huge clown loaches...

[tattoo]

do they ever chase down and eat other cichlid fry? i am going to add a few monsters in with my cyp colony.....just want to make sure all will be ok before then...thanks mickey

[danielp]

Interesting question.

In all of my clown loach experience I've never know it to be a issue with fry.

Now that my clown loaches are entering the monster size phase seeing feedback will be interesting.

[aquabee]

I had a rogue clown loach about 4 inches in length kill 3 live and fully grown platies. I believe that's the exception, not the norm. TangoMike had a pair that he believed were eating his ikola fry. So you never know til you try it!

[eklikewhoa]

You would be taking a risk, I had some and if the fish are laying like bait it's game

[sountfc]

I'd be concerned. I've never actually seen mine do it, but I'm pretty sure that when one of my females releases fry they get in on the act. I've got one that's about 8", and when a pair of large (8-9") venustus start spawning in the male's pit, this clown loach gets right in the middle and tries to get an egg snack. The surprising thing is that the male doesn't do anything about it at all, doesn't even try to chase him away, whereas he won't let ANY other fish even get near that spot.

[rama]

do they ever chase down and eat other cichlid fry? i am going to add a few monsters in with my cyp colony.....just want to make sure all will be ok before then...thanks mickey

Are you talking 6" or 12"?

[eklikewhoa]

LoL, I've seen one close to 12" before and will retract my above statement till Mickey lets us know what size it is.

I've kept 4-8" clowns, these will, if not purposely, mistakenly eat fry
The 12" clown, you should be ok cause the one I seen laid in one spot and you could come back a week later and it'll still be there.

[tattoo]

Are you talking 6" or 12"?

i know they are atleast 8in plus and maybe one close to 10 in, they are over 10 years old...

[danielp]

Bottom line is i don't think i would introduce large loaches into a tank i was breeding fish or raising fry in.

I have 8 clown loaches in my frontosa colony tank (no intention of breeding) and i'm fine with them helping with fry control if it happens that way.

[rama]

I currently have 25 clown loaches ranging in size from 4 to 8 inches in a 300 gallon tank with 10 wild caugth petros and I have introcuced 1 inch frys to this tank more than once. I grow these frys up, I currently have about 30 frys in there right now, about 1.5 inches, these frys were introcuced at 1 inch, My experience with clown loaches over the years, I will say you will be ok, BUT thats my clown loaches. Generally clown loaches are peaceful fish, but if your trying to introduce large clown loaches into a fry tank, you have to take the tank size into consideration and cross your fingers, lol.

[barrettsline]

I have two with my mbuna, that are 6-6 1/2". I have never witnessed them attacking fry, but its not to say it hasnt happened. Doesn't hurt my feelings though. Pure darwinism. Survival of the fittest. I think you will be fine by adding the clown loaches to the tank.