LOACHES FAKING DEATH -- VERY STRANGE!

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CICHLID KEEPER
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2017 8:29 pm

LOACHES FAKING DEATH -- VERY STRANGE!

Post by CICHLID KEEPER » Sat Sep 23, 2017 6:08 pm

I bought several clown loaches to eradicate the tiny snails in my 70 gallon and my 45 gallon aquariums. They have done an excellent job of this. For several weeks I observe the 45 gallon aquarium and find my three clown loaches always in the exact same bottom corner, lying upside down or on their sides and often ON TOP OF EACH OTHER! As many times as I see this my immediate reaction is they must be dead, but no! I approach the aquarium and they take of swimming as if in perfect health. My 70 gallon tank has maybe 8 loaches that do not behave this way at all. Both tanks are stocked primarily with African cichlids. Temperature is close to 80* because this is Texas. Ph is maybe 8.5 -- not ideal, I know. The loaches are small fish store size -- 2 to 3/12 inches at most. They are happy to eat. I feed flake food and an algae pill daily.

i have never before seen fish behave this way and not be dead within a few hours but this has been going on for weeks.

Don in Austin, Texas

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

Re: LOACHES FAKING DEATH -- VERY STRANGE!

Post by Diana » Sat Sep 23, 2017 11:38 pm

Very common in many species of Loach.

I keep Loaches in separate tanks with the correct water parameters, then trap the snails in tanks without Loaches by baiting them with vegetables. Then add the snails to the Loach tank.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

CICHLID KEEPER
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2017 8:29 pm

Re: LOACHES FAKING DEATH -- VERY STRANGE!

Post by CICHLID KEEPER » Mon Sep 25, 2017 8:11 pm

Diana wrote:Very common in many species of Loach.
I have learned something in my old age! I did a recent major water change and now they seem to be playing dead less.

Don in Austin

Dojosmama
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed Dec 29, 2010 11:37 pm

Re: LOACHES FAKING DEATH -- VERY STRANGE!

Post by Dojosmama » Sun Oct 15, 2017 2:00 pm

Weather loaches will behave similarly -- playing dead, then darting away, laughing at you, when you approach. Well, maybe not laughing at you ... though if I were a loach and played that kind of trick, I'd find it funny, LOL! Seriously, it's probably a natural defensive behavior to fool potential predators into thinking they're dead, so they won't eat them. Might not work with scavengers ...

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