Blue and Bolovian Ram

[Diesel]

Just double checking my information but these fish can get along together with discus correct?!

And Clown loaches, heard there food hogs and can actually bother the discus because of it. Opinions?!

My setup is going to be

8 Discus
4 Bolivion Ram
7 Blue Ram
10 Black Neon Tetra
10 Ottos

and MAYBE
2 clown loaches
1 Bristlenose

Its a 72 gallon bowfront live planted tank

opinions?!

thanks!

[Proteus]

For a 72g/270L tank your original lit looks fine, maybe cut the Blue Rams back to 4-5 though.

Adding the loaches will be an issue down the track due to size.

The BN, doesnt really matter, if anything for algael control he would be a good addition, or maybe some siamensis instead

[Diesel]

As the tank sits RIGHT NOW

there are
10 blue ram
4 bolivion ram
2 high fin green discus
10 ottos

On saturday im getting 6 more discus, and im reconsidering the black neons (I tried cardinals and they just kept dying on me)

I got the bolivions mail order and they actually gave me extra.

[sharn]

also as a note for clowns, they prefer to be kept in groups of at least three. if you get them small it will be quite a while before the get too big so they shouldnt be a prob, they are very slow growers and people will only be too happy to take large ones off your hands!!

[sammigold]

I have 2 clown loaches in my discus tank... they are very active and swim around happily together sometimes resting on top of each other... had them for about 6 months in a 40 litre tank they were about 2cm long at most and didnt grow at all hardly, then put them into my 4ft tank (240ltr) and in the last 3 months they have both tripled in size... they are now about 6-7cm long and fat as!!! They keep to themselves and as yet do not bother my discus... can't speak for the future though..... I know they are supposed to be slow growers but these guys have gone wild!!

[electric molecular]

Bolivian rams or any other dwarf cichlid should get along ok with your discus. I have a bolivian and I swear he thinks he is a discus. Sometimes at feeding time I will notice him getting right in with the discus, and even trying to bully them by pecking them on their side. The discus don't seem to care, they are just like, "man who is this little jerk!" lol. Anyway, I've never had clown loaches, even though they are lovely. I have been advised by various people that as they can grow large, and dart out, they may not be great with discus. But then from what I've read on this forum, other people have had good experiences in keeping clowns with discus.

Oh and just a thought, instead of black tetras, have you considered rummy noses? I have found them to be hardy, and make a lovely display - they have such finesse in the tank, it's almost like they are dancing.

Cheers,

Claire.

[parkap]

Hi Diesel,

How's the tank going?

Previously I found less blue rams are more, ie. the more I had the more they fought with each other. They were fine with other fish, but even in a 6x2x2 I found 3 pairs were constantly fighting with each other.

I've now got a single pair (started off with 1m, 2f but one female died) in my apistogramma set up and they're doing great.

I also found that the Bolivian Rams got aggressive the older they got. Not too bad but they did get a bit bullyish. Never bothered the discus though.

p.

[Th0mas]

I have 2 clown loaches in my discus tank... they are very active and swim around happily together sometimes resting on top of each other... had them for about 6 months in a 40 litre tank they were about 2cm long at most and didnt grow at all hardly, then put them into my 4ft tank (240ltr) and in the last 3 months they have both tripled in size... they are now about 6-7cm long and fat as!!! They keep to themselves and as yet do not bother my discus... can't speak for the future though..... I know they are supposed to be slow growers but these guys have gone wild!!

Clown loach will grow very fast once given the tank space and food. Have had some in the past where they will go after all the food leaving little to nothing to others. When they're happy eating, you can even hear small cracking noise form them.

The cute thing about them is - once they reached about 15cm long, they will start to sleep on their side.

[kevkoi]

Recently aquired some Clownloaches over a foot long (yes. u heard right!).... HUGE buggers, but at that size, errrm... they're quite boring. They just lie on their side all day long. Admittedly it's cool to watch them eat... They can get thru a fully grown apple/gold mystery snail with that beak of theirs!!

Wouldn't trust a 30cm clown loach anywhere near my prized apistogramma or any dwarf cichlid for that matter.

[sharn]

th0mas- ive always heard clowns were nortoriously slow growers and thats why they command such a high price for larger ones. kev- i saw some 12" ones once and they look wierd, not as cute and the little ones, more alien like but i learned that they had round mouths lol