Loaches Online Forum

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

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.

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

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 ...