|
| FAQs About Clown Loach Behavior
Related Articles: Loaches,
Dojos/Weatherfish, A New Look At Loaches By Neale Monks,
Related FAQs: Clown Loaches,
Loach Behavior,
Clown Loach Identification,
Clown Loach Compatibility,
Clown Loach Selection,
Clown Loach Systems,
Clown Loach Feeding, Clown Loach Disease,
Clown Loach Reproduction,
Loaches 1, Loaches
2,
Loach Identification,
Loach Compatibility,
Loach Selection,
Loach Systems,
Loach Feeding, Loach Disease,
Loach Reproduction, |
|
Clown loach growth rate
11/19/07
Hi Crew,
I read your website often and have gained lots of valuable info, but have never
posted before. I'd like your advice on two questions. Let me say first I'm a
newbie fish keeper who got stuck with the hobby when a friend moved away and
left me with her tank.
<A-ha!>
Now I'm hooked, but still making my share of mistakes. My latest mistake was
listening to the advice of a pet store guy and buying fish I had never
researched myself and adding them to my tank without quarantining.
<Hmm... not all aquarium stores give bad advice; indeed, many give excellent
advice. But it does pay to have at least one good aquarium book to hand so you
can confirm things like water chemistry, maximum size, etc. for the common
community fish traded. There are many such books, and your public library almost
certainly has some even if you don't want to buy one just yet.>
I have a 20 gallon tall with 2 juvenile dwarf red honey Gourami. The tank has
been established for over 3 months. I wanted something for the bottom of the
tank, but I heard that Corys would damage their barbels on my gravel substrate.
<This is something of a simplification. Sharp gravel can wear down their
barbels, and they certainly do look happier when kept in tanks with sand instead
of gravel. But plain vanilla smooth gravel shouldn't cause any serious harm or
damage to catfish. The erosion of barbels often blamed on the gravel is more
likely a sort of Finrot, and caused by secondary infections. So rather than that
gravel _per se_ causing the problem, it's dirty gravel that does. Keep Corydoras
in a clean aquarium where the gravel is periodically stirred up and the dirty
siphoned off, and you shouldn't have any trouble.>
The "helpful" pet store guy suggested I buy 3 clown loaches instead. He said
they'd be "just fine" in my 20 gallon.
<Eek!>
Imagine my panic when I got them home, looked them up online, and realized what
I'd gotten myself into. However, I like the loaches, and I have decided to
upgrade to a 55 gallon tank in January (now all the loaches are about 1.5 inches
each, so I'm guessing they'll be ok until for the next couple of months until
the upgrade). From reading your site, I know that a 125 gallon tank will
eventually be the only suitable home for these guys.
<It does rather depend. Clown loaches certainly can get very big. But it takes a
long time. Best practise is to plan ahead, but realistically many people keep
them for years in relatively small tanks. A 20 gallon tank is probably too small
for anything other than the short term given their size, but a 55 gallon should
work for several years.>
Now, I live in Hawaii but will move to the mainland in the next 1.5 to 2 years,
at which point I'll have to give away the fish. (In anticipation of this, I
joined the Honolulu Aquarium Society, so when I move I'll have access to a
network of people who can help me find appropriate homes for the loaches.) So,
my question: will my loaches be ok in the 55 gallon for the next 2 years, or
will they outgrow it within that time span?
<Clown loaches grow around 5 cm/2.5 inches per year under normal conditions.
They're just not fast-growing fish. This will vary somewhat depending on water
quality, diet, temperature, etc.>
My second issue: My usual routine is a 25% water change every week, but I am
considering
switching to 10% every 3 days. The reason is that I will be away for a month in
December/January, and house-sitters will be caring for my fish. I think the more
frequent water changes might be easier for them, since they'd only have to deal
with removing and replacing 2 gallons of water at a time.
<I'd actually not have them do any water changes, unless you can really trust
them. If they dump in water that hasn't been dechlorinated, or remove too much
so that the heater or filter get exposed to air, you could cause problems. I'd
far sooner have the fish relegated to 1/2 or 1/4 rations (say, a meal every 3-4
days) and then have the babysitters do nothing more than top up evaporation with
water from a jug of dechlorinated water.>
This would also decrease the risk that they'd shock the fish with sudden water
fluctuations. So, my second question: If I change only 2 gallons at a time, do I
thus add only 1 ml of chlorine/chloramine remover? I use Stress Coat, and the
usual dose is 5 ml per 10 gallons.
<5 divided by 5 is 1, so yes, 1 ml of dechlorinator per one-fifth of 10 gallons,
i.e., 2 gallons, sounds right to me.>
And one last related question (thanks for reading such a long email!): Do you
approve of the 10% per 3 days plan?
<It's a plan. But make sure you trust the babysitters not to do more harm than
good. Going a month without a water change won't kill your fish. It was
absolutely standard practise to keep fish this way 20 years ago, doing 25% water
changes per month. I don't recommend it as a permanent plan for all kinds of
reasons, but over a vacation, it might be the lesser of two evils.>
I want the water to stay super clean for my loaches until I get back in Jan. and
give them the 55 tank, but I also want to keep the water change schedule easy
and fool-proof for the house-sitters. Your advice and knowledge is greatly
appreciated!
<Hope this helps, Neale.>
Hi! my name's Buffy and I'm 15 years old &
from NSW. Clown loach beh.
Here's the story:
I used to have 2 clown loaches but 1 died. :( so i went to the fish store to get
another one but got distracted by the tiger barbs and got 3 of those & forgot
completely about the poor lonely clown loach. when i got home i swore to get one
next chance i had. But the clown loach became one of the tiger barbs the same
day i bought them. It doesn't act anything like a clown loach anymore. It now
behaves in every way possible like a tiger barb. I have no idea what's going on
with it! Maybe the similarity between the colours had both the loach and barbs
confused...but it doesn't dig into the pebbles or act any thing like it used to
or should! Please tell me why my clown loach has had such a sudden personality
change! And what can i do?
<Hello Buffy. It is absolutely normal for baby Clown Loaches to school with
Tiger Barbs in aquaria. Clown Loaches are sociable fish: they need to be kept in
groups of at least three specimens. When they are not, they feel "lonely". Since
your Clown can't find any friends to school with, he's doing the next best
thing, schooling with the Tiger Barbs, which do indeed look very similar. So, go
buy some more Clowns, put them in the tank, and you should see everything get
back to normal. Please remember Clowns get quite big; the average size in
aquaria is around 15-20 cm, though specimens over 30 cm are found in the wild
(and in big fish tanks). Cheers, Neale>
High Ammonia Levels 1/20/07
<Hi Cheryl, Pufferpunk here>
I'm from Woodinville WA where we had a nasty wind storm that took out over
1,000,000 people's power for a week (or more).
<My biggest fear, with 9 tanks running.>
Of course no one here had generators at the time (or could get one if they
wanted to) and we never knew we would be without power for so darn long....(we
have a generator now for the future...which I hope I'll never need.)
<Always good to be prepared.>
I was able to save all but 1 fish, by insulating the tank with blankets and
doing water changes every 8 hours during the outage then after the power came
back on, treating for fungus/parasites first--then bacterial infection.
I lost the one fish. I ended up basically starting over after 25 years as far as
an established tank goes. I have a wet dry system, with a full load of fish and
I now have high ammonia levels. I have been struggling with this since Dec.
21st. Its been about 6 weeks and it doesn't seem to be getting better.
< :o( >
I have been doing partial water changes aprox. every 2-5 days, (depending on how
bad the ammonia level is).
<Very toxic--should be 0 at all times.>
I am using StressZyme each time, to add bacteria, also AmmoLock every other day
because the levels are showing very high even after the water changes. I bought
some Amquel but it didn't seem to do anything except make the tank smell nasty.
So far the fish seem to be OK with all this. The water right now is very cloudy
looking.
Today's level was at 6-ppm (not good) So I did a massive water change (80%)
hoping to bring it down some.
<Should be doing these daily.>
From all I have read I am not sure if I should add AmmoLock or not. Any advice
is appreciated.
<Forget about all the above products you are using. StressZyme contains no live
bacteria, so you're basically adding waste to a tank that can't handle the waste
already in there. The ammonia-removing products you are using are preventing
the good bacteria from developing, because it is starving it from it's food
(eats ammonia), so it can't complete the cycle. Find a shop that sells
Bio-Spira (may be difficult to find). This is the ONLY product that contains
the LIVE bacteria found in an established, cycled tank. DO NOT LET THE STORE
SELL YOU ANYTHING ELSE! To change ammonia to a usable, non-toxic form, use
Prime as a dechlorinator. Until you are able to get the B-S into your tank, you
must do huge, daily water changes (80-90%), to get your levels down to 0. When
you do get B-S, add it directly to your filter.>
My 6 clown loaches are 25 years old now and I'd hate to lose them after all this
time. I've had them longer than the husband! They are sensitive little
creatures and I'm sure this is stressing them all out. It certainly is
stressing me out!
<Yes, scale less fish are more sensitive to ammonia/nitrites. Folks don't
believe it when I tell them the longevity of these beautiful, entertaining
fish. They must be fantastic sight!>
The setup is a 75 gallon fresh water tank with a Tricon trickle wet dry system,
aprox. 20 fish total.
<Hmmm... not nearly large enough for a school of huge 6 clowns, plus 14 more
fish! The clowns should be around a foot long by now. That would require at
least a 200+ gallon tank.>
Any further help is appreciated.
<You should consider an upgrade. The overstocking is a big part of your problem
here, as the tank can't catch up with the bioload all those fish are
producing. Get that Bio-Spira ASAP & in the meantime, huge daily water changes
are in order. See: http://fishstoretn.com/bio_spira.html ~PP>
Cheryl
Bio-Spira & Stunted Clown Loaches 2/1/07
<Cheryl>
Thank you. I had heard about Bio-Spira from another fish group and called a
store (that's far away) yesterday that had it. I'll pick it up today. I did
another large water change last night and I will do a water change before I put
the Bio-Spira in.
<For some strange reason, this is a difficult product to find. As well as it
works & the fact that it is the ONLY product that successfully instantly cycles
a tank & brings back a crashed system (although they claim not to use it for
this--I have), I think every store should carry it. Just be sure to ask if it
has ever been out of refrigeration. I went to a shop that had some sitting on
their counter. They insisted it was fine there & they had been selling it that
way for months. I had them read the package & even though it had been sitting
on that counter for a month (totally dead) they put in the fridge for future
sale!!!>
My 6 loaches I bought when they were tiny babies and they have all lived happily
up till 2 years ago in a 40 gallon tank. The under gravel system (actually I had
one custom made at the 12 year mark) finally gave up on it after 23 years and I
did up grade to the 75 gallon wet dry trickle system. The last 2 years had been
super great, no problems at all. Not till the dreaded power outage.
FYI my loaches are nowhere near a foot long. Loaches grow very slowly. Maybe if
they were in a bigger tank to begin with, they may be that large now, but I
doubt it. My biggest 2 are half that size, aprox. 6 inches. the rest aprox. 4
inches. Very beautiful fish. I hope to have them around another 25 years (then I
might need a bigger tank!)
<I'm not too sure of their longevity but I think you're approaching the
mark. Too bad they're stunted though... would have been stunning at that
size! ~PP>
Thank you very much for your help.
Cheryl
Clown Loach beh. 1/14/07
Hi.
<<Hello again, Joanne.>>
I have 'spoken' with Tom before about my guppies, he was really helpful and I
hope you may be able to help again?
<<I’ll certainly give it my best effort.>>
I have a 180 litre tank in which I currently have 9 neon tetras, 10 Black Neons,
6 guppies and 2 clown loaches (I appreciate these will eventually become too big
to keep with the others but I will buy them their own tank long before this
becomes a problem.)
<<Excellent.>>
The tank is heated, has an internal filter, airstone and fluorescent lighting, I
have tested the water and it is as it should be.
<<All sounds good.>>
The problem I have is with one of the clown loaches, he has started 'sticking'
himself to the side of the filter box where the water is sucked through the
vents, and spends much of the day there and his gills are moving rapidly. I
haven’t moved him as he does unattached himself from the vent without any
problem and continues to feed normally, still making the clicking noise. I have
been told is a sign of happiness?
<<”Excited” is probably more appropriate, Joanne. The clicking noises are
generally associated with the fish when feeding and spawning but can also occur
when the fish is frightened or startled.>>
His colour is good. Does this sound like a disease or parasite problem?
<<Not at all. These Loaches come from fast-moving waters in the wild and
appreciate currents in their tanks. Hobbyists will frequently add powerheads to
their aquariums, particularly for species-only setups, to provide these fish
with the water movement they enjoy. In this case, it sounds like your fish has
found a spot, even if it’s an odd one, where it can enjoy some additional water
movement. (I guess you do what you can when you’re a fish!)>>
I had a large heat treated piece of driftwood in the tank which the two loaches
used as their home. When I cleaned the tank earlier this week, however, I
noticed there were what looked like tiny black mites in the wood. I didn’t put
the wood back in the tank and provided them with a new home. Does this sound
like it could be connected?
<<Doesn’t seem likely, Joanne. Your Loach doesn’t display any signs of stress
such as colors fading or loss of appetite. I believe he’s just found a fun place
to hang out.>>
None of the other fish including the other loach are affected, and I cannot see
any other visible symptoms.
<<Well, the good news/bad news of Loaches is that parasitic infestations are
pretty easy to spot since these fish are scaleless creatures. I’ve seen the term
“Ich magnet” applied to Blue Tangs in saltwater aquaria and, if there’s a
freshwater counterpart to these, Clown Loaches would surely qualify. I’m
generally reluctant to tell anyone that there’s absolutely no need for concern
regarding a pet’s unusual behavior but I think there’s a more plausible
explanation based on what you’ve shared here.>>
I hope you can help.
<<Other than my ‘two-cents-worth’, I really don’t think you need my help this
time, Joanne. Part of the appeal of these fish is their sometimes odd behavior
and I think that’s what you’re getting from this one.>>
Thank you in advance
Joanne x
<<Nice to hear from you again, Joanne. Take care. Tom>>
Clown Loaches - Diseased, or Clownin' Around? - 08/12/2005
We have had 2 clown loaches in a 240 litre community tank for 8 months. They
are in with two small eels (7inch) two angel two gourami and some pleco's.
<Some.... How many?>
Only two small Plecos have been introduced recently.
<Not much space for several territorial bottom-dwellers....>
Over the last 24 - 48 hours one clown loach has stayed at the bottom often
falling over on his side,
<Can be quite normal.... Try a google search with "clown loach playing dead".>
and his colouring have gone very dark (like bruising but all over)?
<Possibly a problem....>
The other clown loach is desperately trying to help him but I don't what it is
or how to treat him?
<First, test your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Be certain ammonia
and nitrite are always ZERO. Maintain nitrate at 20ppm or less. If your water
is not within this range, do water changes to correct it. If all checks out,
and you see no other behaviour issues with this fish, all may indeed be quite
well. I would "wait and see" for now, and keep a close eye on the fish.>
Please help, -Karen
<Wishing you and your fishes well, -Sabrina>
Clown Loach
I have 2 loaches, 2 black tipped sharks(?), and have just added 2 Oscars. I
only mention all of the above because I do not remember seeing this problem
before the Oscars were added. One of my loaches is constantly swimming at the
surface with his mouth wide open, never closing it. He is seriously faded and
seems to have red cheeks (I know that is silly but really what it looks like).
The sharks are very worried about him and so am I. Can you help me?
Kim
<Sounds like this fish is extremely stressed... by? I would check your water
quality... for ammonia and nitrite at least... Has this tank been set-up long?
Is it big enough for these fishes? How is it filtered? Is it cycled? Please read
here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwmaintindex.htm
- scroll down to Environmental Disease and read the Related FAQs files. Bob
Fenner>
LOAFING LOACHES
Hi Guys, I hope you can shed some light on why my 2 clown loaches have
suddenly become very listless with one in particular just lying at the back of
the tank. This is a marked change in behaviour as they have been very active for
the month since I introduced them to my 200 litre planted tank. Ammonia,
nitrites and nitrates are fine and ph is 7. I do seem to have a bit of an algae
problem despite doing weekly water changes and was wondering if the level of
dissolved organic compounds may be too high and affecting the loaches adversely.
I've since cut the lighting back to 9 hours and am going to reduce the amount of
food I've been giving them. Any advice would be appreciated.
Regards, Jane
< It is not uncommon for loaches to be found occasionally lying on their sides.
Many new aquarists become freaked out by their loaches strange behavior but it
is normal for them. If they really are sick then look closely for ich. These
guys can pick this up in a tank when all the other fish seem unaffected.-Chuck>
Clown loach playing with black gravel -- pics? (03/02/03)
This may be a rather bizarre question, but I'm sure I saw a series of photos
of Clown Loaches that were moving black pebbles to the floor of their cave. Most
of the gravel in the tank was a different color and they seemingly wanted the
black gravel in their cave. I thought there was a link from this site to the
series of photos, but I have searched every way I know how and I can't find it
anywhere on the web. Have you seen these photos?
<Nope, and I didn't have any luck in my searches, either. I'd check at
www.loaches.com and post on their boards -- someone there might have seen or
heard of these photos. --Ananda>
Clown loach no info. 2/10/06
I have a community tank consisting of tetras, a pleco, and recently the
addition of 4 clown loaches in an attempt to look after a snail problem....three
of the loaches are doing well, good colour, active, etc. However the third has
lost colour, is very faded, and spends much of it's time away from his peers,
often at the top of the tank swimming erratically. I'd read that the ammonia
could be the issue however have tested and they are 0%, like wise the ph is
good. what now?
help
Rebekah
<... water quality? Temperature? See WWM re requirements, ranges. Bob Fenner>
Clown Loaches 8/24/06
Hi,
<Hello>
I have a clown loach that keeps rubbing across a terracotta pot piece in
the aquarium.
<What they do... are "clowns">
I gave it a water change and changed the filter and also turned the temp. from
80 to 84 degrees.
<Good>
Can you tell me why he is doing this and what I can do about it. He looks
perfectly fine.
<Is likely. Unless you see definite signs of disease, I would not be
concerned... Do know that this is a social animal... Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/clownloachfaqs.htm
Bob Fenner>
Sherri
Clown loaches hiding for too long? 8/14/06
Hello there crew, My question is concerning my 55 gallon freshwater tank-
more specifically- a pair of clown loaches. I've had them for almost a year
and they are growing quickly, and keeping my snail population in check.
<Neat!>
Recently I put in a hollow piece of artificial drift wood and the opening is on
top, so now both of them have taken to living full time inside.
<Very common>
The problem is they never come back out, or at least not that I have noticed,
and after a few weeks I get nervous and pour them out.
<Mmm, no need... will come out "eventually"...>
When they come out they are really pale, the orange is totally white and the
black stripes are just light grey. Their color returns quickly but they act very
nervous if
they cant get back in. They have other places to hide in the tank, but they
don't seclude themselves the same way in those. Are they going to just sit in
there until they die?
<Nope>
or are they breeding?
<Not likely... really have to be quite large (several inches long)...>
I would appreciate your help on this one, Thanks -Julian
<I'd try offering some favored food during the lights on hours... bloodworms,
black worms, sinking tablets... and being patient. Possibly adding a third,
smaller individual may cause these two to be more outgoing. Bob Fenner>
Re: clown loach, sys., beh. 8/25/06
Hi again,
This loach had a partner clown loach when he was bought a couple
years ago but they fought a lot and the other didn't make it. I don't believe it
was due to the fighting. His other tank mate died so there is only a little 2
inch Pleco of some sort in with him. It is a 20 gal tank. Is this unhealthy for
him( stunt his growth or pine in loneliness) He seems aggressive but not a
killer. He is 5 inches now.
<Not enough room for other Botia here... but are social animals, best kept in
small odd numbers where the environment allows. BobF>
Sherri
|
|
