Clown loaches

[TracyUK]

I bought three clowns. One died within 4 days, that was about three weeks ago, now one has died today. :confused: They appear absolutely fine. Active, eating etc then just keel over. I know they can play dead, but these really were dead! The one which died today was seen on his side breathing quickly. He then got up and acted fine for the rest of the day, but we have been out tonight and on our return we have found him dead. There is nothing at all visibly wrong on him and he has been feeding fine etc. We have one left (we think, can't see him at the mo but they used to hide in an ornament).

[Drumachine09]

What are your nitrATE/ITE, ammonia and pH levels?

[TracyUK]

Nitrate is 20, amonia is 0, nitrite is 0 and pH is usually 7.2.

[cocoa_pleco]

your Nitrates are bad. They should never be over 10ppm. They can only be removed by water changes

[TracyUK]

I do regular water changes every week! I do 50% once a week and 25% midweek.

[Chrona]

20 ppm nitrates is fine. Many people have kept fish in much higher nitrate concentrations with no long term effects. High nitrates will at most cause slow growth/stunting/poor health. It won't kill a fish overnight unless it is ludicriously high.

Any unusual activity in prior days? What other fish are in the tank? Could they have been bullying it?

[TracyUK]

20 ppm nitrates is fine.



Actually, I though it was too, in an established tank.

[TracyUK]

Any unusual activity in prior days? What other fish are in the tank? Could they have been bullying it?


No unusual activity at all. The other fish are listed on my signature, none of the other fish went near the loaches, not even the oscars, and the loaches had a great, small hiding place.

[Chrona]

Oops, missed the sig somehow lol.

Was the coloration faded at all? I'm stumped. Sounds like one of those mysterious deaths you see from time to time. Perhaps it was because it was by itself? Clowns are shoaling fish, so they like groups of 3 or more.

[Rue]

20ppm nitrate is probably the norm in most tanks...

[TracyUK]

No colour fade at all, and there was three of them until the first one died! It was the second one that died today, leaving just one (when i can find him). I don't want to get more of them as they have not been successful!

[TracyUK]

I'm heading off to bed now (2.52 am here!) but will look in here tomorrow to see if anyone has any idea of what killed them. Thanks for the help so far.:luxlove:

[RobbieG]

What size were the Loaches when you bought them? I have heard of a lot of people haveing trouble with the smaller ones (1" - 1 1/2") - but having success with larger ones in the same tank.

I have never really heard an explanation for it - it may just be that the larger fish are more able to adapt to the change from the water they were raised in to your water.

[Lady Hobbs]

I'm at a loss here, as well, but sorry to hear you're losing your loaches. I bought 8 originally and have 7 still a year later. (One got caught in a decoration and died inside it.) Are they getting enough to eat, you think. Sometimes the most aggressive fish will grab it all and none gets to the bottom for the loaches. Especially in a small group as they are more timid in a few numbers.

[TracyUK]

I have seen my last remaining loach today and he seems fine, but I am reluctant to buy more. Will he be allright on his own?

[Lady Hobbs]

I have no idea, Tracy. Perhaps they come with a problem to start with. They are timid and would like some friends with them. I just love mine. They swim up and down the bubble wand and then towards evening do their waltz thru the tank......all in a line, up and down they go and sometimes half of them are swimming upside down..... this way and that. They are neat.

I don't see them as frisky as they used to be however. I have some angels and silver dollars in the tank with them and they may be intimated by the larger fish.

[gm72]

How did you acclimate them? Maybe not slowly enough such that they were unable to adapt to your water conditions? I also wonder about the other inhabitants bullying the loaches. I mean, you say you didn't see such activity, but I'm positive you weren't watching the tank 24 hours a day. Sometimes fish have activities and behaviors that we do not immediately see. They sometimes have their own little worlds.

[TracyUK]

How did you acclimate them? Maybe not slowly enough such that they were unable to adapt to your water conditions? I also wonder about the other inhabitants bullying the loaches. I mean, you say you didn't see such activity, but I'm positive you weren't watching the tank 24 hours a day. Sometimes fish have activities and behaviors that we do not immediately see. They sometimes have their own little worlds.

I floated the bag in the tank for about an hour to even the temperature out, then added a small amount of water every now and again for about another hour. The loaches had a good hiding place away from all other fish, and yes, I didn't watch them 24/7 but at no time at all did I see the fish even notice them let alone be aggressive. The loaches also had no nipped fins at all.

[xoolooxunny]

Sometimes fish have activities and behaviors that we do not immediately see. They sometimes have their own little worlds.

I'll second that. If I don't turn the basement light on before I go down, and watch them from the steps, the have a totally different behavior than if i was sitting right in front of it watching...:1:

[Lady Hobbs]

Not too many fish bother with loaches. They have those wicked barbs below their eyes that work well to keep predicators away. Not saying it doesn't happen but I doubt if it happens too often.

[kimmers318]

Tracy, I too have had the same issues with clown loaches. Mine never last long around here and I have done most everything I can to try to keep them. Most CL are imports and as such are highly prone to internal parasites and diseases. I have never been able to figure it out, the last batch I had did great, treated aggressively for internal parasites when I got them and I still lost them 6 months later. It sucks because they are one of my favorite fish and we were so looking forward to the day when we could set up a HUGE tank for a school of them.

[TracyUK]

Thanks Kimmer, I'm glad I'm not the only one to have problems. The other fish in my tank are doing excellently so it must have been something wrong with the fish rather than the conditions. We are so careful with our tank conditions.

[kimmers318]

With my clown loaches I have to wonder if there isn't something about the tank! The last batch were doing great in a 20 gal long as a quarantine. I was almost afraid to move them in to my larger tank, and my fears were right. Maybe in the future when I can set up a large tank centered around them first and foremost I will have better luck. I don't know. I will look into other loach species in the fall after the busy summer.

[NWMountainTroll]

Clown loaches are extremely sensitive to nitrate levels as well as chlorine. Trace amounts of chlorine can kill them all quickly, so make sure you let the conditioner settle in the water for 15 minutes. Nitrates should be below 10ppm to be sure they will stay healthy.

[TracyUK]

I still have my last one and he's absolutely fine.

[gm72]

I'd also say it is a fish rather than a tank issue. I've had my 4 guys for a few years now. Love them. Don't give up on them, they are so cool!

[TracyUK]

Thanks for that gm, I think that too as I have had no others die in the tank at all and I have quite a combination of fish! lol