Skinny clown

[Holly]

Hi everyone,

I have a 70 ltr (approx) tank which is octagonal- cant' remember exact paremeters off hand but about 50cm wide by 60cm high...it is densley planted 4mths old with plenty of hiding places for security. I have 4 mollies, 6 emperor tetra's, 6 lampeye tetras, and one panda cory.

I initially had a problem with very very hard water which to recitify i did a 60 percent water change without adding crystal conditioner (i live in australia, in my state v. soft water so this sort of conditioner i find the best). Instead i added a liquid conditioner which i was told would not affect the hardness of the water. I had my water tested, and it proved to be fine Am, Nitrite 0ppm with PH 7.

To this i added a small clown loach (ordinarily i would not just get one, but this was the last one left and i intended to get him a friend the following wk), who within the process of 3 days darkened, and began to look very skinny.

What is the cause of this skinnyness? I have 4 large clowns in the UK which i have had for 6 years and kept with no probs..what's going on??

 

[gadazobe]

They are shoaling fish, maybe he's stressed out coz he's alone - no friends to play around with

 

[Mackie]

Yeh...get the bikini on and get in there with him.

 

[Holly]

I thought that maybe the skinnyness and darkening was a symptom of a particular disease i was not aware of- i'll make sure that when i get some more i'll never get one alone again.

I will certainly consider the bikini option in furture, would hate to have unhappy clowns!!...

 

[Mackie]

Don't forget your goggles

 

[William]

Is the clown eating well?


(lol about the bikini )

 

[StiX]

Well they could always be the opposite and grow massive

 

[slt]

aye they've been in the pie room

 

[Mackie]

They're huuuuuuuuuuge.

 

[Holly]

Wow...that one looks like the mother of all clowns!...yesterday i bought 3 little clowns, and so far they seem to be going ok i am watching them and my water quality like a hawk and am feeding them worms which they relish....to answer Williams question, after the first day the clown i had a prob with was not eating well...maybe he just wasn't right when i got him....