Clown Loach

[stardust2me]

Is it normal for clown loaches to hide?

I have 2 clown loaches. I have had one for about 4 months and I recently bought another one and it has been hiding most of the day. At first I was freaking out because I could not find it. Eventually I found it in one of my ornaments. It had wedged itself in a very small opening and I was relived to find him.

My older clown loach never hides so that is why I am wondering if it is a normal thing for them to do?

 

[Gonze]

At the beginniing most clown loaches hide but when they get used to their enviroment theyre out and about all the time.

 

[shelaghfishface]

hia
i just got 2 yesterday to go with the 2 i already had, yes its quite normal for them to hide to start with,and unlike other loaches they will come out to play in the daytime, have you kept the lights off in the tank? that helps them settle down a lot,i have just seen mine playing,and they have a cave in the tank,
the thing in with clowns that they can get quite upset if in groups of 3 or less, they are quite nervous anyway, have you noticed him come out at feeding time? and hes eating properly right??
also you say that he got stuck near a ornament,how big is your tank??, they are quite clumsey fish and will get trapped if not enough room for turning around etc, they require lots and lots of room,not high but long

is there a big size diffrence in the 2 of them?? as they may not " buddy up" if so,and it may cause problems ( lonliness,stress)

have a look at this, and theres tonnes more info on them, just google " clown loach"
<a href="http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clown_loach" target="_blank">http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clown_loach</a>

hope this helps good luck xxx
this is mine about 10 mins ago

 

[stang1]

Clown Loaches are best kept in groups of 5+ and tend to be quite shy if kept on their own or in groups of 2 to 3.
They are nocturnal but with a big enough group, you should see some activity during the daytime.
What size tank are you keeping them in as they have the potential to reach 12".

Clown Loach

 

[stardust2me]

Right now I have a 29 gallon tank and I plan on getting a bigger tank as soon as I get comfortable with this one. My other clown loach is about and inch and a half in length and the other one is about an inch. He is doing a lot better and has been coming out during feeding time.