Clown Loach 'clicking'?

[deucebrennan]

I have recently put 2 clown loaches into my 180 litre planted tank. At first they spent a week hiding under the filter but now they have found some confidence and are playing about all over the tank. They are a great pair to watch and both are about 4'' long.

I have never kept them before and there playfully strange behavior is great to watch. I have seen them dive into the massive Riccia hedge i have, with just their tails poking out of the top. they then stay there for ages.

I have noticed that recently they have started clicking to each other? Has anyone else observed this behaviour and does anyone know what it means??? Its quite loud as well!

 

[shelaghfishface]

yes its normal, i didnt used to hear it till i set up a tank in the halway ( bit more quiet in there) then i did every time i fed them, i think it excitement, but its perfectly normal
shelagh xxx

 

[Rooster]

I have botia that click when eating.... thats VERY loud - especially if they are against the glass, I think they "spit" at hard foods to break it open... they will eat snails, so I guess they have developed this skill to bust the shell.

 

[vonnie06]

my clown loaches do when they are playing aswell i did read somewhere thats how they communicate to each other too

 

[Essjay]

It's not just clown loaches, my dwarf chain loaches do it when they're eating their pellet. I first noticed it when the pellet was next to the glass and I thought they were pushing the gravel against the glass. So I dropped a pellet in the middle of the tank and I still heard the clicking noise, so it must be the fish themselves.

 

[clivealive]

It's not just clown loaches, my dwarf chain loaches do it when they're eating their pellet. I first noticed it when the pellet was next to the glass and I thought they were pushing the gravel against the glass. So I dropped a pellet in the middle of the tank and I still heard the clicking noise, so it must be the fish themselves.

yeah they are great to keep, I would say get another 1 or 2 as just 2 only isnt ideal as they are better the more you have.
have they played dead yet that worries you the first few times , they look dead and you move towards them then they
jump up.

 

[jourdy288]

I have never kept them before and there playfully strange behavior is great to watch. I have seen them dive into the massive Riccia hedge i have, with just their tails poking out of the top. they then stay there for ages.

I have noticed that recently they have started clicking to each other? Has anyone else observed this behaviour and does anyone know what it means??? Its quite loud as well!

I have polka-dot botia, I got them a couple weeks ago. I grew hair algae to form a wall against the side of my aquarium, and one of them usually stays in there. During the night, I hear them click too.

 

[fergalthefish]

the noise is actually made from flicking out the little barbs they have under their eyes i believe, extremely painful if they flick them on your skin too!!! these little barbs are there defence mechanism and are very hard to see normally as they lye flat against the skin only to be flicked out when threatened.