Clown Loaches Getting Stuck

[techen]

Heya guys, I just had to empty my tank and I had problems with my clown loaches. They were stuck inside my wood, Little gaps to the point where I had to snap parts off and drag them out. I spent a good hour letting them try and come out and some of them were so big I believe they jammed there self in there pretty good.
 
So what do I do to stop this happening? Do I seal up the gaps in the wood or do I just leave them be? I have no idea but it was pretty trying to get fat loaches out of this wood.

 

[betta fish]

It depends how often you plan to move them 

but if you are not planning on another move anytime soon then I would leave them be, they find the wood a nice secure place to hide as you have found out! I think they have those spears under their eyes ( sorry don't know what they are called ) that they use as defense to also jam themselves in.

 

[techen]

Yea it was quite hard to pull him out but I didn't want him in that wood as I drained my tank, If they'll be okay I'll not worry about it.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Just a piece of advice to all loach and plecos keepers- fish which love to cave.
 
If you have to move these fish, the cave is your friend. Both loaches and plecos have spines and points on them that can get caught in a net. Getting them loose can be difficult at times and doing so can even damage the fish. Usually we have no choice, but with these bottom dwellers we have an edge. It is possible yo remove them a lot easier when they are inside their hidey hole (a cave or piece of wood). You can remove it all in one go to a bucket. All you have to do is be sure you put a net over the entrance when you move it. And then there is the fact if the fish are scared they often retreat to their cave. I have never seen a fish not wanting to be netted intentionally swim into the net, but they will bolt into their cave quite often.
 
I pull the entire cave with a pleco dad and his fry in it to grow tanks all the time using the above. And I have moved clowns the same way.