Can't Keep Clown Loaches

[overboard]

I have one clown loach who is about 5 years old and 4.5". When I bought him, he was 1 of 3. Two of them died off rather quickly. So about a year later I got another one to pair him up with , this one died as well. So 4 years later I decided to get him some buddies again, bought 2 loaches about 2" - so far one has died - the other seemed ok for a while and now is thinning and stays under rocks, I'd be surprised if it lives. My old loach is very healthy and plump. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong here. Any one else had this problem? There is also a 6" pleco in the tank. The are plenty of caves and hiding places. The loach I have is my favorite fish I'd really like to have a couple more.

 

[Davo86]

I have one clown loach who is about 5 years old and 4.5". When I bought him, he was 1 of 3. Two of them died off rather quickly. So about a year later I got another one to pair him up with , this one died as well. So 4 years later I decided to get him some buddies again, bought 2 loaches about 2" - so far one has died - the other seemed ok for a while and now is thinning and stays under rocks, I'd be surprised if it lives. My old loach is very healthy and plump. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong here. Any one else had this problem? There is also a 6" pleco in the tank. The are plenty of caves and hiding places. The loach I have is my favorite fish I'd really like to have a couple more.

hey, what are the other fish in the tank? and what are you feeding the clowns on?

 

[overboard]

I have one clown loach who is about 5 years old and 4.5". When I bought him, he was 1 of 3. Two of them died off rather quickly. So about a year later I got another one to pair him up with , this one died as well. So 4 years later I decided to get him some buddies again, bought 2 loaches about 2" - so far one has died - the other seemed ok for a while and now is thinning and stays under rocks, I'd be surprised if it lives. My old loach is very healthy and plump. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong here. Any one else had this problem? There is also a 6" pleco in the tank. The are plenty of caves and hiding places. The loach I have is my favorite fish I'd really like to have a couple more.

hey, what are the other fish in the tank? and what are you feeding the clowns on?

5 White Clouds , 1 pleco - I feed them flakes and sinking shrimp pellets.

 

[Davo86]

I have one clown loach who is about 5 years old and 4.5". When I bought him, he was 1 of 3. Two of them died off rather quickly. So about a year later I got another one to pair him up with , this one died as well. So 4 years later I decided to get him some buddies again, bought 2 loaches about 2" - so far one has died - the other seemed ok for a while and now is thinning and stays under rocks, I'd be surprised if it lives. My old loach is very healthy and plump. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong here. Any one else had this problem? There is also a 6" pleco in the tank. The are plenty of caves and hiding places. The loach I have is my favorite fish I'd really like to have a couple more.

hey, what are the other fish in the tank? and what are you feeding the clowns on?

5 White Clouds , 1 pleco - I feed them flakes and sinking shrimp pellets.

How big is the tank? reason being that for a tank large enough to keep clown loach you would expect more fish unless it is really lightly stocked?

 

[overboard]

I have one clown loach who is about 5 years old and 4.5". When I bought him, he was 1 of 3. Two of them died off rather quickly. So about a year later I got another one to pair him up with , this one died as well. So 4 years later I decided to get him some buddies again, bought 2 loaches about 2" - so far one has died - the other seemed ok for a while and now is thinning and stays under rocks, I'd be surprised if it lives. My old loach is very healthy and plump. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong here. Any one else had this problem? There is also a 6" pleco in the tank. The are plenty of caves and hiding places. The loach I have is my favorite fish I'd really like to have a couple more.

hey, what are the other fish in the tank? and what are you feeding the clowns on?

5 White Clouds , 1 pleco - I feed them flakes and sinking shrimp pellets.

How big is the tank? reason being that for a tank large enough to keep clown loach you would expect more fish unless it is really lightly stocked?

It's a 29 gallon tank, are you saying I can expect more deaths?

 

[Davo86]

It's a 29 gallon tank, are you saying I can expect more deaths?

to keep them successfully you really need a tank that is at least 55gallons.

 

[Ian H]

and they are meat eaters

 

[mikev]

After 5 years, 4.5" seems to be small; it is possible that the tank size (too small) is responsible. A 4.5" clown certainly must not be kept in a 29g tank, 55g is the absolute min, and a 6' tank will be needed soon enough.

But it is likely that something else is responsible for the deaths.

More information is needed to start making guesses. What are the temp/pH/gH/kH values? Were there any symptoms you remember before the clowns died?

Append: as a guidance, normal growth rate of young clowns should be 1"/year or more. I'm seeing about 1.25"-1.5" with mine. Under 1"/year may indicate bad conditions or an unhealthy animal.

 

[overboard]

It's like they just wasted away. The little guy died last night. I cant afford a 55 gallon tank at the moment. I guess my big loach is going to have to remain a loner. He's sharing a planted 29 gallon wih 5 white clouds. Looking for a home for the pleco.

 

[mikev]

To be able to guess, one needs to know your water parameters as asked above.

Also: "wasted away" -- describe. How long does it take? It may be that you are simply getting fish with parasites, or something worse.

Do you deworm your fish?

 

[mrbonzai]

Just a little feeding tip for the big healthy one you have since your diet seems a little sparse for their needs:

Every week or so I go to a different pet store that carries live plants and I ask them to collect the small snails that come in with the plant shipments and are infesting most of their tanks. They're usually pretty happy to do it cuz it's ridding them of a pest and I can usually get a hundred or so for free. I then just dump them into my tank and it's a free buffet for the loaches and any other fish that can crack those shells.

 

[mikev]

While snails are a nice addition to the loach diet and it is quite entertaining watching loaches hunting them, what you are doing is IMHO very dangerous. Every time you put something from a lfs you risk an infection, and snails in particular are quite capable of harboring it. I'm afraid that taking unquarantined biomaterial from lfs' will eventually bring something very nasty in.

It would be safer to grow your own...a small snail tank is easy to maintain.

 

[loachman]

It is very common for loaches to have problems with internal parasites. It is worth giving any new (or untreated) ones a does of anti-internal parasite medication. This may help out with some of the issues you are having.

Common symptoms are thinning or wasting away over time.

 

[overboard]

It is very common for loaches to have problems with internal parasites. It is worth giving any new (or untreated) ones a does of anti-internal parasite medication. This may help out with some of the issues you are having.

Common symptoms are thinning or wasting away over time.

Thx I will look into it.

 

[nath1]

Hi overboard!!
i feed my clown loach frozen blood worm and they love it!!
i give the tank a block a day and they all go completly crazy 4 it, but i can bet my last pound that the clowns will get they're fair share (even greedier than my pictus)
nath1