Ready to show

[rich]

After a long and stressfull journey, with the help off many, eventually I`m able to show a sucky photo of a female clown with what I assume is a spawning spot.
It will increase in size with progressing maturity and dissapear after spawning.
Has somebody else seen something like this or is there another explanation, I have`nt thought off?

[img][/img]

Thanks a lot TammyLiz, Photobucket did the trick

[Emma Turner]

How big (total length) is this clown loach, rich? The area you have circled on the photograph just looks like an area of slight pigmentation to me.

Emma

[shari2]

I agree. I would think that any signs of eggs through the abdominal wall would be lower down in the body...?

[Graeme Robson]

Hand size under the mesh looks as if the Loach is around 4 inches TL.

I think what we are seeing is a bruise from Clowns determine who is the Alpha Loach.

I must add, the Clown loach in question looks rather deformed. (picture quality?)

[rich]

It`s aproximedly 4,5 inch long, didn`t messure, because I don`t like to stress them and honestly I forgot. It is definitly female, because I`m sure that she spawned at least once.
The spots are starting to appear, they`ll get bigger with extending belly and suddenly disappear.
Bruise I might exclude, because there is a symetrical spot on the other side and there would be abrasions, if she was hurt so extendly.
DEFORMED?
Ok she is a bit small,for her 7 years but nicely shaped. I must admit though, that I cant photograph for toffee. Ad a mesh, a camera wich dosn`t react good to water, limited time and completely lack of artistic skills and -- there you are.
Yes, I also think the spot is a bit high and since I never opened a loach I can`t really tell, but they are related to carps and not to salmon so the ovars might be situated a bit higher and the eggs can only shine through where skin and abdominal wall are shallow and that would rather be more possible a little way up.

[shari2]

If you cruise down to near the bottom of this site (Ola Ahlander's) you will see a smallish clown, about the size of yours, that died and when opened, was full of roe...

http://www.bollmoraakvarieklubb.org/art ... 0loach.htm

[rich]

Thank you for the tip, sounds like a related soul, will read it tomorrow thoroughly, it`s 3.30am and I had a long day. It will be more enjoyable then.

[Graeme Robson]

Do you have any further pictures Rich?

It is very common for loaches to carry roe after a few years. But not common to witness any breeding antics.

[TammyLiz]

Rich, I don't think Graeme meant to be offensive by his comment about the shape of your loach. He seems to have been a polite and friendly person on the forum since I've been around.

As Graeme said, it could be from the picture quality because that one is very blurry, but I see a large dent in her forehead, and her eyes seem to be too large proportionally to her body. Both could be signs of having been kept in too small of an aquarium for an extended amount of time, causing stunted growth. Probably this is what he was talking about.

[rich]

No offense taken.
I posted the photo to discuss it and esspecially the odd spot. I knew that there would be some irritations about it, but didn`t realize that the poor thing looks like she was involved in a particularly ugly accident. It was ment as a cry of mock astonishment. So, sorry Graeme, I am still learning.
There are no further pictures to show, this one was the Mona Lisa of the lot I`ve taken .

[Graeme Robson]

No need to apologize, Rich.

I get called worse.

[Emma Turner]

Hi rich,

When you say that you think these clown loaches spawned for you before, can you describe for us in detail what you saw, and what you saw leading up to the event please?

Many thanks,

Emma

[rich]

[quote="Emma Turner"]Hi rich,

When you say that you think these clown loaches spawned for you before,/quote]
Hi Emma,
I posted this text at another place before, just copied it, corrected a bit and reuse it here ( should apply for a job at the TV)

"Actually I think it was`nt the water or acidity ( might be crucial to bring the young ones up) . I believe it was the weather and maybe other fishes spawning a bit before that.
After an unusually dry endwinter and spring beginning, the weather tilted. While the sky began grumbling I watched two males fight, I mean really fight, one was chasing the other round the tank in and out of every hidyhole.
The most apalling was the female circling them curved like a bow and showing off with her full belly ( by the way, when full of eggs they show two greenish spots at the belly, where the ovars are situated).
My normally so gentle clowns behaved like a rapper street gang on speed.
Long story short, it was one of these days, a lot to do, absolutely no time.
So I had to leave.
The next morning, after an enormous thunderstorm at night, the weaker male laid outside the bassin, the female was thin emty and exhausted along with her boyfriend and a number of well nurished coinhabitants of their tank.
The only thing missing was smoke curling over the aquarium from the ciggarette after.
At least they had caviar."

It is the same pair now, I separated them, because the male was starting to attac others but not the female and she is not as thick as she used to be then. I had to do it early, so the shock can wear off before they are to near to the spawning, we all know that they use every excuse for not having sex.
I`m thinking of giving a few Rasbora in the tank, to spawn there and increase the hormon level in there, because I read somewhere that clown loaches acompany shoals of rasbora, maybe they depend on some outside impulse
_________________

[Emma Turner]

I had read that report earlier, but thought you might have had something a little more detailed, including more in-depth behavioural stuff, water parameters, photographs etc etc?

Emma

[rich]

I had to think about this and I´m not sure I can give you what you want.
First the water: ph 6,5 - 7; hardness ~8,5° dH, carbon ~ 4° dH; my normal tapwater hardness; temperature 26 °C; 80% waterchange 5 days previously with aproximately temperature drop to 20 - 22°C, (hence the suspicion that somebody else spawned before).
Aqarium size: 375 l.
Coinhabitants:Corydoras sterbaii, Pterophyllum scalare, Hyphessobrycon bentosi, Pangio spez., Botia striata.
The clowns were a group of seven I bought 5 years earlier plus one I took in two years after that.
Before this incident, the clowns behaved normal, nothing above a bit bickering about food or best place in the cave. Really remarkable was the fierce of the fight between the males. There is a video on lol of two fighting clowns, wich gives an image of the fight, but I remember it being even worse.
Also extraordinary was the girl, I have never before or after seen a clown swim in such peculiar form and way, her whole body was curved, besides her thick belly, her underline from tailtip to snout was halfmoon shaped, the backfinn erected and every other fin spread to the utmost extend. She moved around them in a robotic sharkish manner and seemed to nag them on.
The other clowns were more or less excited by the scene and merely made place when the fighters took their path.
Photographs?
I really think I`ve put enough ashes onto my head about this matter.

I can`t prove that this ever hapened, but this story is not nearly exciting enough to brag with, so be it what it is ment to be: just a piece of the puzzle we are trying to put together.