Clown loaches...Is 4f diameter round plastic pond - 240G polyehtylene

[Coryloach]

Well, they're more like 5 inches each, about the same size.

One has a big scrape at the base of the dorsal fin. At first in the shop I thought its an infection but its more like skin totally missing. The other one must have had a split tail recently enough which has now fused together but there's a scar. Besides that they look healthy.

They are now in very small quarters and tomorrow I am going to de-worm them. They're going to have to stay in there for about 10 days on daily water changes due to the overstocking, but I need to make sure they've got nothing major. Normally, large clown loaches are always healthy enough.

They had a 4 hour trip and another hour and a half acclimation in a bucket but nterestingly, they perked up immediately and are now exploring their plastic tub, lol. There's a few corydoras in with them and the corys went straight to the clown loaches and sort of started hanging amongst them. Those corys used to live with my other clown loaches for years so its about time they too go into the pond...

 

[smjack]

Get a picture soon

 

[Coryloach]

I'll upload a video because its hard taking pictures of a plastic tub. Please excuse the quality and the living quarters. I've got a larger tub but since its just temporary...and I want to de-worm the lot, plus they'll get lots of water changes.

 

[Chockful O Phail]

Well...My perseverance didn't last long.... .I went shopping and right now I am acclimating 3 clown loaches, about 4-5 inch each, some customer brought them over to the shop a couple of days ago

BwaHahaha, I am particularly familiar with that erm err "problem"

 

[Coryloach]

BwaHahaha, I am particularly familiar with that erm err "problem"

Ha, ha.... The way I justify it is my plants have been nitrogen deficient and I need a few more fish. Plus, there were no other fish in the fish shop. They just had those 3 clown loaches ....or at least I didn't see any other fish

They're about the same size as my 9 inch loach when I got him 4 years ago. So in another 4 years I may have some chunky loaches if everything goes well

 

[Coryloach]

I was doing a water change yesterday. There are two internal filters in the tub and at some stage I see one had detached and fallen to the bottom and a clown loach sticking out. I lifted it up and freed the loach but I think he got quite stressed, so did I. He was sitting there without moving for quite a while afterwards and the other two loaches kept coming to him and nudging him....They look very attached to each other. They must have lived together for quite some time.

He seems ok today, I see 3 of them swimming so hopefully no damage done...There wasn't any external damage that I could see.

 

[Chockful O Phail]

If he's swimming the day after he should be good. Too inquisitive for their own good sometimes.

 

[Coryloach]

Thanks Chock. He seems just fine today.

A couple of hours ago I moved them to the pond....I just couldn't bear watching them in the small plastic tub....I think it was just cruel of me. I gave them another good look. One of them has rubbed his nose white. Same happened to my big loach when I bought him 4 years ago and it went away by itself. I think they do that when they're stressed and going up and down the walls.
When I was netting them to move them, each one of them decided to release their spikes and got stuck in the net, poor things....I've never had a clown loach release the spikes yet....first time for me but the poor fish must be quite stressed.

I've been watching them in the pond until now. After all that moving and travelling they've had for the last few days,taking into account that they had been brought to the shop just two days prior I got them, they still came out immediately and started exploring. Tough fish. Funnily, they discovered themselves amongst the bunch of other clowns and are still swimming in a trio, You could clearly tell they recognise themselves. They are quite a good size but are still quite smaller than my biggest two so they shouldn't be challenging for dominance at all.....yet

 

[Coryloach]

The 3 new loaches are settling really well into the pond. This morning I got attacked by the entire bunch of loaches, including the newbies, when I put my hand in with bloodworms
I was watching them just until now and left them there, still begging for food after I fed them...

They are slightly thinner than my bunch so they need a bit of pampering but they are very active and eating well already. Its like they've always been in my pond Yesterday, they just couldn't contain themselves and kept storming out of the caves to explore when the lights were on. You could tell they're excited to be in there. And in fact, so are my corydoras which also went in. Its amazing to see the difference in fish behaviour moved from a small to a bigger tank. My corys were matured in a 5f tank so they must be excited to have some space back.

Now, as always, I've got a ton of bottom feeders again, considering I've also got kuhli loaches, SAEs and a pleco in there too, which has always been the case for me and my choice of fish but I've always managed it just fine.

Lets hope I am not up for surprises. I did put a dose of the de-wormer in the main tank to eliminate some possible contaminants but I think, judging by the behavior and general looks, the clown loaches are quite healthy.

 

[Coryloach]

So this below is Carlo, one of the new loaches. He's the one with the big scrape near the dorsal. He had that in the shop. His nose is also white. and so is the nose of one of the others... but I am not worried at the moment. I mentioned I've seen this happen.

The video is taken through the net so apologies for the below par quality. The rest are in and out of the pvc tube and I can't take a long enough video without them disappearing from my filming spot but when I eventually manage, I'll upload it.