Clicking

The forum for the very best information on loaches of all types. Come learn from our membership's vast experience!

Moderator: LoachForumModerators

raving_wayne
Posts: 202
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:44 am
Location: kent UK

Clicking

Post by raving_wayne » Mon Nov 24, 2008 4:50 pm

i have been sitting infront of my tank for the past 45 mins watching my loaches eat, well just watching in general.

my question today is why do they click and how do they click, mine have been clicking away and to be honest its very enjoyable i think its mor ethe B.Modestas that are clicking its quite loud and sounds like the glass is cracking which i have been expecting since i added them, my missus is climbing the wall and checking the tank every 3 seconds cuase she says its not the loaches its the glass cracking roflmao. i am just not sure as to how they do it or why they do it.......


Rave
If Life is simple...... Why are there so many clever people about?!!!

User avatar
Bully
Posts: 384
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:08 pm
Location: South Wales

Post by Bully » Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:38 pm

As far as I am aware, nobody knows for certain the how and why. What is apparent from aquarium observations is that certain foods can get your botia clicking, and that it can also be used in territorial disputes. From my own experience the first fish to find a desired food will click some, in contentment it would seem, and soon the others will follow and there can be a whole lot of noise :)

The Loaches book states three theories; that the sound is produced via the rubbing of the pharyngeal teeth, that the sound is produced by the rubbing of muscles or that the sound is the resultant of rapid intake of food or water.

I'm certain the experts will be along later and they will be able to give a far more concise, and up-to-date, answer to my own :)

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Post by Diana » Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:51 pm

It is not the glass cracking ;-)

I am just as much in the dark as you are as to how and why Loaches click. I have not actually heard mine click. (Maybe I am not feeding tasty enough food?)

I know some catfish can click by locking and releasing certain bone structures. I have heard them, especially if they are removed from the water. Maximum noise was a vibration when I was moving a large cat in a plastic food container. The little tub was shaking in my hands from the cat's displeasure at being caught and in a strange place. He locked his fins and would not leave the container, either.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

raving_wayne
Posts: 202
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:44 am
Location: kent UK

Post by raving_wayne » Mon Nov 24, 2008 7:04 pm

seems my loaches click when they find the algae wafers i drop in they dont really click for anything else but the second the wafers hit the deck they click like mad, i personnally think its a beautiful noise and to me seems tho its a sign of happiness as they only seem to do it with the wafers at the mo, i shall however try various foods to see what other foods i can use to make them click i will remport back as to what other foods i can get them clicking to


Rave
If Life is simple...... Why are there so many clever people about?!!!

mickthefish
Posts: 3281
Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2006 7:20 pm
Location: manchester, england

Post by mickthefish » Mon Nov 24, 2008 7:41 pm

Rave try courgette they go really loud in my tank.
i have a theory that it's the jaw that makes the clicking noise, having been bit by the big kub, it's like a parrot bite so there some strength in them.

mick

User avatar
bslindgren
Posts: 422
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 3:36 pm
Location: Prince George, BC, Canada

Post by bslindgren » Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:07 am

I have no idea how they do it, but one possibility for why they do it may be to stun or flush out prey, e.g., small crustaceans. That wouldn't explain why they do it when feeding on algae wafers, but then algae wafers aren't really laying about in their natural habitat although they no doubt feed on vegetable matter. I would assume they normally feed mostly on live creepy crawlies, in which case the clicking may be of adaptive value when they feed.
Why does my aquarium always seem too small?

raving_wayne
Posts: 202
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:44 am
Location: kent UK

Post by raving_wayne » Tue Nov 25, 2008 2:30 am

right courgette itr is this evening lol im kinda looking forward to it now lol

Rave
If Life is simple...... Why are there so many clever people about?!!!

silvermoon
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:10 pm
Location: Sacramento, CA USA

Post by silvermoon » Wed Nov 26, 2008 7:00 pm

All of my clowns click, even the little one inchers I have in the Q-tank right now. Pretty much any sinking wafer= clicky time. You have to be close to the tank to hear it, but it is quite obvious.

Favorites are Hikari sinking wafers (little brown ones) and shrimp pellets, I forget which brand.

I'm pretty sure much of the reading I've done suggests it is the pharyngeal teeth but no one is certain.
One 55 gallon tank: Clown loaches, roseline barbs and a fire eel

mickthefish
Posts: 3281
Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2006 7:20 pm
Location: manchester, england

Post by mickthefish » Wed Nov 26, 2008 7:25 pm

did you try them on courgettes mate ?.

mick

User avatar
soul-hugger
Posts: 344
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 3:02 pm
Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada

Post by soul-hugger » Thu Nov 27, 2008 3:16 am

Hello..,

I have 2 Weather Loaches, and 4 Pangio Kuhlis.

I have never heard my kuhlis click, (they are as yet pretty small), but my weather loaches most definitely click. They usually click when they are eating frozen defrosted bloodworms out of my hand. They will explore my hand and fingers, and then they will even explore my arm, coming partway out of the water to do so. It seems they are curious about it even if I don't have food, but it is when I do have food that I hear them clicking.

I would say they also click when they are scared, but when they are scared, they also dart away pretty fast and could be spraying gravel onto the glass, as I know they have done.

It would be interesting if we could all try to keep some sort of record of when and why our loaches click. It is way too easy to think it's all been done and not give it a second thought. But I think Loach Lovers would be by far the best people to study loaches!

User avatar
LeStat
Posts: 148
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:25 pm
Location: Hampshire, England

Post by LeStat » Thu Nov 27, 2008 3:58 am

Hi there,
Cucumber always makes my clowns click (big & small), all my little fellas (Clowns, Striata, yoyos & modesta) click when munching on algae wafers.
I am no expert but it does appear to be their biting that causes the noise as they only seem to make the noise when biting on cucumber & wafers!! Or when fighting each other, i have observed my 4"-5" clowns doing this a few times as they can't seem to decide who is highest in the pecking order out of the 6 of them.
250 Gallon, 8 Modesta, 2 Plec, 2 Catfish & a shoal of 17 Clown loach.

User avatar
Ashleigh
Posts: 831
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:04 pm
Location: Newtownards, Northern Ireland

Post by Ashleigh » Thu Nov 27, 2008 6:00 am

Mine click when they have their fav veggie-courgette and also jmc catfish pellets, algae waffers and hikari carnivore pellets-not with the other pellets they have been fed, nor with frozen foods bar fresh market shrimp they get as a little treat.
They will also click when 'picking' at the internal filter, and also when having an argument-thats when it gets really loud:shock: Its pretty much a daily occurance, and I don't recall my youngesters clicking much when I just had them-I used to get way excited when they occasionally did :lol:

The modesta's that Chris now has, were a very noisy lot when together, but when I just had the one (he was passed to me with some cl), he rarely clicked at all.

Ashleigh

raving_wayne
Posts: 202
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:44 am
Location: kent UK

Post by raving_wayne » Fri Nov 28, 2008 6:48 pm

they are munchin on cucumber at the mo but no clicking and its all the loaches on it clowns dario modesta kubs yoyo they all munchin and not 1 click lol still tryin to get a courgette hopefully will find one tomorrow in the supermarkets


Rave
If Life is simple...... Why are there so many clever people about?!!!

raving_wayne
Posts: 202
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:44 am
Location: kent UK

Post by raving_wayne » Sun Nov 30, 2008 3:44 pm

well courgette defo makes them click i have a large ish clown about 5inch munchin on it right now and its clicking like mad lol fantastic

Rave
If Life is simple...... Why are there so many clever people about?!!!

User avatar
The.Dark.One
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2006 4:56 pm
Location: Castleford, England

Post by The.Dark.One » Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:10 am

In catfish the croaking sound is made by rubbing the base of the pectoral fin spines against their pectoral girdle.
In Botias I dont think that it has been looked into but my guess is that it is either the same as catfish, or it is produced by the sub orbital spine locking in and out of place. My guess is the latter.
Image
Lord Foul The Despiser, Lord of the Flies, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, Satan, Iblis, Samael, The Dark Lord, The Abhorred, Azazel, Anubis, Pluto, Hades, etc

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 70 guests