Clown Loach And Sand

[Big_eyes]

I have this play sand stuff from argoos and I'm starting to wonder if it is that which is making my clown loach slightly unhappy. Everything else is perfect for them, water stats, temp etc but the sand is quite bright under the lights.

Could it be this causing them to be a bit slow and lazy?

 

[onebto]

I have 8 Clown Loach and Argos play sand as a substrate and I have never had a problem Its true they do like subdued lighting.

I take it you gave the sand a dam good clean first?

Do you have plenty of caves and hiding places for them?

how big is your tank and do you have a decent water flow in it?

A variety of food helps them and what tempreature do you run your tank at?

These questions are just a few factors to try and work out the problem

Regards onebto.

 

[Big_eyes]

Hiya,

yeah the sands been in for about 6 months and was given a good clean before hand.

There's many coconut caves, pots and bits of wood giving as much shelter as they could want.

Temp is around 27/28c with quite a strong current heading down the length of the tank, which is 4ft long.

Feeding wise they have a rotating pattern of cucumber, flakes, frozen (thawed out when fed) bloodworm and algae wafers.

Only other thing is that the lighting is rather bright - It has two 45watt tube lights running the full length of the tank. So I may try unplugging one or even try to move the guards somehow to try and block a bit out and see what happens.

 

[onebto]

let us know how it goes

 

[shelaghfishface]

what makes you think they are unhappy?
setup sounds fine, ive had CL and sand.. try the lights idea. but honestly i think your stressing over a problem that you think is worse than it is

 

[Big_eyes]

They just don't seem amazingly active, when I bought my last three they were going nuts rolling over each other up and down the glass. Got home and I've never seen any of them do it since.

 

[onebto]

One thing I find that ups my Clown Loaches activity is when I do my major fortnightly clean I change the set up of caves, bog wood etc slightly. I have observed a major increase in activity also. I originally done this for my own interest and tastes, but later read on some forums others do this on purpose.

As you are probably aware they come from Rivers and this gives them a lot of widely changing environments. I have through my observations always thought them to be highly inquisitive fish loving a change in there environment just like there love of a wide range of food.

Its worth a try

Regards onebto.

 

[tea cup ruskey]

perfectly normal behavior hence the name clown loach botia macharanthia excuse that spelling generall juvinilles tend to be more active and changing enviroment around does incrise this behaviour #16##### well as new water introduction playsand in my expirience is totaly inhert the quality or grade does differ i.e two motoro stingrays adult on play sand huge system started dashing around so ddrained of the sand and this soon stoped some scaleless spicies are irrotated possible by the sharpness of the sand and can cause skimming type beaviour.the rays are back on sand i did change it and they just seem to have got used of this and they are quite playful..

 

[Big_eyes]

perfectly normal behavior hence the name clown loach botia macharanthia excuse that spelling generall juvinilles tend to be more active and changing enviroment around does incrise this behaviour #16##### well as new water introduction playsand in my expirience is totaly inhert the quality or grade does differ i.e two motoro stingrays adult on play sand huge system started dashing around so ddrained of the sand and this soon stoped some scaleless spicies are irrotated possible by the sharpness of the sand and can cause skimming type beaviour.the rays are back on sand i did change it and they just seem to have got used of this and they are quite playful..

Say wha.....?

 

[onebto]

perfectly normal behavior hence the name clown loach botia macharanthia excuse that spelling generall juvinilles tend to be more active and changing enviroment around does incrise this behaviour #16##### well as new water introduction playsand in my expirience is totaly inhert the quality or grade does differ i.e two motoro stingrays adult on play sand huge system started dashing around so ddrained of the sand and this soon stoped some scaleless spicies are irrotated possible by the sharpness of the sand and can cause skimming type beaviour.the rays are back on sand i did change it and they just seem to have got used of this and they are quite playful..

Say wha.....?