I have a urgent question about Clown Loaches. Do they come smaller than 12-16"? I was wondering because I have a 20 gallon tank and REALLY want one.

The only time they are smaller is when they are young. The will grow to 12 inches. I wouldn't advise one for a 20 gal at all as they will outgrow it fast and need to be in a group of at least 3 or 4.

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I agree with susankat, It really isnt suitable even as a temporary tank... there are lots smaller species of loach however most max out at 5"... a group also wouldnt be suitable in there long term...

You could always get around 10+ Kuhli loaches.. they are perfect for a 20gal.

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211gal- 4 Clown loaches, 1 African butterfly fish,4 Dension barbs,2 Jewel cichlids,2 Firemouth's, Green Terror, sailfin pleco, L142, 2 cory's Candy striped pleco,4 Siamese algae eaters, 14 Black widow tetra's, Striped Anostomus, 3 Hoplosternum thoracatum, Fire Eel

The question I am wondering about is.... How long does it take for them to reach about 5 inches? I know a guy that has 2 that are around 7-9 inches and he has had them around 7 years, he keeps them in the 265 gal display in his fish store in Pa. So if it would take 2-4 years to reach that size then that would give ample time to plan for a larger tank. Just a thought. I agree with the Khuli's, I think that would be a better choice and they would do great with sand and plants.

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55 Gallon Planted dirt bottom,Reproducing colony of Heterandria Formosa(Least Killifish), 2 Dwarf Puffers, 5 or so Gambusia, 2 Swamp darters???, Several Wild P. Latipinna(Sailfin Mollies), a handful of Jordanella Floridae(American Flagfish), 1 Lepomis Macrochirus(Bluegill fry)

Thanks for the info and suggestions. I don't think that I will get the other kind of loach, though, because I don't have a sand bottom, or the time for live plants. =(

Given ample and varied meaty foods, clown loaches grow moderately fast. I've had them reach close to max size in 2-3 years.

Also, just my .02, but it's never a good idea to buy a fish with the expectation of 'moving it to a bigger tank eventually'. Life happens, and you may not be able to live up to that expectation, and that's not fair to the animal.

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If this is the case, they are severely stunted. :o(

Whether they were in a smaller tank in the beginning or something else but they should definately be nearly twice that size. They grow moderately fast.