How stupid....

It happens.... unfortunately most LFS dont tell you what you need and just sell you the fish...

If the tank is too small EXTRA large water changes will do wonders! Keep a 50% at LEAST 1x a week cycle and the fish will be OK for a while til you can get a bigger tank.

 

You can always take it back to where you got it (most reputible retailers will do this for incompatibility).

 

2x a week water changes and a 60 gallon tank... you should be fine.... yes they grow large but what else do you have in there with them???

 

You will figure it out... either send them back to the store you got them from or you will find a way to make it work... TRUST me you could have bought them for a 10 gallon tank...

 

Don't beat yourself up over this. Unfortunately, it does happen a lot. The biggest thing you can do (outside of getting a larger tank) would be to see if you can take them back to your LFS. Don't wait until they get really big as some places won't be able to take them in. Then you'll really be in a pickle.

Very great character fish with lots of personality. If ya really want to keep them, try to get a larger tank within the next few months (can't believe I just said that).

 

IME (or anecdotally from others, rather), clown loaches rarely reach their true potential size unless they are put in super large tanks. I think you have quite a bit of time, regardless, and they'll make an excellent species tank - great fish and very interesting.

 

If I remember correctly they grow pretty slowly as well.

 

It will take 7-10 years in captivity to even get 6-8 inches. My dad has a group of 12 that he has had for 5 years and they are only 4.5 to 5 inches so I wouldn't stress about it to much.

 

No offense...but if this is the case...they are severly stunted and not taken care of very well. They should reach the 5" within the first year to year and a half. From there their average growth is nearly two inches a year.

Yes they grow slow...but not that slow.

Just how big is the tank anyway?

Woops...my bad...just saw 60g.

 

They will be fine. I have 2 perfectly healthy clown loaches in a 55 gallon. One of them I bought had been brought to the LFS by someone who had it in a 20 gallon tank for years! Just keep up with your water changes. In 60 gallon tank i'm sure they will be just fine.

 

Don't feel to bad a lot of people have made that mistake just be thankful it wasn't a pacu or iridescent shark

Rick

 

lol...again...no offense...but refer to my last post.

And just think ..... people complain about bettas in a bowl and turn around and keep fish like this in what amounts to a bowl. [cussing]

Sry guys and gals .... not fair to the fishies.

 

Given proper water changes and water care you CAN keep large fish in tanks happily (so long as they can move) that are not quite large enough... I HAVE kept almost a foot long Oscar in a 55.... Not that it was right but it was all I had. I did give him to my LFS about 3 months later though because 4 water changes 30% a week was getting hard to keep the nitrite levels down.

Water changes are the KEY to proper aquarium maintenance. Again... IF the water is changed properly a 60 gallon tank would be OK for Clown Loaches! Its NOT like she put these into a 20 gallon tank!

Keep in mind Anthony (no offense man) has TOO MANY angels in a 20 gallon tank. He DOES however tend his water properly. Do I agree its right.... no.... BUT as long as the water changes are done properly and frequently it will be OK till he gets to the point he needs to make a decision.

Sorry James but NOBODY is ragging on Anthony doing what is actually worse than her with the loaches! She does have a fairly large tank....

Again no offense Anthony I just have to make a point about this! You were the best example I could think of at the moment...

 

Um thanks...

 

sorry bout that again... I just had to stress the point of the frequent water changes on an overstocked tank! You even noticed what it does to improve the health of the tank and the fish and were even surprised at it.

My point is... Water changes... If you have an overstocked tank whether its too large of fish or too many, as long as the fish can move and the water is changed MORE often then recommended typically (typically the recommendation is 20% once every 2 weeks) and increased accordingly to how you are overstocked... you will be fine....

I speak this from personal experience! Even you Anthony very seldom do I stress points like this... I DONT say things that I dont believe to be true! I have overstocked tanks before without any harm to the fish. Actually my Oscars grew up in a group of 4 in a 55 gallon tank. I got a pair and removed the others. Those 2 stayed in the 55 for almost a year together til I got my 125... They BOTH grew to almost a foot long, along with my Pleco that grew to 14" long.... this was in my 55! I changed my water 30-50% 2 times a week and overfiltered my tank by turning over my tank 10x per hour... They were fine

They were then all moved to my 125 where they spent almost another year until my situation with them happened (if you dont know I am not going into it on this thread as it is a different situation)....

As anyone knows I overstocked the 55 and was cutting it CLOSE with a pair of Oscars even in my 125... the fish ultimately died to other causes NOT related to tank size (1 got stuck under a decoration, replaced it 1 jumped and 1 I gave to the LFS)

 

I'm glad to be an example of what not to do.