Karl,

I would suggest leaving the paint. Clown loaches can tend to be rather
secretive at times, hiding in caves and other nooks and crannies. By
leaving the back painted, you create a visual wall that will make them
feel more secure.

One of my clown loaches which is 10 years old now is about 7 inches
long..
wrote:
Set up Questions please:

Q: How many Clown Loaches can I put into this tank so as not to be over
corwded when they fully grow? I was hoping to put total of about 11...
I may throw a few botias (close cousin to our friend the Clown Loach)
in with them but it's really just about the Clowns... There SO cute
and silly!!!! ('Hope I don't sound like a fruit cake caying that!)

Q: If i get 5 more very small CL's to go with my 6 med CL's, will they
form two clans in the "big tank" or will they all get together for one
huge school? That would be so cool!!

Q: How big do CL's REALLY get in captivity? I've heard stories from
6"-12" with 8"ish being the most common estimate..

Q: How's my filtration? I ordered an Eheim 2217 and have two AC110 as
well... No UG filter... Sound like plenty on paper... Yes?

Q: What's this about styrofoam? How thick? How far does it stick out
under the tank? Where to buy it, home improvement (home depot) store?
I've never heard about this before...

Notes: I don't do live plants so I don't care about lamps, the CL's
hate the lights anyway and when I turn them on I never see them anymore
... I'll try the ideas for paint removal, I'd much rather leave it
but it looks a bit nasty from wear, tear, and poor repair...

Progress report: Last night I cut most of the 2X4's for the 3 cabinet
stand, 2217 filter is on order now, one AC110 is well established, the
other AC110 is running on a 55 tank now with seasoned Aqua-Chargers and
sponge. I've got three days off and enough coffee to power a small
city! To the garage I go!

Thanks all, Karl.