Loaches with a death wish

Doomer · 05-03-2003, 01:23 PM

I've got 3 Clown Loaches in my 75 gal. I had a nice piece of driftwood that I removed because one of the loaches found a hole and stayed in it for 2 weeks. I finally became concerned enough to remove it for safety's sake.

I recently found a nice fake tree stump at PS. It's hollow, including the roots. I haven't seen my CL's since I put the stump in the tank last week. I suspect they are inside the roots of the stump. Will they get stuck and die ? Do they come out to eat once in a while ? Do they have a Death Wish ?

corey · 05-03-2003, 03:15 PM

I have a Rapheal Catfish that I bought over a year ago and I've only seen him about five times. He hides under a rock. I seen him about a month ago and he is very healthy and three times the size that he was when I bought him.

So I wouldn't worry about it.

Pooks73 · 05-03-2003, 06:15 PM

welcome to the world of clown loaches! not only will they get into any hole that they find, you'll see them sleeping on their sides and looking quite dead sometimes. i wouldn't worry about them too much. as long you see them on occasion, they're fine. they're noctournal eaters anyway, so you don't see them eat very often. if you're very concerned, take out the wood and plug up the holes that they're getting into.

i also can realte with the raph cat...i saw mine the other day for the first time in two months, it was nice and fat and healthy, and at least twice the size he was when i put him in there!

**GDominy** · 05-03-2003, 06:48 PM

Heh heh heh your clowns are just being loachy. These are shy fish naturally and will hide if they aren't feeling very bold. Believe it or not, you probably want to add MORE hiding spots. The more spots they have, the less likely they are to "guard" the one they have. They will spend their time moving from spot to spot.

Doomer · 05-03-2003, 06:56 PM

I've got some in another tank that are the exact opposite of these. They're the first to the top come feeding time and roam the tank continiously. Guess I'll have to let my nose tell me when something is amiss.

**GDominy** · 05-03-2003, 08:14 PM

Probably :-) Loaches are pretty crazy sometimes, I just love them! How new are they? Is it possible they are just settling in still?

Doomer · 05-03-2003, 08:53 PM

I've had them about a year so they've had plenty of time to settle in. Seems like they got more introverted as time went by.

**GDominy** · 05-03-2003, 09:27 PM

How many do you have?

Doomer · 05-04-2003, 12:22 AM

Three. They're about 5 to 6 inches.

**GDominy** · 05-04-2003, 01:14 AM

Well, as they get older they can become shy. It could be that maybe they're are too few as wel. Loaches love their own company, if they were used to a larger schoal then they may be feeling lonely or intimidated

corey · 05-04-2003, 02:15 AM

I think they do best in schools of 6 or more.

Doomer · 05-04-2003, 02:45 AM

Cool, that gives me an excuse to go out and buy 3 more.

I've always wanted to grow a few out to a foot or longer. Seems like I always loose them before get grown. Last batch I lost was due to a heater failure in the middle of the winter. Before that it was a bad case of ick that came in with some fish from Walmart (the wife did it, really).

JimmyD · 05-15-2003, 12:30 AM

I just got back from the lfs, saw some zebra red tail loaches. Any body know about these? aggressive? good for eating snails? how big? the usual questions......

Doomer · 05-15-2003, 01:40 AM

Well, I haven't seen any of them since I put the tree stump in the tank. I don't know if they are dead or alive. Think I'll remove the stump this weekend and if I can get them out of it I'll move them to another tank. This is really bothering me. I'd like to see them every once in a while.

jonah · 05-15-2003, 02:27 AM

I have a pair of clowns that I never saw when they were in my old 29g, I moved them to one of my 125g's and now they're out all of the time.

05-03-2003, 03:15 PM	#2
corey Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 112	I have a Rapheal Catfish that I bought over a year ago and I've only seen him about five times. He hides under a rock. I seen him about a month ago and he is very healthy and three times the size that he was when I bought him. So I wouldn't worry about it. __________________ 55g planted tank, CO2 System, Eheim 2217 & Fluval 4 Internal filter. Just over 2 watts per gallon, 30g planted semi-aquatic Newt and Toad tank, 20g African Cichlid tank and a 2g Nano

05-04-2003, 02:15 AM	#11
corey Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 112	I think they do best in schools of 6 or more. __________________ 55g planted tank, CO2 System, Eheim 2217 & Fluval 4 Internal filter. Just over 2 watts per gallon, 30g planted semi-aquatic Newt and Toad tank, 20g African Cichlid tank and a 2g Nano

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05-03-2003, 01:23 PM	#1
Doomer Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: The Boondocks Posts: 468	I've got 3 Clown Loaches in my 75 gal. I had a nice piece of driftwood that I removed because one of the loaches found a hole and stayed in it for 2 weeks. I finally became concerned enough to remove it for safety's sake. I recently found a nice fake tree stump at PS. It's hollow, including the roots. I haven't seen my CL's since I put the stump in the tank last week. I suspect they are inside the roots of the stump. Will they get stuck and die ? Do they come out to eat once in a while ? Do they have a Death Wish ?

05-03-2003, 06:15 PM	#3
Pooks73 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: NYC Posts: 102	welcome to the world of clown loaches! not only will they get into any hole that they find, you'll see them sleeping on their sides and looking quite dead sometimes. i wouldn't worry about them too much. as long you see them on occasion, they're fine. they're noctournal eaters anyway, so you don't see them eat very often. if you're very concerned, take out the wood and plug up the holes that they're getting into. i also can realte with the raph cat...i saw mine the other day for the first time in two months, it was nice and fat and healthy, and at least twice the size he was when i put him in there!

05-03-2003, 06:48 PM	#4
GDominy Planted Tank VIP (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Victoria,British Columbia, Canada Posts: 3,276	Heh heh heh your clowns are just being loachy. These are shy fish naturally and will hide if they aren't feeling very bold. Believe it or not, you probably want to add MORE hiding spots. The more spots they have, the less likely they are to "guard" the one they have. They will spend their time moving from spot to spot.

05-03-2003, 06:56 PM	#5
Doomer Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: The Boondocks Posts: 468	I've got some in another tank that are the exact opposite of these. They're the first to the top come feeding time and roam the tank continiously. Guess I'll have to let my nose tell me when something is amiss.

05-03-2003, 08:14 PM	#6
GDominy Planted Tank VIP (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Victoria,British Columbia, Canada Posts: 3,276	Probably :-) Loaches are pretty crazy sometimes, I just love them! How new are they? Is it possible they are just settling in still?

05-03-2003, 08:53 PM	#7
Doomer Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: The Boondocks Posts: 468	I've had them about a year so they've had plenty of time to settle in. Seems like they got more introverted as time went by.

05-03-2003, 09:27 PM	#8
GDominy Planted Tank VIP (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Victoria,British Columbia, Canada Posts: 3,276	How many do you have?

05-04-2003, 12:22 AM	#9
Doomer Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: The Boondocks Posts: 468	Three. They're about 5 to 6 inches.

05-04-2003, 01:14 AM	#10
GDominy Planted Tank VIP (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Victoria,British Columbia, Canada Posts: 3,276	Well, as they get older they can become shy. It could be that maybe they're are too few as wel. Loaches love their own company, if they were used to a larger schoal then they may be feeling lonely or intimidated

05-04-2003, 02:45 AM	#12
Doomer Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: The Boondocks Posts: 468	Cool, that gives me an excuse to go out and buy 3 more. I've always wanted to grow a few out to a foot or longer. Seems like I always loose them before get grown. Last batch I lost was due to a heater failure in the middle of the winter. Before that it was a bad case of ick that came in with some fish from Walmart (the wife did it, really).

05-15-2003, 12:30 AM	#13
JimmyD Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 83	I just got back from the lfs, saw some zebra red tail loaches. Any body know about these? aggressive? good for eating snails? how big? the usual questions......

05-15-2003, 01:40 AM	#14
Doomer Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: The Boondocks Posts: 468	Well, I haven't seen any of them since I put the tree stump in the tank. I don't know if they are dead or alive. Think I'll remove the stump this weekend and if I can get them out of it I'll move them to another tank. This is really bothering me. I'd like to see them every once in a while.

05-15-2003, 02:27 AM	#15
jonah Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Mustang, Oklahoma Posts: 93	I have a pair of clowns that I never saw when they were in my old 29g, I moved them to one of my 125g's and now they're out all of the time.