Clown loaches in a new tank - 3 are hiding, 1 is scouting

Hi all! I read a few similar threads here and I guess I mostly need reassurance.

A few days ago, I moved my fish from a small tank I got them in to a 90 gal (350L) tank (cycled, planted, no nitrites, very little nitrates). There are now 4 corys, 5 neon tetras, and 4 clown loaches (2-2,5 inches). Corys are thriving and permanently mating, neon tetras look good, but the clowns have been hiding in driftwood ever since. Only the smallest one can be seen scouting, sometimes somebody else from the group joins him.

I am worried that they are not eating properly, even when I give them their favorite frozen bloodworm. I feed small amounts in the morning and in the evening, roughly at the same time. I only hope they come out to feed at night, because the food is gone in the morning (but I strongly suspect that's the corys stuffing their faces while the loaches hide in the driftwood), cory eggs disappear, and I found an empty snail shell.

I understand that moving from a 5 gal to a 90 gal is a major change and they are stressed, so I mostly keep the lights off. I will get 2 more small clowns later this year.

1) did you have similar experience with clown loaches? Did they start feeding normally after some time? Did anyone starve?
2) should I switch to mostly bloodworms and hope they get interested? Or is it a bad diet?

And slightly off topic:
3) Do you think clown loaches have different functions in their groups? It is always the smallest one who does the scouting, and in the small tank it was him who would beg for food when feeding time came. Or maybe he is the hungriest because he is small.

Any other advice/comments are welcome!

 

Hi,

I currently have 4 Clown Loaches and have had them for nearly 3 years. The largest is 3 inches and the others are around 2, I got these when they were very small.

I have them in a (UK) 200L tank along with Sailfin Mollies and Guppies and had no issues in this tank.

I find the Clown Loaches to do most of their activity during the night or when the aquarium lights are on low, this involves the largest chasing the smaller ones around the tank playfully. I think they are more nocturnal than anything else! (well mine are lol).

Eating habits I feed my tank once a day only in the evening with flake food and bug bites. The Clown Loaches I find do a direct bee line for the bug bites and mop up any flakes left over.

Snails I was warned to stay clear of with loaches, as loaches would have a feast on them.

The largest Clown Loach, sometimes his black colouring changes to a light grey with the others staying black. This could be some hierarchy system in play.

Only been keeping Clown Loaches for 3 years and still learning, my regret is in the next year or two I either need to get a bigger tank or look to re home as they will get too big for my current set up.

 

Hi,

I currently have 4 Clown Loaches and have had them for nearly 3 years. The largest is 3 inches and the others are around 2, I got these when they were very small.

I have them in a (UK) 200L tank along with Sailfin Mollies and Guppies and had no issues in this tank.

I find the Clown Loaches to do most of their activity during the night or when the aquarium lights are on low, this involves the largest chasing the smaller ones around the tank playfully. I think they are more nocturnal than anything else! (well mine are lol).

Eating habits I feed my tank once a day only in the evening with flake food and bug bites. The Clown Loaches I find do a direct bee line for the bug bites and mop up any flakes left over.

Snails I was warned to stay clear of with loaches, as loaches would have a feast on them.

The largest Clown Loach, sometimes his black colouring changes to a light grey with the others staying black. This could be some hierarchy system in play.

Only been keeping Clown Loaches for 3 years and still learning, my regret is in the next year or two I either need to get a bigger tank or look to re home as they will get too big for my current set up.

Thanks for sharing! Love the photo, they are posing like a rock band.

I'll try to give them bug bites

The biggest one in my group also changes color: sometimes its more orange and brown than black and white. I agree, it must be related to the hierarchy. I once saw it fighting with one of the medium-sized twins, and they both got visibly pale in the process. The Scout is always very bright black and white: I guess it doesn't have a chance in the power play and it doesn't care.
The biggest one in my group also changes color: sometimes its more orange and brown than black and white. I agree, it must be related to the hierarchy. I once saw it fighting with one of the medium-sized twins, and they both got visibly pale in the process. The Scout is always very bright black and white: I guess it doesn't have a chance in the power play and it doesn't care.

Three years is a lot. I hope you won't have to part with your loaches!

 

I think you're on the right track. Its only been a few days. Mine hid for two weeks. I blacked out the back and sides of my aquarium and fed at lights out. Then I moved the feeding time forward gradually. They can be frustrating if they are not comfortable coming out. You just have to work it out. Patience is a virtue - as the saying goes. Mine have been coming out vigorously to feed whenever food is placed in daytime for the last ten years. You should see the acceleration and the gravel flying!

 

I think you're on the right track. Its only been a few days. Mine hid for two weeks. I blacked out the back and sides of my aquarium and fed at lights out. Then I moved the feeding time forward gradually. They can be frustrating if they are not comfortable coming out. You just have to work it out. Patience is a virtue - as the saying goes. Mine have been coming out vigorously to feed whenever food is placed in daytime for the last ten years. You should see the acceleration and the gravel flying!

Thanks! They came out at evening feeding time yesterday, so I think there is some progress already and I'm now sure they are not starving in the driftwood.

Blacking out the sides of the tank is a great idea, will do that. They are probably not ok with how much of movement they suddenly see around the tank.

 

That's hilarious, I understood how they eat:
when I feed them, the smallest one would venture out. Then he would grab the biggest tangle of bloodworms and dart back to the driftwood carrying his prey. And there the remaining three would go for the tangle of worms their little brother just brought.
I'm sure this is not intentional, but whether he wants it or not, the scout is now officially the breadwinner.

 

I have to add an update here: the one that was scouting was not healthy and passed away in a month. So if you notice such behavior (one loach not with a group, searching for food all the time or just hanging outside a shelter) watch out for illness symptoms such as abnormal swimming or losing weight, then act quickly.

 

I have to add an update here: the one that was scouting was not healthy and passed away in a month. So if you notice such behavior (one loach not with a group, searching for food all the time or just hanging outside a shelter) watch out for illness symptoms such as abnormal swimming or losing weight, then act quickly.

Thanks so much for the update and sorry to hear of what happened to your loach. Just bought three new ones recently and this thread has been so helpful so thanks for creating it.

 

Thanks so much for the update and sorry to hear of what happened to your loach. Just bought three new ones recently and this thread has been so helpful so thanks for creating it.

Thank you aquariumamanda! If you would like to learn more about what was wrong, I have a bigger story of my fish tank plague here in a separate thread. I hope all goes well with your loaches and you never need this knowledge