Search found 15 matches

by hamfist
Mon Dec 11, 2023 3:17 am
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: Clown Loaches now 27 years old
Replies: 15
Views: 24276

Re: Clown Loaches now 27 years old

Oooh. I think there's a big birthday coming up soon !
by hamfist
Mon Nov 27, 2023 8:01 am
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: Great success feeding Clown Loaches using an angling Feeder
Replies: 0
Views: 66949

Great success feeding Clown Loaches using an angling Feeder

I thought I would just share some great success I have have feeding my clowns with an angling feeder (or swimfeeder as we call them in the UK). I am trying to feed up my CLs but there are a lot of other midwater fish in the tank which will eat a lot of the food intended for the clowns. Anyway, I tho...
by hamfist
Thu Nov 09, 2023 7:27 am
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: skinny loach
Replies: 4
Views: 2541

Re: skinny loach

Those are some chunky loaches !!
by hamfist
Sun Nov 05, 2023 4:16 am
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: Clown loaches, confidence and decor ......
Replies: 1
Views: 5649

Clown loaches, confidence and decor ......

OK, the story is this ...... I xreated a small family of 5 clowns about 15 months ago, and have been gently helping them to become happy, healthy well-adjusted members of society ever since. The problems were twofold. Firstly, getting them to eat was difficult, and that was the subject of a differen...
by hamfist
Sun Nov 05, 2023 3:25 am
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: Poor appetite help
Replies: 17
Views: 42629

Re: Poor appetite help

That's great you found an easy to feed food for your clowns. What brand is it? A food greeting & frenzy is always fun! It can be fun to offer a special food treat sometimes. I do it a couple hours before a big water change but not often anymore, too messy. The pellets are Vitalis 1mm tropical pelle...
by hamfist
Sat Oct 07, 2023 7:09 pm
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: Poor appetite help
Replies: 17
Views: 42629

Re: Poor appetite help

Well, sometimes there's no accounting for tastes in people or in clown loaches, LOL. I would maybe try once more with the mussels but for a shorter time frame before you remove it...I like that you keep your clowns a tiny bit cool but that can have an effect too. Just another area you might tweek.....
by hamfist
Sat Jul 01, 2023 1:54 am
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: Poor appetite help
Replies: 17
Views: 42629

Re: Poor appetite help

I saw there were cysts on the clown loach gall bladders in the study. I didn't see if it said how many fish showed them or how many in any 1 loach. I wonder if that may be a part of "skinny" disease & why some diverse treatments seem to help sometimes but not consistantly. Wormers, antibiotics & ev...
by hamfist
Fri Jun 30, 2023 3:36 am
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: Poor appetite help
Replies: 17
Views: 42629

Re: Poor appetite help

Many thanks to RedShark1 and NancyD for your comments on this thread and my apologies for going MIA for a while. I did actually originally treat the loaches with flubendazole twice, and (since my original post) have now treated twice with levamisole. So now I hope I can consider the tank pretty much...
by hamfist
Thu Jun 22, 2023 3:15 am
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: Poor appetite help
Replies: 17
Views: 42629

Re: Poor appetite help

I have never treated my fish for parasites other than the Ich/Whitespot they had shortly after purchase. This was their only ailment. My understanding is they are routinely treated by the wholesalers before export. Thats interesting. The "internet wisdom" that I have often read elsewhere is very mu...
by hamfist
Tue Jun 20, 2023 6:09 am
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: Poor appetite help
Replies: 17
Views: 42629

Re: Poor appetite help

Hi hamfist I see we have spoken before a while ago! :lol: Well what I will say is that you appear to be keeping them well to me. What may give solace is that I can tell you they do change their behaviour over time, perhaps many times. You can make many small changes which help. I keep mine only wit...
by hamfist
Tue Jun 20, 2023 4:10 am
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: Poor appetite help
Replies: 17
Views: 42629

Poor appetite help

Dear Loach forum, I approach you for advice and help, as I have tried everything with my shoal of 6 clowns. THey are all between 3 and 4 inches, and seem reasonably healthy. None look desperately skinny, but the big problem is that I just can't get them enthused about eating. They will eat some pell...
by hamfist
Thu Nov 03, 2011 3:15 am
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: Best substrate for Clown Loaches?
Replies: 9
Views: 25504

Re: Best substrate for Clown Loaches?

Sorry to derail temporarily but, Redhark1, just how big (and old) is that enormous boesmani rainbow in your pics ? It looks almost as big as the clowns.
by hamfist
Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:08 am
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: Best substrate for Clown Loaches?
Replies: 9
Views: 25504

Re: Best substrate for Clown Loaches?

Lots of "anti-gravel" posts here but is it the size of the gravel or the sharpness of it which will damage the barbels ? My experience keeping a range of barbelled fish over smooth gravel is that I have never had a fish develop any type of barbel damage/infection. Unfortunately, so much of the grave...
by hamfist
Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:58 am
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: Loach settling in help
Replies: 5
Views: 5014

Re: Loach settling in help

Thanks all for the replies. Seem slike I just need to be patient.

I was actually encouraged last night as I saw significantly more of them than before during the evening. It is pretty awesome watching them graze around the tank.
by hamfist
Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:01 am
Forum: Loach Forum
Topic: Loach settling in help
Replies: 5
Views: 5014

Loach settling in help

Hi everyone, my first post here ! 2 weeks ago I was fortunate enough to pick up four 6-7" clown loaches at a very reasonable price. They have gone in my 150G with a couple of small cichlids and a few swordtails and rainbowfish (so nothing to threaten them). The issue is that I am hardly getting to s...