I just added one clown loach. 

I understand that loaches like to be with their own kind. At least one more will come, but I don't want to add more than one fish at a time in a relatively new tank. 

The loach likes to pace up and down (vertically) on the side of the aquarium glass. It's frequent. 
The two mollies are pretty fond of each other and hang out together pretty much all the time. 


Is this because he doesn't have any school buddies? Think he'll be fine till I get some more? Ha. 


I'm seeing all kinds of crazy recommended tank sizes for clown loaches. Mine is only 10 gallons, BUT I knew they will grow too large when I bought it. The fish store guy told me that when it gets too big, I can return it for store credit. That was actually something I expected to have to do one day. So I won't be too depressed about it. 

However, until then, any one know why Mr. Clowny is loving that glass?


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## aspects (Feb 1, 2009)

sounds like he needs some friends. 
as far as the size thing, they will eventually outgrow the tank, but they grow extremely slow, so theyll be ok for a while. and the bigger they get, the more store credit you will get back. they sell for around $20/ea at 2-3"


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

You are only supposed to get fish your tank can have. They are not clothes in which you swap in and out at a store. 

And yes, they need to be in groups of 6+. With each one getting 14" large, I would return the loach.


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## Sj45 (Jan 5, 2009)

I myself would return the clown loach  they need 50g+ and a school of 3 or so.


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## watts300 (Feb 21, 2009)

Cody said:


> You are only supposed to get fish your tank can have. They are not clothes in which you swap in and out at a store.
> 
> And yes, they need to be in groups of 6+. With each one getting 14" large, I would return the loach.


Well thank you. But yes at the moment and for a while my aquarium CAN have this fish. He will be healthy and happy either with me, or at some other home. As for him not having more of his kind, again, I'm looking out for their health by not adding a number of fish at the same time.


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

I am going to put both these quotes in my sig...

"Research and Read before you Buy and Breed."
"Thrive > Survive."

Self explanatory?


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## aspects (Feb 1, 2009)

a common misconception about stock vs. tanksize. people only take into account maximum size of the fish when suggesting the tank size, however, the "appropriate" tank size for a fish is all situational. 

if you have a 4" silver arowana, you DO NOT need to put it in a 300g tank. at 4" a 10g tank is more then sufficient. OBVIOUSLY as it grows, you will need to upgrade accordingly, or look into rehoming it, but for the time being, the space is fine. 
now, its a responsible practice to make sure you have addequite space for the fish in the long term, however, whos to say you wont upgrade in the near future. and as mentioned, clown loaches grow EXTREMELY slow, so your tank is fine for now.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I like those quotes.


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## Twistersmom (Dec 9, 2008)

I have found clown loaches to be very sensitive fish. I have lost a few in an cycled tank. I hope you have a good water test kit. Clown loaches are not at all cycle fish. You will want to keep ammonia and nitrites very low. Adding another clown loach would make keeping the water in check even harder.
I think they pace when they are nervous. My yoyo loaches spent two days going up and down the glass when I first brought them home. One would break away and starting investigating his new home, shortly after another would follow, till eventually they all made it off the glass. Your clown being a loner, it may take it longer to settle down.


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## watts300 (Feb 21, 2009)

He has backed away from the glass a little already. He found a new hiding spot - inside the rather large seashell in there. He goes so far in I cannot see him. Last night I though he must have jumped out of the water! Ha! 
In a couple weeks I'll get him a friend. 

It would be really nice to upgrade the aquarium one day. It will be something to consider in the future.


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

Is that a real seashell or fake? If it is real, then it is making your water very alkaline and raising your pH. Clown Loaches prefer soft, acidic water. Good for the mollies, bad for the Loach.


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## watts300 (Feb 21, 2009)

Interesting. 
I asked a couple people about a real seashell in the water and was advised it should be just fine.

It is a shell that hasn't been in the ocean for decades -- it has been in my house as a decoration. I also soaked it in a 10% bleach mixture and let it dry thoroughly.


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

It is not the saltwater that does it; it is the shell itself. It gradually breaks down, which makes the water harder with a high pH. This is what people do in African Cichlid tanks to raise the pH.


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