Baby Clown Loaches In Stores... Again.

[flamingonhot]

Dropped by the lfs again today, and they had baby clown loaches brought in again. This time, they were half of the size of the last ones, almost newborn from what I could tell...

I still don't understand why people even catch them to begin with...
They never look "alright"... almost sickly.

*just thought i'd share*

[Icewall42]

Clowns are almost always very susceptible to stress while moving. If they get moved a lot without much care as to their acclimation or health, they get skinny, pale, and generally sickly. It's horrible, and I share many of your sentiments. Clowns that tiny shouldn't be sold in fish stores. I have only bought 3 clowns that were really tiny (about 1") and luckily they are fat and healthy now, and growing steadily. I really felt sorry for the little guys. One of the three I bought was skinny and pale, but I didn't think he had skinny disease. He didn't. the poor little thing was just undernourished. After a few weeks, he filled out, and now he's growing bigger than the other two.

If those little guys go to a good home, they should be okay.

[qumqats]

You'd think I would have learned by now.

I also fell into this trap about 3 weeks ago. A tank of 'baby clown loaches' for $2.99usd. <1" Oh they're the cutest little clowns! It was almost empty, don't know how many they had started out. I said I'll take the tank. Fortunately there were only 8 in the tank. So far only 2 have survived.

Partially my fault, partially they were just too darn small! I knew some weren't going to make it, but I'd hoped I'd do better than this.

I'm a fish killer! sob

[starsplitter7]

You are certainly not a fish killer. You wanted to save those little guys. The practice of selling small, sickly fish needs to end.

I brought home some very small, unhappy Dojos hoping I could help them. I lost them all. Very sad.

I had a LFS give me a very good piece of advice with the small clowns. He went to the tank and put food in. The clowns that eagerly went to eat, are the ones he sold me. He said they would be much more likely to survive. And he's right. Before this bit of advice, I lost 1 in two clowns within 3 weeks of bringing them home. Now I don't lose any. I don't know if this is legit, but at least it worked for me. He told me that they had a local loach expert come in and give them a workshop on loaches, and that has allowed them to be much more successful with their loaches. Now I wish I knew who this woman was. I am so lucky to have two very good stores near me.

[Rocco]

I recently rescued a tiny (less than an inch) yoyo loach, it was alone in a tank with some 2" clowns. I took it home, popped it into the quarantine with some of the kubs and the little guy ate like he hasn't been fed in weeks. Gets along nicely with the kubs and is getting as fat as them.

I'll move them in the main in a week.

I've learned to gravitate to this one LFS that keeps its loaches in fantastic condition. (also where I bought the little guy)

[Blue]

I recently rescued a tiny (less than an inch) yoyo loach, it was alone in a tank with some 2" clowns. I took it home, popped it into the quarantine with some of the kubs and the little guy ate like he hasn't been fed in weeks. Gets along nicely with the kubs and is getting as fat as them.

I'll move them in the main in a week.

I've learned to gravitate to this one LFS that keeps its loaches in fantastic condition. (also where I bought the little guy)

Where did you rescue him, Rocco? I'm interested to hear the story behind this.

[Rocco]

The little guy was so fat when I saw him dancing on some rocks. He'd lift his pectoral flippers alternately like he was tap-dancing. So much fun and cute to watch.