Loach Tank Pictures

[FIU Panther]

Well, I couldn't wait. I ended up moving the clowns to the 125g and converted the 75g to a planted tank.

It was incredible the amount of plants that 125g had. The 125g needs a bit more pool filter sand, and I'll probably tighten up the filters and heaters but otherwise its done.

 

[FIU Panther]

Yesterday, I was at a LFS and saw they had Zebra loaches. I had never seen these guys in person, ended up buying the last 6 they had and grabbed 6 Khuli loaches too. They're currently in quarantine and I have to say these guys are not skittish at all, they are the opposite of the Clowns so far when it comes to shyness.

I'm currently debating whether to (1) place them all in my 75g community tank once they clear quarantine or (2) set up a species only tank for each of them ([40g] and a [20g]), or (3) to place the Zebras in the community and set up a 20g L for the Khulis.

Any suggestions?

Also added a dimmer to the light on the 125g Clown tank. It's set to it's lowest setting and it's been about a week since their move and they are out and about a lot more. Hoping with time they come out even more.

 

[cockroach]

If your plan is to breed them then start species tanks. If it is to enjoy them, I would add them to the 75g. the space and mix of fish will be a lot more interesting.

 

[FIU Panther]

Woke up today to find one of the small loaches dead, not just playing dead. Measured him at 2.5" nose to tail. I looked him over and couldn't find any issues. He was thick but not obese with no signs of any skinny disease or eating issues. It was one of my most colored up ones with his middle stripe rounded towards the belly. A damn shame, I really liked this one.

I tested the water and everything came out good ammonia, nitrates. I have no idea what could have happened, everyone had been feeding well and acting normal. I usually count them all when I feed.

I'm stumped on this one. The only thing I can think of is I think he's the one that likes to sleep inside a piece of driftwood away from the others and maybe got stuck? Issue with that theory is I didn't see any damage to him and I found him on the opposite end of the tank, if he had been stuck in that piece there is no way the flow would have pulled him out. Again, stumped on what may have happened.

 

[esoxlucius]

If there's a death in the tank and it's obvious what's happened you can sometimes learn something from it and even make changes to hopefully prevent a recurrence. But it's always a bummer when a supposedly healthy looking fish just croaks it for no obvious reason. You just can't beat yourself up about these type of deaths.

At the moment I have a group of clown loach, all around 2.5" and you always seem to get a runt with a group of clowns. Mine were all doing fine, still are, except one. He's as scrawny as can be, hardly eats. He's active and plays with the others but that's where the similarities between them stop, I doubt he'll pull through if i'm honest. But what can I do with the little guy other than hope for a bit of good fortune and he starts eating more.

 

[tlindsey]

Woke up today to find one of the small loaches dead, not just playing dead. Measured him at 2.5" nose to tail. I looked him over and couldn't find any issues. He was thick but not obese with no signs of any skinny disease or eating issues. It was one of my most colored up ones with his middle stripe rounded towards the belly. A damn shame, I really liked this one.

I tested the water and everything came out good ammonia, nitrates. I have no idea what could have happened, everyone had been feeding well and acting normal. I usually count them all when I feed.

I'm stumped on this one. The only thing I can think of is I think he's the one that likes to sleep inside a piece of driftwood away from the others and maybe got stuck? Issue with that theory is I didn't see any damage to him and I found him on the opposite end of the tank, if he had been stuck in that piece there is no way the flow would have pulled him out. Again, stumped on what may have happened.

Sorry for the loss I experienced the same a couple months ago.

 

[andyroo]

Stephen St.Clair , for a few years I had that same set of "grumpier" loaches (3 & 1) in with a couple (4) clowns, and they (nasties) seemed to take on the temperament of the larger group, IE the clowns. The Y.mod & clowns socialized actively, the stripe not so much, but they all generally got along along in a semi-community system of high-flow 100gal & plants. Any bolder MTS didn't stand a chance...
Others on the old LOL forum reported similar - clowns amongst Y.mod got aggressive, M.mods amongst clowns got calm.

I agree - I'd have Y.mods now but that they're very rarely imported, so clowns are making doo (very nicely). I'll pester the importer and see what's what.

 

[FIU Panther]

I was at the LFS this Friday and they had a large shipment of baby clown loaches at $8.99 each.

I ended up picking up four that are about 1.5"-2" long. I had the poor girl pick out four that had some sort of distinctive or oddball pattern. One had a spot, another a broken rounded band, a third had the front and second band well connected through the top, with the fourth not really all that odd but his bands didn't reach his belly. I included a pic of the one with the spot, he also happens to be fearless and today comes up to the glass and grazes around even when I'm sitting down by the quarantine tank. Everyone is eating really well and have plump bellies after feedings. They'll be in QT for a bit before being added to the 125.

 

[FIU Panther]

I noticed that some of the four new baby clowns appear to have a flatter head than the ones in my display tank. I've seen this with other people's clowns on Youtube, but this is the first time I've seen it in person. Does anyone know what causes this?

Another thing is, and it's hard to tell from the pic, but the clown with the spot seems to have a huge caudal fin. It appears disproportionate compared to all my other loaches.

Is this all normal and just genetic variance?

 

[RD.]

Flat heads? Hard to say, perhaps somewhat of a slight birth defect? As far as the caudal fin on the one, I suspect that it will balance out as that fish matures.

Sorry to read that you lost the one.