Pic of 3 New Additions

[GrizzlysDad]

Just brought home these three monsters tonight....and yes, that's a 5g bucket 
I actually brought home 5 more tonight but I didn't get a pic of the other two which are smaller.
I think the shoal is up to 22 now.....maybe a couple more.
Once I set up their permanent tank I will get pics of them all. I'm hoping to be adding some more once I get a chance to talk to the people at the MCAS auction.
BTW, I am still looking for more large Clown Loaches...5" or larger.

p.s. if you click on the photo it will enlarge in a separate window for a better view.

[dbosman]

I'm looking forward to the initial market flood when you get them breeding.

[Steve]

Those are some healthy sized Loaches

[GrizzlysDad]

I'm looking forward to the initial market flood when you get them breeding.

The new trio in the 5g bucket actually appear to be 1m, and 2f...chunky gals at that 

[Super Turtleman]

Nice. Are they difficult to breed?

[GrizzlysDad]

Nice. Are they difficult to breed?

They are being bred in ponds in the Far East and now in Florida. In home aquariums, it has reportedly only been done by accident in  large tanks....I hope to succeed on purpose.

[SKISWETPETS]

Good luck to ya Tony... Hope you succeed

[GrizzlysDad]

Good luck to ya Tony... Hope you succeed

Thanks Jim...it will still be a few years before they are mature enough to breed.

[SKISWETPETS]

Good luck to ya Tony... Hope you succeed

Thanks Jim...it will still be a few years before they are mature enough to breed.

Wow, really. How old/big are they normally before being bred. Seems like there good size now.

[GrizzlysDad]

Good luck to ya Tony... Hope you succeed

Thanks Jim...it will still be a few years before they are mature enough to breed.

Wow, really. How old/big are they normally before being bred. Seems like there good size now.

The largest in my shoal are around 10" or so but they won't be sexually mature until about the 12" mark. This is all relative to their age though. A Clown Loach is not sexually mature until around the 10-14ys mark from what I've read.
Once I get them into their new tank I plan to start documenting everything...water parameters, diet, environment, etc.

Doing some additional research I have found newer reports that they can actually be sexually mature at 7"

[jimbob]

Doug Sweet the former curator of the Belle Isle Aquarium recently picked up 50 clown loaches to try his hand at getting them to breed. He had been working on Kuhli loaches and managed to raise quite a few of those so he wanted to try something else.

[GrizzlysDad]

Doug Sweet the former curator of the Belle Isle Aquarium recently picked up 50 clown loaches to try his hand at getting them to breed. He had been working on Kuhli loaches and managed to raise quite a few of those so he wanted to try something else.

That's good to know Jim, thanks. I haven't talked to Doug in quite some time but I'll have to see if I can find his contact info so we can compare notes and ideas.

[SKISWETPETS]

Damn, 10-14years.... Thats a long time....

[Steve]

Tony you still need more big ones? My LFS (The Aquarium Shop) in Royal Oak had two good sized about 5-6" ones about 2-3 weeks ago. It's only about 3/4 mile from my house, I can stop in there and see if they still have them if ya want.

[GrizzlysDad]

Tony you still need more big ones? My LFS (The Aquarium Shop) in Royal Oak had two good sized about 5-6" ones about 2-3 weeks ago. It's only about 3/4 mile from my house, I can stop in there and see if they still have them if ya want.

Thanks for the heads up Steve...I just called there and they have one left but too high priced for the size...keep the tips coming though!!! My intent is to have somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 fish in the shoal once they are in their permanent home.