Getting Disheartened With Clown Loach

[hungdini]

I've had clown loach ever since i started keeping fish (maybe 10 years ago) but i bought a new fish tank for my flat about a year and a half ago and have had these clown loach in there. Anyway, never have i had such aggressive Clown loach!

They kill the other fish in there and so far, they've killed many harlequins, 2 angel fish, 2 golden algae eaters. I saw one of them holding a harlequin in his mouth just now, getting away from the others, presumably to eat him all on his own. it was quite an upsetting sight, and i think the only thing i can do is to give these guys to a fish shop.

is that my only option? has anyone else had experience of these fish behaving like so? As i've said, i've never experienced this level of aggression from these fish.

 

[Mr Spoon]

I've had clown loach ever since i started keeping fish (maybe 10 years ago) but i bought a new fish tank for my flat about a year and a half ago and have had these clown loach in there. Anyway, never have i had such aggressive Clown loach!

They kill the other fish in there and so far, they've killed many harlequins, 2 angel fish, 2 golden algae eaters. I saw one of them holding a harlequin in his mouth just now, getting away from the others, presumably to eat him all on his own. it was quite an upsetting sight, and i think the only thing i can do is to give these guys to a fish shop.

is that my only option? has anyone else had experience of these fish behaving like so? As i've said, i've never experienced this level of aggression from these fish.

I never heard of clown loaches acting like that. Are you feeding them enough? Don't know if they get aggressive with age. What size was your old tank and your new tank. Do you have enough hiding places for them? How many clown loaches do you have?

 

[hungdini]

I've had clown loach ever since i started keeping fish (maybe 10 years ago) but i bought a new fish tank for my flat about a year and a half ago and have had these clown loach in there. Anyway, never have i had such aggressive Clown loach!

They kill the other fish in there and so far, they've killed many harlequins, 2 angel fish, 2 golden algae eaters. I saw one of them holding a harlequin in his mouth just now, getting away from the others, presumably to eat him all on his own. it was quite an upsetting sight, and i think the only thing i can do is to give these guys to a fish shop.

is that my only option? has anyone else had experience of these fish behaving like so? As i've said, i've never experienced this level of aggression from these fish.

I never heard of clown loaches acting like that. Are you feeding them enough? Don't know if they get aggressive with age. What size was your old tank and your new tank. Do you have enough hiding places for them? How many clown loaches do you have?

hey there,

Well.. they're all new fish, so i set up the tank and then went out and bought fish, including the clown loach. So they've always been like that, but i'm a bit sick and tired of them being like that now. They used to be my favourite breed of fish because of their usually playful nature but these guys are real little menaces. the tank's about 3 1/2 foot and they're, mm... i'd say maybe 6 inches. 3 of them. and you see, i thought it was to do with feeding them enough (like lions in a zoo who are well fed so they don't attack humans or whatever) but i fed them this morning and a few hours later, saw one of them running around with a harlequin in his mouth like he'd just hunted it!

I think i've just got freaky fish because i can't find anything on this behaviour anywhere on the net..

 

[NaughtyT]

Not being funny but first of all your tank is far too small for clown loaches and secondly they do prefer to be in groups.

I have 8 clown loaches,3 are around 6 inch,1 is 4 inch and 4 are around 2 inch and they are fantastic fish to watch,i have them in my community tank with absolutely no problems.

 

[hungdini]

Not being funny but first of all your tank is far too small for clown loaches and secondly they do prefer to be in groups.

I have 8 clown loaches,3 are around 6 inch,1 is 4 inch and 4 are around 2 inch and they are fantastic fish to watch,i have them in my community tank with absolutely no problems.

sorry, not inches. cms. they're not that big.

seriously, i've had clown loach in every tank i've owned without a problem. they're normally so playful, but these guys behave completely differently.

 

[NaughtyT]

i would get rid of them

 

[Mr Spoon]

If you are sick of them All I can suggest is to take them back to your lfs and maybe think about getting a smaller type of loach. I know 6cm isn't big for your tank but you need to plan ahead as they can get big.

 

[Amunet]

If they're not working out, then def go sell them back to the LFS or something and as was suggested, try finding a smaller type of loach that will do better in that size tank
I've read about how clowns can get aggressive, but usually when they're a lot larger.

 

[mattbond]

ive never heard of them being agressive, if you fancy upgrading your tank in future, you could get some more clowns so theyd be more interested in eachother, and you could have a larger community tank, e.g rainbow fish?

 

[simonas]

I had same problem many yrs ago with a larger clown that took out a shoal of fully grown congo tetras, i had no idea what was doing it but kept finding congos with throats ripped out , i then witnessed it happen and discovered the culprit1!! no idea what explanation is, if i remember he may have been on his own but definately well fed