RE: Clown Loach

["Gitte" <eladeria at rogers_com>]

Hi Chad,

Clown loaches usually like to be in groups of 6 or more.  Otherwise they
tend to be a bit shy and hide a lot.  However, I am successfully keeping
one single clown loach in a tank that contains six tiger barbs (and
other community fish).  The clown loach / tiger barb seems to be a good
combination.  My loach is not the least bit shy -- it is out swimming
around in the tank along with all of the other fish.  They do like to
find places to hide; that seems to be their nature.  Mine, for example,
has dug itself a little cave under a plant pot.

I don't know whether your tank is new?  These are not good fish for a
new tank.  They are quite sensitive to ammonia and stress.  In these
fish, stress sometimes causes ich, so watch for that.

Gitte

> ------------------------------
> I bought 3 clown loaches about 3 weeks ago, to work on the 
> rapidly growing 
> snail population in my tank.  Soon after one died and the others stay 
> hidden all the time.  When I can get a light into the area 
> they hide, they 
> look healthy, but I never ever see them out.  Is this normal? 
>  The snail 
> population doesn't seem to be growing but there are still 
> quite a few so 
> I'm worried if they are eating.
> 
> CS