Bruised Clown Loach

Hi

I got 5x 2" Clown loaches about 3 weeks ago; within 48 hrs one of them died with a very sharp red bruise under his eye. He segregated from the group, breathing very heavily and quickly passed.

Everyhing went smoothly and the clowns had been acting healthily, until 2 days ago another loach is looking bruised and segregated from the group... his eyes look a bit bulged and his whole mouth area is red. He is breathing a bit rapidly and doesn't swim around that much, but at least moves around a bit. The remaining 3 clown loaches are very healthy and swim around actively. They all go to sleep at 9:00PM on a couple of Anubias leaves that slightly press against the glass; except for the bruised fella, he sleeps by himself around the back of the tank under some plants.

I have often seem them quarreling since the beggining in typical Clown loach style: faded colours, showing eachother off, lip locking, head-butting. It still happens, but I can't tell which were the ones doing the fighting.

Conditions: 50 Gal, heavily planted (low light, no CO2), 2x Aquaclear filters, aquarium gravel and pool filter sand as substrate, with some rock caves.
Ammonia/Nitrite 0, pH 8.0, KH 8 dH, GH 14 dH, temp 84F. Don't have a Nitrates tester on my kit...

Tankmates: 2x 3" Angelfish, 6x Glo Danios, 1x 4" Common Pleco, 1x 2.5" CAE.

Fish and plants look and behave healthily...

Thanks everyone in advance...

 

Hi, keep an eye out on the CAE's, they have been known for bullying other fish. They swim up to larger fish ( angels, clownloaches etc.) and suck on them. Sometimes they take off some scales, causing infections...

As far as the fighting goes, I would keep an eye on all the fellas, paying close attention to the clownloaches. The tiniest reaction could lead you to the culprit

 

Which tank are they in please They have suboccular spines (eye thorns)under each eye and can scratch each other when scuffling. Clown loaches of this size are really hard to keep alive.
Do you know right off hand what the water parameters are? Keep us posted
Carol

 

He's dead

Just took him out. His whole head was blood-red from the gills to the tip of the mouth. Water parameters are in the post. I know this size of clowns is difficult (and I got 5 expecting at least a casualty) but both casuaties have been pretty weird.

I think the 1st one may have been a suboccular spine attack, he died quickly (within 24hrs) with no other visible sign of trouble; but the second looked much more bruised, I think it could have been either severe damage to the mouth/head (maybe a rock, or a fight ?) or something bacterial...

The remaining 3 look very healthy, they are the ones that sleep together and always hang out with eachother... so any behavioural change should be easily picked up. They do scuffle a little but I haven't seen the same intensity as prior to death #2. I'll keep a close eye and see if anything looks suspicious.

The CAE is extremely peaceful and never messes with anybody, the angels are a bit troublesome, but they don't really hang out around the bottom where the loaches are... Although they have such good appetite that they have learned to look for food around the substrate...... hungry fellas.

 

Sorry to hear about your clown. I'm inclined to think he hurt the subocular spine and it got infected.
The others sound like normal clowns. Little piggies
Carol

 

Sorry to hear about your clown. I'm inclined to think he hurt the subocular spine and it got infected.
The others sound like normal clowns. Little piggies
Carol

Yes, I think Clown #1 died with a hurt suboccular, and the second might have been either a hard fight or a bacterial infection (he was probably coping with stress).

But again... the other 3 look very healthy and eat like pigs. In fact, all my fish eat a lot: the angelfish eat mostly on top, but when I feed the loaches they snoop around the bottom to see what they find, the loaches have learnt to find their food on the bottom and sometimes come up to look for whatever the angel/danios leave (ussually VERY little!)

I hate it when my fish die!

 

So sorry you lost him Hopefully, you can figure out what caused it soon.

Good luck and please keep us posted on the progress of the remaining 3.