Clown Loaches doing something interesting - thoughts?

[Arden]

So I have a total of 6 clown... 4 of which are juvenile 2 of which are about "mature" ....one is pushing 7 the other is about 4 or 5? Anyway... I noticed today... and seen in the past... my oldest loach and the second oldest swimming together like they're magnetically stuck.

They don't appear to be fighting... they arnt sticking out there little barbels or being overly agressive... they just seen to swim around like they're velcroed together...

Has anyone else observed this with there clowns?

[Loachloach]

I haven't seen it but I read this is typical for clown loaches and they are not sure why they do it.
Can we get a video

[Arden]

I'll try to get ine next time I see them doing it... and I'll also try and see if I can figure out How to post it. I still can't figure out pictures or links on this site. .

But I'll. definately try ti catch it on film.... its a curious looking thing...

Gorge the younger of the two often sets on Luckies back.. Lucky is the oldest... Its weird... like stacked legos... and then I have noticed them doing the tandom swimming velcro style now twice...

they're such funny fish

[Loachloach]

I think it's called "shadowing"

What website are you using to upload pictures?
After you upload them to a photobucket or imageshack website, then you copy the link and use the "Img" button on the reply window options above to insert it.
For a video, you can just directly copy the video link where you uploaded it and paste it here.

[DainBramage1991]

Shadowing is normal behavior for loaches. All of my loaches, not just the clowns, do this from time to time. I think it may have something to do with establishing the pecking order.

[redshark1]

My males do this with my females.

Never the other way around.

Never same sex either.

It looks so much like spawning behaviour that I would be surprised if it is anything else.

No eggs have been released however.

[Loachloach]

Interesting Redshark. Maybe it is. We know so little of their spawning behaviour.
Mine are young but I still have to figure which is a male and which female.

[DainBramage1991]

If it's spawning behavior, then my loaches are very confused. I've seen them shadow rainbows, featherfins, and even cories. About the only fish I have that doesn't get shadowed from time to time is my sailfin pleco.

[Loachloach]

If it's spawning behavior, then my loaches are very confused. I've seen them shadow rainbows, featherfins, and even cories. About the only fish I have that doesn't get shadowed from time to time is my sailfin pleco.

Have you happened to take a video of them doing it with other fish? I would quite like to see how a clown loach would shadow a cory

[DainBramage1991]

It's actually fairly rare that I catch my clowns shadowing, usually it's my other loaches that do it. I have one small histrionica in particular that loves to race around shodowing the other fish seemingly at random.

It's quite a sight to see a 3" loach chasing an 8" featherfin catfish around the tank.

Sorry I don't have any videos to share. I'll try to shoot some, but the loaches are strangely camera shy, so I can't make any promises.