Clown Loaches And Their Barbels

[tameem]

Sometimes I like to hand feed the fish by holding a shrimp pellet in my hand and having the fish eat it. The clown loaches I have are real active and are not shy about swimming to the surface and going after it. And sometimes I like to just put my finger in there and have them come to me because they are so cute.

But I am afraid that their barbels will hurt if they come close as they eat. would it hurt if their cute mouths touch my finger, or get poked? I know the corys. which have more noticeable barbels might.

 

[Truck]

there barbels will be fine, they forage on the aquarium floor in sand which can be more course than skin, as long as they dont get trapped or torn theyll be fine

 

[tameem]

no im afraid that they will hurt or prick your finger. i know my brother once was trying to release a cory from a net and he said the barbel on the cory hurt a little, didnt feel good. I didnt know if the cute clown loaches also would have babels that hurt if I were to get touched by them when my finger is inside feeding them

 

[fifefish]

they should hurt the barbels are used to seek out food..
i dont see why they should hurt..
i say try it and see if it hurts?

 

[tameem]

you try it first and let me know!

 

[helterskelter]

The barbels will not hurt......... How ever clown loach have a nasty spine under the eye's on both sides.
These are used to defend them self if their attacked.

So as long as u done grab them or anything nasty they will be fine.

As for the Cory barb hurting Tameem, What i believe must of happened was he must or got pricked by the pectoral fins, these are very sharp and cerated and used as defence as well.
The barbels on malmost all fish i can think of is soft and used to feel for their food items, not as a wepon or defence.

 

[mikev]

The barbels will not hurt......... How ever clown loach have a nasty spine under the eye's on both sides.

Exactly.

While the spines are not often used, one of my clowns used the spine on the salesman when I bought him and the guy was trying to catch the fish.... the finger was bleeding and the salesman was cursing very loudly... If a clown feels secure to eat from your hands, the chances are that it will not use the spines.

The danger to barbels is in wrong substrate; gravel would cause damage to barbels over a period of time.

hth.

 

[tameem]

Thanks for your responses. I forgot, you are right about the barbels and the substrate. They are just so cute so sometimes I like to interact with them and they are not shy! They will come up to my finger and there's this strange feeling, not teeth, but wrasp, I understand? Whatever it is, it does quick work of harder foods like shrimp pellets. This won't hurt my finger? It feels wierd and I quickly pull back.

I looked closely and I dont see anything sharp under their eyes.

Is it true that they will eat banana? what other foods? fruit? that's what someone at the LFS told me.

 

[mikev]

Try watermelon, this is fun to watch....
Apples (if they like them). I suspect pears would work too..I really should try them myself.
No citrus, of course.

You can also hand-feed them bloodworms....

 

[helterskelter]

The eye spines are tucked away all the time then only show then when their threatened this is why they get stuck in nets.

As for foods young will eat anything, but i would stick to fish foods and blood worms, mature fish will eat small bait fish etc etc.

 

[monkey_wrench]

The barbels will not hurt......... How ever clown loach have a nasty spine under the eye's on both sides.

Exactly.

While the spines are not often used, one of my clowns used the spine on the salesman when I bought him and the guy was trying to catch the fish.... the finger was bleeding and the salesman was cursing very loudly... If a clown feels secure to eat from your hands, the chances are that it will not use the spines.

The danger to barbels is in wrong substrate; gravel would cause damage to barbels over a period of time.

hth.

yeah thats right, the barbels are soft and not spiny at all unlike the spikes underneath the eyes