CL QUESTION...

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Peter McFarlane

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 22, 2007
492
1
0
London
My gang of clown loaches are usually hiding, I have 20 in total but when you look at my tank you never see more then 5-6 at any one time (except at feeding time)... I would like to see them all together more often, but being the shy guys they are, this just doesn't happen.

What baffles me though....Is when I'm about to do my water change, I turn my pump off and empty the tank 25%. Then they all come out and start shoaling together and are out constantly!

Does anyone know why this would be? It's almost as if having no current makes them more active and more confident to come out? From what I've read online they like water current.. So yeah I'm baffled...

Never kept clown loaches before, would be grateful for any ideas on this.

Also, currently I have a lightly gravelled tank bottom, thinking of removing it and going bare bottom. Would CL's be ok with this?

Thanks,

Pete
 
CLs like to dig around with their barbels, so I would keep the substrate. I never see my CLs all day, and it's probably just a tank change that does it.
 
Yeah definatly keep the substrate cuz they like to dig around. I don't know why either but mine do the same thing so it's not an odd thing. I'll only see a few at a time...Mine seem to like to all come out early in the morning
 
Clown loaches feel more comfortable with dithers in the tank. I have rainbows in with my loaches and they never hide even when I'm doing something around the tank. They do like a lot of current. Mines would park themselves in front of a powerhead and take turns surfing the current it produces.
 
get some very active fish like giant danios. They will feel more comfortable comming out. i keep my 8 with african cichlids and i usually see 6-7 out at a time
 
Thanks for the input guys... By the sound of it dither fish are definetly the way to go.

I'll keep my eyes peeled in the LFS and see what they have available.

Thanks again :)
 
Peter? Out of curiosity what are the nitrate levels in your tank? Like yours my CL's seem to be out more during a water change, early morning or when eating. I’ve been trying to narrow down environmental factors to see if that's an issue??...as I battle high nitrates here right out of the tap so that's the first place I'm starting. I'll be adding some treated RO water during the next water change ( 1st water change 10% then 20% on the next ) watch the reactation and then do some tests after each WC..:popcorn:
 
I usually can see at least 60% of the collection at one time if not more. What other fish do you have with them?
 
Any aggressive tankmates? Mine live w/ some Julie. fry and pal around with them all day. Try dithers....
 
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