Single clowns

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mary.burns3
Posts: 27
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2005 2:31 pm
Location: Luton, England

Single clowns

Post by mary.burns3 » Mon May 22, 2006 8:29 am

When I first got 2 clowns , knowing mothing much about them, apart from "they eat snails", nearly 3 years ago. I have learnt lots more since!! The first 2 fought a lot, so i added a third. Beastie, one of the first 2, became Alpha and took them both on. After mouth damage, I removed him to 65g, platies and angels then, and left the other 2 alone. They bonded well and ate well. Beastie appeared to thrive on his own, always out, an active swimmer, sometimes with platies or running circles around the angels, coming up to feed with them, and growing very well. As I learnt more, singel loaches are not "right" so I added the other 2 again. He was bigger and accepted them but pushed them around again. I added 2 more about the same size and he disappeared in his castle for long periods. Over the past 2 years, Beastie is still very dominant. I accepted this must be what Alpha loaches do. With 5 tiny ones added last year, angels to own tank, platies to own tanks, 10 tetra as dither fish, 9 clowns were always out and active, Beastie would join them and cause uproar. he took his algae wafer away and ate alone, but still came up for frozen/thawed food. With the latest addition of 4 bigger clowns than him, not huge, just bigger, he won't let them settle. They are starting to come out in the day and he just attacks them and they hide. I saw him go to his castle alone, so I removed him and added him to my 45g , 3 young non spawning angels. He appears to love being alone again. Out all day, swimming up and down through the angels, always at the front, takes food from your hands, eats his algae wafer at the front where I put it. At water change time, he doesn't hide, just plays with me. He used to go to bed promptly before, and now he stays up longer, easy to see.

My smallest clown is also fearless, so gets an extra bite to eat as I water change on his own, prefers swimming alone. When he joins the group, they love him and don't push him away, but he prefers to go off on his own again, always looking for more food in the plants.

I am noticing the same in the biggest of the 4 new ones. His authority is different. He takes over the front, welcomes anyone there, escorts them to other side, won't go with them, and then swims, looping the loops, all over the front, ready to greet the next visitors. With 3 of their grouip coming out in the day now, he has less visitors, but seems happy alone. I fed him at midnight, he only hides for a second now, beats the cories to the food and eats right out in front, fearless in the dark but hates the lights on. I watch Beastie in the day, and this new big one at night, and they are so like each other, clowns who appear to want to be alone and not part of a group...contrary to everything you read about them. Beastie is not skittish, positively greets you with the angels for food. His colour has returned, as he was always greyed out , I assumed this was because of his Alpha position. The other 9 are very different without him constantly appearing and banging into the group, chasing them everywhere, they have settled down nicely, and the 3 bigger ones are out more and more in the day with them.

Has anyone else got a clown who appears tp prefer being on his own? Maybe I caused it in the beginning when I first had them, but seeing the same behaviour in the latest biggest one, makes me wonder.

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