Where is my clown loach

If you have a good-sized place for them to hide, such as a cave, some driftwood with a hole in it, or even some pieces of PVC, you will observe your fish acting like clowns in a circus all crowding into one small car. They will jockey with each other for position and constantly shift around together. Another typical behavior for clown loaches is to swim around the side of a tank in endless circles.

If you watch them carefully, you will see that they always maintain the same order as they circle. That will just scare everyone in the tank. When it comes to feeding, clown loaches will each just about anything, but they are especially fond of snails.

It is really interesting to watch their behavior when dealing with snails. If the tank does not already have a population of snails that the clown loaches are controlling, you can drop in a couple of common pond snails or ramshorn snails.

It will usually take a few minutes for the clown loaches to find the snails, but once they discover them, the chase is on. They will keep rolling the snail over, pinning it to the corner of the tank, to a piece of rock or driftwood. My clown loach has been hiding for a few weeks… I can JUSt see the tip of his tail in a coliseum thing in my tank. I just tested my pH with an older test kit and it was 7. Also what type of wood… does it matter? Thanks for your help!

Clown loaches are nocturnal fish so they might be less active during the day. Also, they tend to seek holes and other cavities where to hide. If your pH is not above 7. Old driftwood indeed can lower the pH. Even though i read everything I could on this yesterday I truly thought my clown had gone! Having just got a new tank with the loach and a barb, I added in my fish and established plants etc. After a moment where I thought the barb was dying and soent hours doing checks and water changes, my loach was nowhere.

I searched literally everywhere, even on the floor and in the filter in case. Convinced that he had somehow been lost somewhere I finally went to bed. This morning I got up and went to look…. The barb has now recovered and all fish seem very happy….

Website URL. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Home About Menu. Freshwater Aquarium Talk. Is your clown loach missing? Posted by kypeli on June 19, Leave a comment 7 Go to comments. If you've ever seen a school of clown loaches , it's hard to resist bringing a few of them home.

It's even harder to imagine that this beautiful fish is eaten as food fish in Indonesia and Borneo, where it grows to over a foot in length. Fortunately for the clown loach, among aquarium enthusiasts, it's a staple in the community tank rather than on the dining table.

Its orange and black striped body, red fins, and active behavior have made it one of the most popular loach species for fishkeepers. The clown loach is a peaceful fish and coexists well with nearly any tankmate. It is also an amusing species to watch and feed as it is very active during the day.

Clown loaches will even eat any annoying snails that wind up in your aquarium. The clown loach is sometimes called a scaleless fish, but it actually does have small scales embedded in its skin.

The clown loach hails from the rivers and tributaries of Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, and Kalimantan. During spawning periods, they migrate to flooded areas of the rainforest where soft, tea-colored water flows through boggy, slow-moving streams.

This loach prefers waterways that are shaded by leafy plants and lined with plant detritus such as fallen leaves, twigs, and branches. Like all loaches, the clown loach has a long, pointed nose surrounded by sensitive whisker-like barbels and a sharp spine beneath each eye. These spines are used for defense; in captivity, these may prick fingers or snag on nets, so it's important to be careful when handling your loach. The clown loach's arched body is long and lean, ideal for cutting through the water.

True to its name, its body is bright orange to yellow, and its fins and tail are bright red. It has two wide black V-shaped stripes along the sides of its body and a third black stripe running vertically through its eye. Peaceful with its own and other species, the clown loach prefers to have companions with which it will form a school.

Virtually all non-aggressive fish are suitable as tankmates. Because they prefer to live in groups, it's wise to keep four or more in a tank. They don't like bright light, will hide among plants or rocks as well, and sleep in holes, caves, and other hiding places.

Clown loaches are large schooling fish, and they are quite active. You will need a large tank with plenty of space for your loaches to move around. At the same time, however, each and every loach should have several hiding spots available; loaches love enclosed spaces and will sometimes "hide" in caves, tubes, and other hidey-holes. Hiding places can be made of wood or rock; strong, sturdy plants are also a good addition.