Clown Loach Troubles

[PlecMama]

I have rescued three clown loaches as part of an established tank that had to go from it's previous owner. According to the previous owner they are about 8 years old though they are different sizes, the largest being about 6 inches, the other two about 4.

My problem with my clowns is that they don't seem happy - I've read they should be in at least groups of 5 but since they have been a group of 3 for so long and previous owner says they come out in the evening and play around, I wasn't too worried about getting any more. And they don't really ever seem to eat.

Now, their tankmates are a 10 inch chocolate plec, two moonlight gouramis and a striped raphael named Mr Fish - the Raph was mine and has been an only fish for at least three years, the six new comers all came together from the same person (along with a red swordtail that my Raph promptly ate).

So, what's the problem with my poor loaches? is it Mr Fish? is he too aggressive for them to feel safe?

They do come out in the early hours of the morning, I see them before I go to work around 5am-ish, and if I feed them then they eat flake food, but like today, Saturday morning, I wasn't up at 5am, so anything I put in now get swallowed by the gouramis, and any sinking pellet food disappears into Plecto and Mr Fish without the clowns seeing it.

Mr Fish and Plecto the pleco (named by a child) are waging a constant war for the cave they both like, Mr Fish has lived in there for many years without trouble but Plecto likes that cave and it's like a prime parking space, when one leaves the other occupies. If they ever do have a bit of physical argy-bargy, Plecto always gives up and Mr Fish gets his home back (it's far too small for a big plec anyway, and he has his own cave that is plec sized).

The clowns have a rock they have always had (came with them) that's full of holes and they all go inside that and stay there, but I want to see my clowns swim and click and be happy.

What do you think? Thanks.

 

[phantomlink]

How large was the tank they came from? I read clown loaches of that age should be larger I could always be wrong though. Question though, how fast did Mr Fish grow? I have one and just wanted to know if it was fast or slow

 

[PlecMama]

Same size as mine, but I'm loathed to run two, I got a bit fish happy several years ago (you know how that happens) and had loads of them, loads of fish, ended up with a six foot tank in the living room, spent my whole life taking care of fish, feeding fish, cleaning tanks etc...then I sold the 6ft and it's occupants and got myself down to one 4ft - then a massive heater disaster wiped out everyone but Mr Fish - hence why he is an only fish (was an only fish).

Mr Fish - he must be 5 or 6 year old now, and he's about 7 inches long.

For anyone thinking of one, since all they do is sit in their cave except for a single foray out to eat and a brief check on their perimeter (he patrols a couple of times a day) they don't really occupy space at all. He comes to the front when he deems it time to eat and sits looking at you, they're very friendly and nice fish, he's usually very nice, but he and Plecto just have this cave war going on.

When you pick them up (if you pick them up) watch out for the spines they almost always get you, and the dig'em right in, I don't think we've ever caught him without blood. They make a very cool noise if you lift them out of the water too, like a fast clicking sound, almost buzzing. I don't know if he's trying to convince me he's dangerous but he makes his point with the spines, the noise is cute.

I have to say I highly recommend them, BUT and it's a big one....he will eat anyone that fits in his mouth, so if you have small fish, one of these isn't going to be an option.

 

[phantomlink]

Ya in order to keep my catfish I got them a 4 foot tank i'm cycling right now. They're still only 2-3 inches long so they will have PLENTY of room in that tank till they grow

 

[7F3WI4M]

My Loach doesn't come out often either. He will be the last one to come out for feeding too.

 

[MBOU]

How long have you had the loaches? It can take them weeks and weeks if not months to completely settle in and be happy, they are tempermental things.

Have you tried completely redecorating and moving the tank about and making sure there are loads of hiding places and that the clowns can move from one hiding place to another without being completely exposed.

The general rule is: The more hiding places you offer a fish, the safer it feels and the less it feels it needs to hide. A little backwards I know but its true...

Also try offering them something like half a prawn (just your average frozen cooked glazed prawn from the supermarket) and use your hands or tongs and drop it right next to the entrance to their cave and watch them come out for it, they will gradually get used to the idea of coming out more.

EDIT: and wanted to say that clown loaches of that age really ought to be larger, mine was 24cm at 6 years old and another was 29cm at 8 years old and he was stunted with a kinked spine.

 

[PlecMama]

The plec should be bigger too, but I don't think I can undo 8 years of small tanks I've had them now a month easily I reckon.

I have two caves, a holey rock and three plants in the tank as well as a big bit of bogwood, plenty of room, but I did clear a place at the front and they come out on to that now - but still only in the early morning, so I don't know when they're feeding, I think they're hungry and I'm not sure what to do with them.

 

[snazy]

I bought a few clown loaches a few months ago. The first month they were like non-existent, hiding in the cave in the treetrunk I have inside. Now, they are out and about during daylight with the lights blasting and don't even bother shoaling with one another. And I can tell that at least a couple of them have grown quite a bit since although I read they should grow very slowly over many years.

 

[PlecMama]

Oooh - well I get it now, they're eating my snails, lol. I went down a minute ago and the biggest of them has a trumpet snail in his mouth, I was worried for a minute that he'd got it stuck but he put it down and moved it about to get a better grip (presumably) over the "shell hole" ewww.

When I change the water, the snails usually all come up the sides and hang out, last time I took a huge batch of empty shells out and no snails came out, I wondered what had happened to them, it looked like when a man eats peanuts and leaves a pile of shells by his side.

Icky but good I guess.

 

[Davo86]

Lighting can sometimes be a factor if loaches were previously active, and IME the duller the light the more active they become. My 5th has very poor lighting and my 6 love it, they are always out an about swimming all over the place

 

[snazy]

Lighting can sometimes be a factor if loaches were previously active, and IME the duller the light the more active they become. My 5th has very poor lighting and my 6 love it, they are always out an about swimming all over the place

From my short experience the light isn't that much of a factor. My clowns are out during the day(very bright tank lights too) and everyone in the tank is asleep at night, bar the pleco. They just need to feel safe and settle well I guess, with a cave big enough for all of them to cuddle together.
I mentioned it before, but if you have a laser beam, try it on the clowns, they chase it

 

[Davo86]

From my short experience the light isn't that much of a factor. My clowns are out during the day(very bright tank lights too) and everyone in the tank is asleep at night, bar the pleco. They just need to feel safe and settle well I guess, with a cave big enough for all of them to cuddle together.
I mentioned it before, but if you have a laser beam, try it on the clowns, they chase it

Depends, if the loach had been kept in subdued lighting for 8-10 years and were then moved to a tank with bright lights then it would definitely have some effect

 

[snazy]

From my short experience the light isn't that much of a factor. My clowns are out during the day(very bright tank lights too) and everyone in the tank is asleep at night, bar the pleco. They just need to feel safe and settle well I guess, with a cave big enough for all of them to cuddle together.
I mentioned it before, but if you have a laser beam, try it on the clowns, they chase it

Depends, if the loach had been kept in subdued lighting for 8-10 years and were then moved to a tank with bright lights then it would definitely have some effect

No doubt, but so would any other fish(the ones that live long enough as clowns ). The clowns are copycats from what I've read. If the rest of the fish are somewhat hiding and not playful, the clowns will be hiding. It works the other way round too. The more active the tank, the more active the clowns will be

 

[meloyelo]

My 6 clowns are very active, lights on or off doesn't seem to matter. They do have a regular "bedtime" too it seems. Each evening around 9:00 they all disappear. If I peek into the tank they will all be piled up inside a PVC tube near the back. When they are all out, I'll put my face right up to the front of the tank. They will be skittish for a few seconds then they will all come out one by one and swim in a group right in front of me. Another funny thing they do is they will line up side by side looking out the front of the tank, like they are watching the TV. Overall just awesome fish.

 

[PlecMama]

In all honesty, I rarely put the light on, only so I can see them if I am working in the kitchen and think to (the tank lives on the kitchen counter, we have a wall mounted boiler so the counter underneath is not really good for much else) but I was much more concerned that they weren't eating and now I guess they've been feeding themselves. When they run out of snails - which I must add have been a blight ever since they came to live with us 7 or 8 years ago - we will see how friendly they feel like being to the one holding the food pot.

Mine all sleep in a big hole together too, they're very cute.