Clown Loach Lost Its Colour

[MarineMoney]

Ive got two clown loaches, one has lost its colour quite dramatically. I did have a problem with my water condition which resulted in two angels dying. Also, as my loaches always hide I cant exactly tell if they are getting sufficient food or not, my two mollies are very greedy and speed around snatching everything up.
I've tried crumbling food directly in their favourite spot and ive seen them eat some of it, but im concerned that the clown loach thats lost its colour is not getting enough. They have a good mix of food including flakes, and frozen mixture of brine shrimp, blood worm etc.

Any ideas or solutions?

Thanks

 

[pacuboy]

It could be because of stress. The other clown loach may be chasing him around the tank making him stressed out and lose his color. What are his tankmates??


Alex.

 

[kev350d]

Mine do it all the time and i believe it has to do with one being more dominent, no harm has ever resulted to the one that has duller grey like markings (infact the one that is grey may well be the black a week later), although they also lose colour when stressed "as stated by the last poster" so just keep an eager eye on them.. One of my larger loaches looked as though it was on deaths door today as his gills were moving at an unreal rate and he kept going vertical and ending on his side "i know they lie on their sides" but he had no strength at all and even when knocked he would right himself then immediatley fall over again, 2 hrs later he is perfect...

They aint called clown loach for no reason..... well mine always act the clown infact ive been ready to dispatch one thinking he was knackered before..

 

[MarineMoney]

lol at last post.

My loaches are a bit weird, they are quite clumsy, I suppose as you say the world clown is not put in there for no reason.

I'll defo keep an eye on him.

His tank mates are 2 mollies and a siamese fighter. They are all very peaceful towards eachother. But I do think there is definately a dominant loach which, as you say, may be the reason for a little stress.

Thankyou!

 

[TammyLiz]

Clown loaches tend to wash out and lose their color during fights, so the dominance issue could be it, but I have seen other botia-type loaches in groups of two where the subdominant was washed out because of stress as well.

How big is the tank you have them in? If it is any smaller than 75 gallons that would be a reason for them to be stressed. Another reason would be that they should be kept in groups. Keeping only two can cause issues since one is dominant and one is subdominant and there is no sense of community.

 

[vic]

What size is the tank?
Vic