Clown loach hiding

Hi,

Just recently, 2 weeks ago, I bought my first fish tank. I decided to start of small and got myself a 10 gallon tank.

Everything went pretty bad right from the start. I got the fish tank on a wednesday, got everything set up, added the necessary liquids. On saturday of that same week I was allowed to add fish. Which, as to what I have read, was far too early. That showed clearly. I added 6 cardinal tetra, 1 betta, 2 clown loaches, 2 guppies, 2 mollies and a small pleco. The day after adding them, all six cardinal tetra died as well as the betta and a clown loach. The rest survived. So I decided to let the aquarium sit for a while. All fish were swimming nicely besides the one clown loach I had left. He just sits under some driftwood all day and seems to survive although I never see him eat when I add food. Some research taught me that clown loaches like some company.
2 weeks after the bad experience with my fish dying I decided to add more fish again. I added 6 neon tetra, 4 guppies and a clown loach. Now, this new clown loach is swimming about all happy and excited, but the other one is still hiding 24/7. I don't know what to think of this. Is this fish just incredibly shy and eating some food that comes floating under the driftwoord? Is he still stressed after 2 weeks in? Does he need more time? Is the fish ill? Do some loaches just hide all day everyday?

Besides that all is going well, just the clown loach concerning me a bit.

Thanks

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Welcome to Fishlore.
I think your initial problems were caused by having too many fish in an uncycled tank, do you know about the nitrogen cycle? Click the link to read about it.
Clown loaches do like to hide but it may also be stressed, they're a social fish & should be kept in groups of 6+ they also grow very large & need a much bigger tank.
Mollies also get too big to be in a 10 gallon, if I were you I'd take the clowns & mollies back, you could also do with getting a liquid water test kit to monitor your water.
You can get bottled bacteria to help cycle your filter, a lot of members here use Tetra safe start & can advise you on that

 

Hi,

I always wanted a fish tank of my own and expected more help than I got from the fish store, as I am a beginner. So only when I had my fish dying I did my research on the nitrogen cycle and am now aware of what it is.

I did ask the fish store about the groups of 6+ and size matter. They told me that 2 clown loaches should do fine, and might end up schooling with the guppies I have. Also, they said that a fish actually grows to the size of the fish tank. So the pleco, the mollies and clown loach, who all can grow fairly big, should adapt to the tank. At least, that's what I've been told. What's your take on this?

I do have a water test kit and my water seems fine.
And when I set up the fish tank I added BioBacter, to get bacteria in, and AquaSan, to get the chlorine out of the water. I'm from Belgium so no idea if these products will sound familiar.

Thanks

 

Oh dear you have been given some bad advice from the Lfs
Fish do not grow to the size of the tank or adapt to it that is a myth, their growth is stunted.
This article is more about extra large fish but applies to any fish kept in too small a tank
I haven't heard of those products so can't comment on those, do you have a water test kit?

 

I would find a new LFS. They gave you some terrible advice. Clowns need 100 gallons and up, bettas certainly can't be with guppies or cardinals, mollies need a bigger tank, and the pleco probably needs a bigger home. Is it a common pleco? They gave you bad advice on stock, gave you too much stock too quickly, and generally did not do their jobs. I'm sorry they lead you so astray.

 

Starting a new tank takes a lot of patience because it IS so exciting to get fish!! I'm only two years into fish keeping and my advice to you is to go to your LFS and see what you think you might like, then come home and do research on each type so you don't get fish that won't survive with each other. It's a very stressful thing when you've got fish fighting in the tank and it's sad when you lose them because of poor advice given.

To repeat what others have said, you've got fish that will be too large for your tank and unless you have a plan to upgrade in the near future it would be best to return them to the LFS or re home them. My LFS would only let me take 4 fish home at a time when I started stocking my tank and he would only let me start with hardy fish that would be able to manage the new tank.

Good luck with your new hobby!

 

Oh dear you have been given some bad advice from the LFS

Fish do not grow to the size of the tank or adapt to it that is a myth, their growth is stunted.
This article is more about extra large fish but applies to any fish kept in too small a tank
I haven't heard of those products so can't comment on those, do you have a water test kit?

How fast does a fish grow? Because as I just have this aquarium, I'd say it will be about a year before I look for a bigger aquarium. Would you say the fish will have grown too much over the course of a year, or does it take several years for them to grow too big for the aquarium?
I do use a test kit and my water tests are looking good.

I would find a new LFS. They gave you some terrible advice. Clowns need 100 gallons and up, bettas certainly can't be with guppies or cardinals, mollies need a bigger tank, and the pleco probably needs a bigger home. Is it a common pleco? They gave you bad advice on stock, gave you too much stock too quickly, and generally did not do their jobs. I'm sorry they lead you so astray

The pleco I have should be a species that doesn't grow too big. I can't tell you in inches because I don't use that where I live, but right now, the pleco is about 3 centimeters in size, and should grow to about 7 centimeters. That's what the fish store told me.

Starting a new tank takes a lot of patience because it IS so exciting to get fish!! I'm only two years into fish keeping and my advice to you is to go to your LFS and see what you think you might like, then come home and do research on each type so you don't get fish that won't survive with each other. It's a very stressful thing when you've got fish fighting in the tank and it's sad when you lose them because of poor advice given.

To repeat what others have said, you've got fish that will be too large for your tank and unless you have a plan to upgrade in the near future it would be best to return them to the LFS or re home them. My LFS would only let me take 4 fish home at a time when I started stocking my tank and he would only let me start with hardy fish that would be able to manage the new tank.

Good luck with your new hobby!

At the moment, I have 6 guppies, 6 neon tetra, 2 mollies, 2 clown loaches and a pleco. The size issue aside, I think all of these can live together. I think I read the mollies could be agressive, but no issues so far.

As I have only just bought my 10 gallon, an upgrade would be about a year away. So I hope the fish don't grow too big over that period of time.

I'm not looking to add any more fish to this fish tank, I'll only add more if I get a bigger tank. I'll certainly keep in mind to add around 4 fish at a time when I go buy new fish.

Thanks

 

I've also been told that you should go by the "inch per gallon rule" - so if you line your fish up in your tank you should have 10" of fish or what will be 10" of fish when full grown.
Now, when I first joined this site I was looked at crossed eyed because I started out with fish that will outgrow my current tank - but I had FULL intentions of upgrading to manage the size. So that is why I mentioned if you have upgrading plans, then so be it! Keep the stock you've got and plan accordingly is my theory!
You ask how fast they grow? I think it depends on the fish - I've got some that have grown really quick and others that stay basically the same. For example, I've got a Blood Parrot that was about the size of the top of a soda can, 2 years later she's the biggest fish in my tank. I'd say about 6" long and 4" tall. Why did she pass the other 2 BP's in my tank up in growing? No clue...
As for the mix you've got - I would only question the Loaches. My brother had one for 11 years and it got very territorial. He also has Blood Parrots and he ended up rehoming the loach because it was relentless against the BP's as they all grew larger.
Just keep an eye on everyone in the tank and you'll know when it's time to upgrade.