Wierd Behaviour....or Not?

[Miss Dib Dabs]

I have two yoyo loaches living in my 55g and have had them since late last summer. I originally had three but sadly one died about 4 months ago.
Anyways, I did consider getting more but never see them as large as mine currently are.
In the past week or two they've been acting somewhat suspiciously. I have a piece of bogwood in the tank and one of them decided to make it a regular place to sleep...or so I thought to start with. Since then the second loach has been keeping the other fish away from the bogwood. The one that spends almost all it's time under it is quite pale in colour but is quite capable of colouring up vividly...just doesn't mostly. The others colours are as intense as I've ever seen them. He/she goes under the bogwood too sometimes and the two spend a great deal of time together. My suspicions got the better of me today and the bogwood needed a good rinse as it had tiny snails all over it....so I lifted it out, much to the alarm of the pale loach. I checked the wood over for....well anything unusual or egglike and couldn't spot anything so rinsed it off and put it back. Both the loaches are now back under the bogwood and sorting out the pit they've swept out under it.
Anyone got any ideas as to what is going on here? Before they started this they were out all the time, at the front, being nuts and generally causing havoc as is their want. Tank stats are all good and I do a 20% change weekly. They have a large built in trickle filter, mature. Also I have a permanent mature internal filter and currently a temporary mature internal filter(from my fry tank which is currently empty). Stock is listed on the link in siggy.
Hugs,
P.

 

[Bloo]

Not sure if it's something similar, but i had great concerns about my Botia Kubotai.

Long story short, here's my thread - but most interesting is the links The-Wolf posted. Mine were doing exactly the same thing, and while doing so, went completely pale and looked severely ill / stressed and just unwell.

But just a while later would look perfectly fine.

I now realise it's just the way they sometimes are, and they're fine

Perhaps it's something similar with yours ??

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Thanks for that Bloo. I have seen my loaches fight in the past. And I know what you mean by it looking quite scary! Freaked me out big time first time I saw it. Although this was when I still had the three together. I've not seen these two actually fight each other. When they do come out and have a play they tend to wind around each other almost like embracing gliding up the front glass and down again. They can keep it up for quite long periods of time. I can just about see under the wood and they're not fighting there either.
I would consider getting more except those I've seen are not even half the size they are, I have two striped doras and my syno angelicus in there too and I don't want to overload the bottom level of the tank. Dimensions are width 37, depth, 20.5, height 19 inches. So the base has quite a good amount of space....but even so.....ahhh! I hate not knowing what to do.
Hugs,
P.

 

[The-Wolf]

Recently I have observed my B.striata doing this too (spiral battle dance).
I have drawn the conclusion that it is just something that Boitas do from time to time
and is perfectly normal for them.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Is it worth me getting some extra loaches in the tank? Or will that antagonise matters? As I said before I have only seen ones less then half their current size.
Hugs,
P.

 

[The-Wolf]

Is it worth me getting some extra loaches in the tank? Or will that antagonise matters?

it is always worth adding more loaches.
I don't think it will atagonise the matter, in fact belive the opposite.

 

[Bloo]

It helped in my case too

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Excellent, thanks sweeties. I will organise getting some more to join them.
Hugs,
P.