Killer Clown Loaches?

[alexdallimore]

OK, I woke up this morning to find my small stripped barb destroyed in the bottom of the tank. Head, spine and tail were all thats left. He was living happily with the others for the last couple of months with no problems. Then last week I introduced 2 more clown loaches to keep the 1 that was in there happy. The clown loaches are really active now but are they responsible for the death. The CL are about 4 inches and the barb was about 1 inch.

Anyone had same experience

Alex

 

[BrassMan]

OK, I woke up this morning to find my small stripped barb destroyed in the bottom of the tank. Head, spine and tail were all thats left. He was living happily with the others for the last couple of months with no problems. Then last week I introduced 2 more clown loaches to keep the 1 that was in there happy. The clown loaches are really active now but are they responsible for the death. The CL are about 4 inches and the barb was about 1 inch.

Anyone had same experience

Alex

I'd be very surprised, I've got 4 4" clowns and they get along fine with all my other fish, it's more likely that the fish died from other causes during the night, once dead however I suspect the clowns would have had a peck at the body along with any other hungry fish.

Just a thought, did you quaranteen the clowns before you introduced them, they could be indirectly responsible if their carying something, in my experience clowns are very often infected with white spot, one LFS I goto even has a sign on the clown tank advising customers to treat them with protozin for this very reason.

Paul.

 

[alexdallimore]

I couldn't quarantene them first due to CL not coping well with "new tanks". My quarantene tank is not as established as my other tank. I have kept a close eye on them and my other fish and everything seems ok. The fish that died seemed fine yesterday. Watch this space.

 

[Araxen]

I'd really find it hard to believe that it was the Clown Loach. They are usually very friend towards other fish unless they are provoked. They will protect themselves and are very capable of doing it.

I know the clowns I had wouldn't take any crap from Tiger Barbs and their nipping when I had them. The first time they tried it the loaches put them in their place and the barbs never tried it again.