Is My Clown Loach Sick?

[jieyuan42]

Hi guys,
 
Just wondering if someone would be able to help me identify whether my clown loach is sick or not?
 
I bought this one two days ago, and yesterday I noticed that there is one very obvious white spot on its forehead. And it appears there are possibly two others on his body. Please see the attached photo.
 
I think I wasn't carefully enough when buying it from the local fish store, and rushed home on the X'Mas eve and it might have that white spot already when I got it. I've placed it into a separate tank now just to make sure it wouldn't spread to other fish if it is some serious... Being a newbie with the hobby, I don't really know what this is. Please, if someone would help me on this one, much appreciated!
 
 

 

[ShinySideUp]

Firstly, it doesn't look like Ich (White Spot) as the marks are too large. The picture is not big enough to have a close look at the marks but they appear to be injuries which should clear up in a few days so give it that long and make sure they are improving rather than staying the same or even getting worse.
 
Now the bad news:
 
I keep lots of Clown loaches and I have to tell you that they should be kept in groups of at least six, they also get quite large and will need a minimum of a six foot tank. One on it's own will not thrive and it's life will be quite short (these fish can live over thirty years) and if kept in too small a tank it will become stunted and unhealthy.
 
Having said that, if your LFS will sell you an injured (or diseased) Clown loach then, at least in the short term, it would be better for the fish if you kept it rather than hand it back to a bunch of cowboys. Perhaps you can get a larger tank at some other time and in the meantime, and I hate to say this, you could get two more for the company but really only if you are going to be able to get a big tank in the future.

 

[Baccus]

As already stated the picture is really hard to see all of the injuries/ marks.
The one on the middle of the head looks almost like it could be a fish louse, but I think its more likely to be some kind of wound.
 
What other fish did you have the clown loach with? Could one of your other fish have taken a disliking to it and been nipping at it?
 
Also what tank ornaments do you have? I know loaches and other fish that like getting into things often make the wrong choices in a new tank, and can cause themselves scraps and abrasions until they learn the layout of a new tank.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Clowns love to slide into small spaces- caves etc. They will do this even when the fit is tight. I have seen similar white markings on mine when they keep trying to fit into cave-like spaces they have out grown. The result is they rub against something. This rubbing causes a whitish discoloration.
 
Lone clowns do not behave normally, the need others of their species. They can become "neurotic" or even "psychotic" if left alone. I know this because I had to move some from a well planted 45 gal. to a 75 gal and was unable to catch the last on.,Hhe managed to evade me for about a year before I finally nabbed him napping in a bn cave. Most of the time he hid which is not how clowns normally behave. He was extremely skittish, one reason why it took so long to get him.