clown loach-pleco compatability?

catfishguy3 · Post by **catfishguy3** » 20 Jun 2007, 17:57

Hello, I'm new at the site, but a long time fishkeeper, about 17 years. I want to set up a new 75 gal. tank using the river tank manifold system I just discovered online. It looks like a perfect way to bring more natural water flow to our catfish. My plan is to use a pair of Aqua Clear 70's, 400gph, filtered by a pair of large Hydro sponges at the far end. I would like to move my 6 clown loaches into this tank, they now reside in a 38, way too small. I'd also like to add my 3 queen arabesques and a young cactus pleco, L-114, from another tank. Anyone have any experience in mixing loaches with pleco's. My clowns have been living with a large synodontus eupterus and a pimlodella pictus for years and never seem to have problems. Actually, the Syno. Eup. is the tank boss and routinely chases the clowns in the tank, probably because it's too small for those fish. any thoughts on this setup???

Post by **Marc van Arc** » 20 Jun 2007, 22:51

There is no problem with mixing clown loaches and plecos, but see to it that there are enough hiding places, in order to prevent them fighting over one.

Hell Fire · Post by **Hell Fire** » 25 Jun 2007, 17:08

Ive mixed them for a long time now with no probs. the only thing that concerns me is that tank really needs to be much bigger for 6 loaches. Clowns do grow large and need a big a tank as pos really. If its just loaches and a plec its not to bad but try to aim to get a bigger tank in the next few years.