Strange Acting Clown Loaches...

[hayz]

Hi guys,

Now I know that clown loaches can act slighty strange, i.e. just lying upside down and hiding away a lot, but I've noticed something that mine have never done before. Firstly I noticed one of them just lying in the bank of the tank behind a leaf, which is next to the heater; I actually thought it had died. It has been doing this for a couple of days now - it does swim around but always returns to the same place.

I have just come home from work and have found that both of them are lying at the back of the tank, right on the heater. They're both still moving their fins but are just lying there; they don't look like they're in pain or anything.

I just went to try and take a photo of them - and one of them moved towards me - here is the picture:

They're both quite large now and I've had them since about October 2004. The one which came out (in the picture above) is quite happily swimming around now, yet I presume that it's going to go back to the heater or near it.

Does anyone know why they might be doing this? Any help is much appreciated, cheers.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Clowns are such great fish to watch because of their unique habits, One of these is napping- which is when you will often see them on the gravel laying on their side. Another is a propensity to hide out in caves or similar spaces which they prefer to be as tight a fit as possible. If you dont have caves of any kind for them they will hide as best they can- which is what yours appear to be doing.

Clowns, and other loaches/botias are very social animals and should be kept in groups of at least 3 or more. The group can be assorted sizes as once they work out the pecking order, they all get along great.

 

[hayz]

They've got their own 'cave' which they normally stay in... which is why I am asking if anyone knows why they seem to be lying by the heater and not moving?

I don't see them come out of their cave very often. I am just rather concerned as they've been out a lot over the past week or so, and like I say, lying by/on the heater...

 

[Defiler]

What tempature is your tank at?