I want a clown loach and an African butterfly fish! They look kinda cute! Can someone give me some tips before I do something rash and run to the store and get them with only the help and information from the LFS?!

Links to other site would be great as well! Thanks!

Clown loaches get around 7-8", but can reach 11". They need a big, warm tank, and lots of their own kind. They are med sensitive so good care must be taken to ensure their health. They need a mature tank with good maintenance.

Butterfly fish are cool looking, but are pretty boring. I'm not sure on specific requirements but I know that they will snatch up smaller fish.

I would type in a search for those fish, and find a few sites with information!

Hi! I had two african butterflies and they were boring just stayed at the top of the water the whole time, I never really seen them because I have a 75 gallon with a lid and they never did anything but stay in the corner at the top. The weird part was one was at one end the other was at the other.

Hope this helps!!

Lisa

Great! Thanks so much! I tried to look it up on the net, but the information, esp. on the Af. Butterfly fish, is very sparse.

I rather hear it from those that actually have them, like you guys!

So I guess I'll skip on the Af. Butterfly fish...and just consider the clown loach instead... I heard they were... well, clowns

I just kind of can't stand my platies any more. They're such piggies! They're not even scared of me, even though sometimes I try to scare them...

For instance, when I feed the tank blood worms, they don't like to share with their fellas on the bottom, they quickly gobble up everything! (But they'll steal the cories sinking algae and other wafers as well!)

So when I feed them frozen blood worms, i take the skewer and push them out the way... THey dont' even care. (I don't really push them that hard!) I think they know this and they take advantage of my kind nature. I just want the fellas on the bottom to get SOMETHING! Esp. the blood worm cause that seems to be everyon'es favorite!

Clowns are just as bad piggies! Maybe worse! They are notorious for being porkers.

How big is your tank, how long has it been set up, what fish are in it now and what's the temp?

My tanks been running for about 2 months, 50 gallon, with nothing really in it yet but some teeny tiny cories, and one snail.

In addition, I do weekly partial water changes (anywhere between 10%-25% depending on how "dirty" I feel the water is, vacumming the gravel, rinsing decoration etc.

The weather outside has been pretty warm lately, and it stays in the upper 70s, a little higher, depending if I keep the lights on or not... I try not to as much during this time of year, because I have flourescent lights, and it heats up the tank pretty quickly. Lots of plants, both live and silk ones, hiding spots etc, and it has a heater, air stone, etc.

In addition, I have a 10 gallon tank, with some cories and 3 pristella tetra.

And five 2 1/2 gallon tanks... with just a betta in each....

They're all in my bedroom, except for the 50 gallon tank... My parents wont let me move that up here..... yet.... HAHAHHA (I just got diagnosed with lupus, and have a lot of medical conditions, so it was hard enough conivincing them that although I'm in my twenties and have the body of that of a 90 year old woman, I CAN go up and down two flights of stairs to maintain the 50 gallon tank... they now want to move it into the hallway up here.... lol)

Hmm, I would wait on those clown loaches. They need a steady 27-28oC and a mature tank, at least 6 months. Eventually they would outgrow your tank, but it would take several years. Also they might outcompete timid cories for food on the bottom

Are you looking at anything else in particular for your tank? We can help you out. Firemouths are really cool!

Not sure exactly what I"m looking for... My cories aren't timid at all! lol. They seem to think they run the tank! They're every where! Especially when dinner time comes, cause I usually feed them their breakfast of either sinking wafers, or whatever falls on the gravel, and I switch it at night time to something frozen, like blood worms, or shrimp brines, etc.

I've tried lettuce and zucchini, but I think they have turned into carnivourous animals! lol. The only veggies substanc they really get is from the algae wafers...

(The pristella tetra and the cories "school" together..... lol. They're all white and about the same size! About 1 1/2 cm big)

I was thinking.... the lfs doesn't really have a wide selection around this way...

I would like a lot of activity in the tank, and pretty much the attention I get like from my bettas!

How bout a bala shark? I heard they get huge too though... So I'm not sure... What would be a good fish to have that stays relatively small? I don't like "aggressive" fish, or ones that produce a lot of waste. lol.

Cuteness is always a plus too!

Thanks for your help in advance!

What are your water stats like, pH and hardness?

If your water is softer and more acidic, I would go for a pair of rams. STUNNING fish, friendly and intelligent. Also pretty small!

Or you could go for a pair of blue, pearl gouramis, or a trio of 'neon dwarf' gouramis.

Are your pristilla tetras in the 50 or the ten?? Sorry I'm kind of confused!