Clown Loaches Hiding Places

[Wishful]

Hi all - I posted a question the other day about clown loaches and the speed at which they grow to full size. Thanks to all the answers I got, we decided to go ahead on the basis that we would have to upgrade the tank to accomodate their growth.

We got the three of them on Saturday and have hardly seen them since. I know they frequently hide away, but it's where they're hiding that worries me.

In our tank we have a piece of decor that looks like the roots of a tree in the water, but it's hollow. Almost as soon as we released them one of them disappeared into this thing, since then they have made it very firmly their home and we very rarely see them at all, let alone all three at the same time.

They can obviously manoeuvre themselves around in there despite a few of the 'roots' being very narrow and so it seems reasonable to let them be in there, but I'm worried that should one of them get trapped, or become ill and die in there, we wouldn't know a thing about it. At least if they live under mopani wood, or in a cave structure, you can get under there to check that all is well periodically.

Should we fill up this false tree root with gravel now, and let them find a new hidey hole, or will that cause them stress?

Thanks for any advice

Wishful

PS Filling the thing up with gravel will be a challenge in itself - trying to find a time when all three are out and about together!

 

[Cavafish]

Dont worry about them hiding at first. I've had mine 3/4 months and they still hide away most of the time. They are very sociable fish and will nestle in together at every opportunity. They also get on with just about every fish goimg it seems. I've no problems, see my sig for tank mates.

The one thing that has happened to mine is that the hole that they chose to hide in was too small especially as the plec was in there as well, and they started chewing on each others tails in an attempt to get into the hole to hide away. I had to shake the last one out of the hole in the end as they were never all out at the same time and remove the piece of wood.

Moral of the story - just make sure there is plenty of room in that 'root' to accomodate them all and that there are no sharp edges on it. Over the next couple of months (sorry but it will probably be that long), they will come out more and more. Some on here say that theirs will feed from their hands!! I can well believe it but haven't yet seen it!

best of luck - they are wicked fish to watch. Mischevious and fun

 

[smithrc]

clowns love to feel secure and will hide in hols only slightly bigger then them... either that or in groups in a bigger hole...

we have 4 - 3 live in a bamboo tube together and one normall spends his time hiding between the suction adapter and the filter!

their hiding holes will change as they grow

 

[Mr B]

I had exact problem with a hollow piece of driftwood and clown loach. At the time I had 4 of them. . I have since upped the number to 9 ( it's a 150 gallon tank ) and they never hide, safety in numbers I suppose.

 

[Wishful]

Thanks for all your feedback. It's comforting to know that I'm not alone. In the last few days they have been coming out a little more, but I will be patient Cavafish!

 

[Angry_Platy]

My clownies were shy for about the first three days now they are extremely active....I guess they feel they have to compete with the african cichlids (Cyrtocaras and yellow labs) for food and attention...SO....if they always hide they will get nothing!!! They have been especially active since i put the Cytocaras in their tank!! Now they follow them around all day.....they are about the only fish the Cytocaras don't nip at

 

[Hooligan]

To get mine more active and used to the tank so they would come out I put a mirror along one side so they saw a reflection and thought there were more after about 2 weeks I took it away and they swam away happily and always come out to see me whwen I'm in the room now by the way can clown loaches be blind.

 

[longhorn13]

i guess i just got lucky...i have three and they're always out and about. anytime i come in the room they all come swimming up to the front of the tank and if i stick my hand in, they'll come nibble on it- which feels really strange...