framerd

a friend gave me a 3" lone loach (cause he was getting harassed in in her tank) for my 35 gal which i now know is too smal for him. He is all by himself and seems to be doing fine, he plays with my placos and sleeps with him. Because they are so social i was wondering if i should get him a couple buddies or wait untill i get him a larger tank

agabr123

hi and welcome to fishlore

is this the clown loach in your aquarium info? if so then you're in a bit of a bind, they do need to be in groups, but adding more clown loaches to your tank will definitely overstock it. what size tank were you planning on getting to accommodate him?

framerd

I want to get a 150 gal within the next few months but was wondering if i should just wait to get more clowns and what size should i get. Should i get them his size smaller i really like him and dont want to see him sad or worse

agabr123

if it's going to be less than six months then you're probably okay getting one more for now as long as you stay on top of your water parameters

framerd

my water is great as i take it in weekly to the local fish store for testing and i have an oversized filter for up to 75 gal in my 35 gal and i plan on getting a larger tank in the next few months

agabr123

do you know if they use paper strips or liquid tests to test your water and do they give you exact readings? i'd definitely consider getting your own test kit, API freshwater master kit is my recommendation, it's very accurate and reliable and will last a lot longer than the paper strips.

framerd

I will do that im going to have my water tested tomorrow and watch them feed the large sharks so ill look at picking that up that brand is the best for me

catfishlover123

What type is the pleco? Clown loaches get to be like a foot. You seem a little overstocked.

framerd

all i know is hes a pleco and he only gets to 4 or 5 inches fully grown he is about 2 inches now my barbs are lees than an inch now also. i didnt expect to have a clown loach but he needed a temporary home untill i get a larger tank. i know he cant live in there for his life and thats why i asked if i should wait untill i get a large tank for him to get him some buddies

catfishlover123

A pic would help.

framerd

ill be posting pics soon but even with all the small barbs my tank looks empty