sjlchgo

I want to get my 55 gal set up for loaches. I konw they would probably prefer sand but I also want to have live plants in the tank. Is small/fine gravel ok to use? Also, what about crushed coral? Would that be ok to use with clowns?

susitna-flower

Sand or very small round gravels, no sharp edges.....However since clown loaches need to be in a group of at least 5 and they grow large, I don't believe a 55 is going to be big enough.

You can research this at www.loaches.com , Good Luck

sjlchgo

Thanks for your response. They don't "need" to be in groups of 5 or more...they just prefer it. I plan on getting 3 initially along with some cory's. I realize they'll get bigger and that's when I'll hit on the wife about getting a bigger tank. There's a method to my "madness".......lol. Sand just seems like it's going to be much more work cleaning it as far as time is concerned. With the gravel I can just stick the vac in and go for it.

sjlchgo

What about crushed coral?

Butterfly

Pea gravel is fine for Clown Loaches, they love to dig in it. The 55g will work for three loaches for a bit(the bigger the tank the better, it's sometimes hard to afford a larger tank later) but eventually you will need a much larger tank. Mine went to a 75g in the first year and there were only two of them( the third one kept dieing) . The larger the group the more you see their natural actions and they were named "clowns" for a reason
I really wouldn't mix Corys and clowns. The clowns won't hurt the corys but they are such vorocious eaters the Corys will starve.
Sand tanks are really easy to take care of you just swish the siphon over the top and all the debris comes up because it doesn't get down in it like it does the gravel. BUT...clowns are such big poo'ers you would see it laying around on the sand . Don't get me wrong they would love it.
Personally I don't think crushed coral is a good idea as it could be too sharp for them.
Please do all the research you can before buying them as they are a vey long lived fish and deserve the best we can give them. A friend has one that turned 21 yrs last year. The link given above is a great place to start.
Hope that helps.
Carol

sjlchgo

I've looked at that site and thanks. Also thanks for that info. How'd the 75 gal. work out? I am planning on getting a larger tank in a year or so....something like a 75-90 gal but nothing larger than that. I have 1 loach now that I've had for about 4 months or so and want to set up a tank so he can have playmates. He's in a 29 gal tank, about 6" and spends most of his time hiding in his favorite resin rock. Mostly comes out at night to eat. I hardly ever see him....lol. I think he deserves a tank of his own.

Butterfly

The 75g worked out good but at an eventual 12 inches would have needed even a bigger tank. They lived in the 75g for four years. We moved from Georgia to Arkansas and they didn't make the move successfully.
With more room, hiding places and more of his kind you will see them much more.
There are pictures of mine in my gallery
Carol