Ruined for life? (clown loaches)

[astron6]

Hello, fist post on this board...

Here's a story that someone (like me) might learn something from, or hopefulle someone have suggestions or input on how to fix it.

The story: I got 7 very small clowns (about 2 cm) and had them in a 1000 liter tank together with som knifefishes. Thay were out all day playing around and doing all kinds of stuff, very entertaining... They were absolutely fearless from day one, they ate a lot and actually grew quite fast up to about 5 cm. Just like planned; after a while the knifefishes became too big and I had move the loaches to another tank.

I made a trap out of a bottle and caught all of them in a less then a minute. Put them in their new tank (720 liter) and here my troubles began...

Because of a number of different factors, stupidity beeing one of them, the tank has been more or less redecorated 2-3 times the last few months + to top that off, an algae-eater was in the tank. After I saw that it harassed the clows if they dared to swim out from under their rock I removed it.

Now one month later they still won't come out, I've seen them once at dusk and they all looked healthy as ever, they were flashing a bit but I suspect that is from the algae-eater attacks... I believe that they have become acostumed to the nightlife as that's the only time the algae-eater would let them go in peace.

So are my clowns ruined for life?

Astron6?

[shari]

Changing around clown environments will sometimes turn them shy. As they get older they will often be most active in the dusk to dawn hours, too.

So you have them in about 190g tank? That's plenty of room...what else can you tell us about the tank? Temp, pH, decor, other inhabitants, etc?

As for the flashing...keep an eye on it. Clowns are notoriously prone to ich when moved about. I'm sure some of our major clown pod keepers will have other questions for you

[Emma Turner]

Hi astron6, and welcome to Loaches Online!

Do you have any other fish species in the new Clown loach tank? As Shari says, they are nocturnal, so it is not unusual for them to hide away during the day. Younger fish can sometimes be enticed out a bit more during the day with 'dither fish', such as shoals of danios, barbs, tetras, rasboras etc. The Clowns should poke their heads out of their hidey holes and see that the coast is clear from predators (as indicated by the presence of dither fish) and they might venture out. However, the best way to view them in my opinion is to add a blue moon type light tube to your tank. You can have this on a timer with your main lights, so that it comes on just before your main lights switch off. Then when your main lights switch off, you will be left with a moonlight type effect. Clown loaches love this dimmer light effect, and will usually feel confident enough to come out and play for some hours. Have the moonlighting turn off after a few hours, so that they do get a period of near total darkness though.
Hope this is of some help to you,
Emma

[astron6]

Thanks for your replies!

About the tank:
720 liters or 190 gallons

Nitate: 10
Nitrite:0
KH: 3
PH: 6,8
Temp 25*C
Water changes: about 25% a week

Inhabitants:
A number of giant danios (they bred and I lost count)
6 Hampala Barbs (Hampala dispar)
2 Fire eels
2 Tiretrack eels
2 hoplosternum cats
1 Acanthicus sp. (small one )

Checking for ich is very hard when I can't ever see them. So I lifted their favorite rock a little today, and they seemd fine, actually they were pretty fat and had grown a little. Strange since they can't have eaten much more than pieces of squash ment for the Acanthicus..

I am glad they seem ok, and maybe they actually thrive. But still it sucks not to be able to enjoy these most interesting and beautiful fishes.

astron6

[shari]

give them time. Sometimes it will take a while for them to feel 'at home' when they've been moved, or decor changes take place. They may start to feel more free and comfortable after a while

try feeding bloodworms in an open area of the tank and see if they come running...

[Lotus]

One thing some people suggest is to make sure there's a cave at each end of the tank (and some in the middle too, if it's a long tank), so they know they can run for cover, if necessary.

I've found my clowns change behaviour whenever I move them to another tank. Then they change again when I redecorate substantially. I usually try to keep the moving and rearranging to a minimum if I see them all regularly.

[NancyD]

My clowns came out more when I added some "high shade" with large leaved plants & driftwood, maybe floating plants so it's not too bright. I'm not familiar with your hampala barbs. Do they school all over the tank to let the clowns know all is safe? I had silver-tip tetras as dithers but they spent most of their time either doing the "tetra twitch" display or hiding from each other with the loaches in the caves. Now I have tiger barbs that work much better. I'm envious of your big tank .
Nancy

[astron6]

Thanks for all the feedback!

I might have fixed it.

I did what could have been the dumb thing to do and removed their favorite hidig spot (they still have a lot of places to hide), and they come out during feeding now.. I will try to implement some of the solutions suggested here and see if they become more active during the daytime.

They have trouble competing with the Hampala barbs for food though, and they don't seem very interested in the squash, does anyone know any food that the clowns might like but won't be interesting to the barbs. Do I remember anyone mentioning carrots?

NancyD: thanks for being envious actually this is the smalles of the tanks as I mentioned before the biggest is 1000 liters / 260 gallons. I will have another tank of 400 gallon or a indoor pond before my fishroom is completed.. But I'll wait till the Acanthicus needs it

I managed to to take a picture of one of them


Tanks!
-astron6

[shari]

That's a nice colorful little guy Not a bad pic, got him in motion and it's not out of focus!

[shari]

Well, double post...hmmm first time for me....sorry

Now how do you delete a post? I see the edit option, but not the delete. Bet it's really simple and I'm just blind...DOH!

[astron6]

Truth be told, I took about 60 pictures and this was the only one to come out half decent

astron

[shari]

Muwhahahahaha!

Welcome to the wonderful world of trying to take pics of fish in motion I generally delete WAY more pics than I save. And most of what I decide to keep are more of the 'better than the others' variety rather than the 'dang that's a good one' type