2 8 inches clown loach and 11 inch clown loach(6-5-07)

[ckk125]

hey all, i just got 2 of them this morning...they look abit thin..any ideas on how to fatten them up?thx alot.

[stabile007]

Awww they are so cute!

[ckk125]

anyone who can give me some guidance..?

[palaeodave]

They're pretty big so maybe you could try chopped shrimp a couple times a week?

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/cl ... cracanthus

[LoachOrgy]

yeah salad shrimp is cheap and they love it. hikari wafers are good too.

[ckk125]

anyone else that can help?

[shari2]

Bloodworms are always a favorite. And nice and meaty, too.

[ckk125]

they dont seem to b eating it..

[Emma Turner]

ckk125, I take it these clowns were exported at this size, rather than them coming out of someone's collection and being rehomed? Large clowns that are exported often come in very very underweight and they also take a long time to adjust to whatever foods you are trying them with. At some point, a series of treatments with Levamisole hydrochloride will be a good idea. In the meantime, try feeding after lights out, when they may feel more secure. Chopped prawns and mosquito larvae usually trigger them into eating, but it may be some weeks before you see them actively doing so. I presume you have more than just these 2 clowns in the tank too?

Good luck,

Emma

[ckk125]

yea...true..they are exported at this size...and they are also quite underweight...currently they are housed in a 4 feet tank with lots of clowns...around 20 small ones...with good water conditions(3 large filters)..unfortunately, i couldnt get my hands on the Levamisole hydrochloride as u described..

will increasing the temperature help?these guys arent cheap and i invested alot to actually get a proper tank for them..so far im feeding them with cockles(raw), bloodworms, earthworms and tetrabits but they dont seem to b responding..

thanks

any advice will be appreciated..

[Emma Turner]

What temperature are you keeping them at?

[ckk125]

27-29 celcius as im in a tropical country...

[Emma Turner]

That temperature is ideal. Where abouts are you located, ckk125? Could you add your location to your profile for us when you get a minute? Thanks!

Don't be too worried if you don't see these fish eat straight away. Do try feeding them in the darkness and try shrimp/prawn based foods. When I rehomed Marge & Stripes (11.5 and 10.5" respectively) who had outgrown their previous owners tank, Marge took 7 weeks to start feeding (yes 7 weeks!). Admittedly, she did have much more body fat on her than your fish, but it just goes to show that these bigger specimens can take a very long time to adjust to new surroundings. Having smaller specimens around them who are actively feeding will help the process, but don't be surprised if it is a few weeks before you see them really interested in food. We tried Marge on a huge variety of foods before she started feeding, and the only thing that eventually got her interested was prawns (the sort you would use in a prawn/shrimp cocktail). Here you can see a video of my fish eating prawns: http://s88.photobucket.com/albums/k183/ ... CN1258.flv

Emma

[ckk125]

im in Malaysia...

will ghost shrimps help?

well, i hope the small ones will help as they are pigs...i just got the large clowns a day ago...they looked fine apart from not eating...moving together with the school..

[Emma Turner]

Thanks for adding in your location!

Ghost shrimp may or may not help, it's difficult to be sure. It may be that they need to get the taste for chopped fresh prawns/shrimp (from the supermarket) first. I used to have Amano shrimps in my clown tank, which were fine for years until my loaches got a taste for prawns. Then the Amano shrimps disappeared....

Try out the tips we've given you and let us know how they get on. It's probably just a case of being patient whilst they settle in.

Emma