Loaches Online Forum

i have a 30 gallon planted tank... it's interesting...
currently there are 2 clown loaches, 2 yo-yo loaches and 2 zebra loaches along with three female bettas, rainbow shark and a sparkling gourami. the clown loaches are babies only about 2" and they are very brightly colored, when i see them. is it normal for me not to see them? i can hear them at night clicking and moving the gravel and occasionally i'll see MUSHU (the male) first thing in the morning, but they're rarely out and not usually seen together. the other loaches are in a loose school and are doing just fine. could it be that they're still getting used to their surroundings? i've only had them for almost a month now... i have inspected them for ich and various diseases, nothing shows up... i guess i'm just really worried about my two little babies. and in a sense i'm mad because i bought them to see their cuteness and i don't even get to see them! well... someone just tell me if this behavior is normal and when it should leave... also... does anyone know anything about rams? one of mine rearranges everything in the tank (plant wise)...

I think you'll find that the loaches will be more visible if they had a bigger school (although that would mean that they would quickly outgrow your 30 gallon tank). Also, they are better if they have a lot of hiding places (ironically, the more hiding places, the more you see them). In my case, I had four Clowns that always hid. I added a fifth, some more little caves, and started feeding them in the morning and afternoon, and I found they came out a lot more during the day as a result.

both of mine came out this morning and stayed out for a while. i figured with the other loaches they could all school together, surprisingly this is the case with the male clown, Mushu. bunkers is still very shy even though she's bigger... can they school with other loaches?