Clown loach

[ChiefZero]

I got a clown fish with my discus. Should I be woried that it will hurt them

[AHC]

The clown wont 'hurt' them but they can scare them at feeding times as they can go skitz. If you only have one then it could be cool. Just watch him. I had a clown with mine for a while and he didnt even bother the dicus, even at feeding. But in numbers they are more energetic. If you have smails in your tank then the clown will get rid of them for you.

[Hollowman]

Although many people like Clowns, and have them as discus tankmates, they can be a problem. You should never really have fish in with discus that can spook them. Clowns are notorious for being erratic and fast swimming. This can often spook discus making them take flight and bash themselves into objects and the side of the tank. This in turn causes injury and sometimes death.
Clowns also grow to a very large size very quickly, this can lead to them becoming dominant in the tank, often fighting the discus for food and causing a great deal of stress to the fish, again, the stress caused can lead to sickness and death.
For me, it's definatley no clowns. I know people say they eat snails, but it still isn't a fish that I feel benefits a discus tank. Take it back to the lfs, or put it in a non discus tank.

hth

H

[BigDaddyAdo]

You should not keep one clown loach by itself. They need to be in groups of 4-5 or more. They do get quite large and will also chew holes in plants.

I personally wouldnt keep them with discus but i know others that do and have no problems.



Ado

[Dave+Amy]

If you feel the need for biological snail control maybe downsize to dwarf chain loaches? Clowns grow huge and would unplant a while tank eventually not to mention they will chow down on tetras etc....

[AHC]

Just an FYI, Cheifzero didnt say he had a snail problem. I just added that as a benefit. :lol:

[lpiasente]

I had 5 clown loaches with the discus. At feeding time I would drop in bottom feeder pellets of some kind up one end of the tank once they started to disperse and clownies were all over them I would feed the discus up the other end. Worked a treat

[Hollowman]

lpiasente,

That is fine, you are getting over the problem of the mad rush for food. But why rish damaging expensive discus for a few clowns.
I am glad you have no problems .....yet :wink:

H :)

[lpiasente]

No problems yet, I don't have any discus anymore, they were all wiped out from illness and haven't had the heart to get anymore yet. I think about it all the time and then I get butterfilies in my stomach.

[Dave+Amy]

oh guttered....Amy always get really uptight when anyone of her Discus act suspicious then she goes overboard in attaining all the meds there are from breeders.

[Fishontherun]

I have 2 clowns with my discus and they live in harmony ... for now ... the discus would follow the clowns and pick up beef hearts bits that they stir up from the gravel ..

[ChiefZero]

Hmm, I do not think that it is hurting the discus but it is odd, sometimes the clown and discus swim together ya odd.

[NorCalAl]

I've kept clowns with my discus since the beginning (two years) and never had an issue between them. The discus do sometimes like to hide behind a piece of wood the clowns like to hide in, but I've never seen either bother the other.
I've "heard" that clowns sometimes harras other fish under cover of darkness, but again, haven't seen it myself.
Do keep more than one clown, though. They are a fish that likes to group.