Alpha clown loach (loner)

[mary.burns3]

My alpha clown loach, young and about 3.5" now, may just be one who likes being on his own. 2 years ago when I got my first 2 clowns because of many snails (I didn't know anything then), I noticed they fought a lot, even though they were tiny. I looked up info on them, and added a third quickly. He took them both on, they hid, and he was always out alone and happy. After more fighting with the other 2, I moved him to another tank where he seemed to thrive, good colour, grew nicely and happy with angels and platies. After 3 months, reading more and more, I added the other 2 who had bonded well by then and out all day without him there. Initially they got on ok, then he took to hiding in his castle for days at a time. As my interest in clowns grew, not seeing them as just something to eat snails and enjoying their antics, I got 2 more about the same size as mine were then. The angels and platies got 3 more tanks between them, leaving room for 5 more tiny clowns and prescilla tetra as dither fish for the clowns. Over this time, Beastie, (his name as he can be a beast to them all) was always slightly greyed out, dominant and I read this as his Alpha position and was ok. Over another year, one of the bigger ones got bigger than him and he started his bullying tactics again. It is hard to judge what is Alpha loach normal behaviuor or just plain bullying. With the addition of 4 bigger ones, around 4", not massive, just bigger, he became worse, and really picking on the little ones. He tried being nocturnal with the new ones and was well behaved, but as the new ones are starting to try the day shift, he was having none of it. After he made sure they had hid, he turned on the rest of the clowns he had been with for 2 years. Still not sure if he is acting normal for an Alpha loach and not wanting the new ones to get ich from his bullying, as the tank is still new to them during this transition period, in an opotune moment he went to his castle alone and I moved him whilst he was inside. He swam out straight away, looked around, found one of the angels he grew up with, swam all round her, and has settle in well during last week. He eats in front, instead of snatching algae wafer and hiding with it, has no one to bully, active all day, finds his treats under anubias plant and best of all his colour has returned. His black stripes are so black, he doesn't hide when I go near tank, plays as I water change, takes food from my hand etc.

Watching the rest of them, Sociable 2 is now the biggest of the day ones, and has slightly greyed out as a result, but is not a bully. The alpha loach of the nocturnal new ones is very different, no bullying, playing with even the cories, and gentle with the smallest clowns. I now know when Beastie bashed into the whole group and sent them everywhere was maybe not right. I may have caused it when he spent 3 months on his own with the platies/angels not knowing any better. Perhaps being part of a group of 10 was not for him. I plan to leave him with angels for 4 weeks to see how thing evolve. Maybe the new ones will take to the day or stay half and half, as they come out around 6 pm when lights go off, and appear when algae wafers go in as well as they hear the clicking in tank at lunchtime.

Has anyone else got a clown who is happier with other fish and no other clowns?

[crazie.eddie]

clowns are always best in groups, though you may find a rare few that do well on their own. My smallest clown loach (about 1.5") wonders the tank on his own and sometimes goes along with the rest of the gang. When I bought him at the store, he was the only loach in the tank and wondered the tank alot.

Regarding their fighting, loaches do fight, but never get really physical. You may hear alot of snapping sounds, but that's all it is, just sounds. They never really do any physical harm with each other. They just need to establish their dominance. Mine fought alot before, when they were new, but now, their order has already been establish and they never fight, except when their favorite food (live snails) is dropped in the tank. Then it's all loaches to themselves

[ClownMob]

I will add that the alpha of my clown gang of 5 does like to hide in his house alone moreso than any of the others.

the 2nd and 3rd in command are next biggest size, and they and the rest of the group are much more active and play together, while alpha does indeed hang out much more often alone. then comes out to eat and push the others around a bit, and back to his hang out alone for majority of the time.

[Desi]

I do not have any clowns that are happy alone persay, but I do have one that has an attitude and will go pout if the other ones don't wanna play or sumthing. He/She is out swimming around usually with the 2 babies. This same one does dispute with the current second in command at times. They are approximately the same size and they will "fight", more like argue. When they do this, they both become very greyed, they both click and lock jaws occasionally and they do get a little marked up on there slime coat but its never to the point of being harmful to the other loach. My most dominant one is actually a lot darker than the others which is opposite of what yours is. I bought my biggest/alpha from another lady who housed him alone. I do not know how long this clown was alone but he sure seems to appreciate company now so I can say I don't think it was your fault he likes to be alone.

[mikev]

I will add that the alpha of my clown gang of 5 does like to hide in his house alone moreso than any of the others.

Interesting.

Exactly the same pattern here. Of the six, the Alpha is the one I see least during the day, he is always in his cave.