New Member - Many Questions!!

[eastofthesun46]

Hi
First off, thanks for this site! It is so helpful to have all this information in one place!
My current tank is about 70L (that's roughly 16gal, I think?), with a fast flowing filter, live plants and fine gravel substrate and an old teaset for cover. I keep it at roughly 79'F, the water quality is good but hard, and PH about 7.5.

I currently have a handful of neon tetra, zebra danios, two honey rose gourami, a small featherfin catfish and a clown loach. I am making plans for a larger tank (about 200L, hopefully more), which should materialize in the not so distant future. I also plan to get some more clown loach to keep young Eric company.

When I bought him, he was the last loach in the tank (and being eyed up by a very mean-looking toddler), although he doesn't seem to mind too much, as he is the liveliest fish in my tank and very friendly! He is only about 5cm long, and has a double-saddle. I have noticed, however, that he seems to have a long, flattish oval between his pectoral and pelvic fins that seems a little swollen (although it might just look like this because his skin is so iridescent?). The 'bulge' only extends downwards, not outwards, so I don't feel like I should be worried about dropsy. He is otherwise healthy, very active, and has a very healthy appetite. It may just be that he is eating too much (because of the neon tetras, I have to feed at least twice a day), but I can't seem to find any images of other clown loach with similar shaped bulges.
He doesn't stay still long enough to get a good photo, so I filmed him instead...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDeArv-A ... rofilepage

Also, I have a couple more questions if you'll humour me...
What constitutes sharp gravel? I'm worried about damaging my catfish and loach's barbels. I bought Pettex Roman Gravel for the tank, and have a china cups in there to provide shelter and somewhere smooth for him to rest (but unlike my catfish, who lives in the teapot, he seems to prefer sleeping upright on the side of the filter).
How do the rest of you get your loaches to eat their meat and veg? Eric isnt tempted by brine shrimp or fresh vegetables, and only eats flakes. He likes to pick my many, many snails off the side of the tank, but I haven't ever seen him eat one!
Also, does anyone know of any products that reduce water hardness and actually work? All of the water softening pillows that I could find seem to just replace the calcium with other metals. And could you recommend some good medications, just in case?
Also, and I promise this is the last question, how do you sex clown loaches? I have been calling Eric a him, but I don't actually know if he is!!
Thanks, and I'm sorry about all of the questions!!
Fiona

[NancyD]

Hi Fiona, welcome to Loaches! Eric is a cutie! I can't tell if he's just chubby or something else. Have you seen him poo? Could be he eats snails at night, any empties?

I'm glad you're getting a larger tank & some friends for him soon. I tried to see your substrate, it looks like coarse sand or small gravel? I rub some between my fingers to see if it feels sharp. Sand is a nice choice.

A good technique to get him to try veg is to make a small slit in a slice of zucchini (cougette) & put a piece of pellet or wafer in. You can also try rubbing veg with a cut piece of garlic, many fish like the taste. Peas are good to try too, squeeze out the "guts" from the outer skin. Thawed frozen bloodworms are usually a loach favorite.

I think he is far too small to even guess at his sex. Females are often taller vertically tummy to dorsal & wider too.

If your water isn't way high hardness it may be better to use tap rather than always having to try & adjust it. Do you have the actual test numbers?

[eastofthesun46]

I only know that it's roughly 20'd on the KH scale - I come from a very hard water area!! I was told when I bought him that he'd been raised by a nearby breeder, so should be pretty used to the conditions by now, but I'm not sure how far to trust that.
I'm sorry about the video - he suddenly became very camera shy!!
I don't think I've ever seen him poo, actually, but he surely must have - he eats an awful lot, and if that was all packed up inside him, he'd be a lot bigger by now!! I guess I'll be stalking him (more than usual) for the next few days...!

[eastofthesun46]

Haha! I just checked, and there are some very big empty shells at the bottom of the tank! I'm so proud!!

[NancyD]

Good boy Eric! He may just have a "snail tummy"

[eastofthesun46]

I'm amazed, some of those snails are as big as his head!
Thanks for the advice - I'll definately be trying the garlic technique!

[Ravenmoon]

He's very pretty...unusual markings, too.

[eastofthesun46]

Thankyou!! Yeah - I didn't really notice anything odd about his markings when I bought him, but the more I look, the more I see loaches with only three stripes, while Eric has four.
He is such a character, I really hope I don't kill him!!

[scubaxena]

The markings are beautiful and Eric looks happy. It even looks as if Eric went to say "Hi" to one of the gourami. As for the size of the consumed snails,..clowns are very determined fish and they love snails. Where there is a will, there is a way! Have you heard any "clicking?" That is often heard when clowns eat snails.

Linda

[eastofthesun46]

Thankyou!!
He is a really lovely fish, I was very lucky!
I actually haven't heard any clicking in a while - when he was new he used to go from one snail to another (I have lots ) picking them off the walls and making that cute clicking noise! He didn't eat them, just annoyed them!! He seems to have gone into stealth mode lately though, guessing from the number of shells at the bottom of the tank!
I used to have a really beautiful Betta Splenden who had the same sort of personality. He used to rub up against my hand in the tank, and do a little dance in return for brine shrimp! Eric seems equally inquisitive (and hungry!) so I'm hoping that I'll eventually be able to hand feed him. I hope that isn't too far-fetched!