View Full Version : Clown loach, pale black stripe
Holly9937
03-01-2006, 4:22 PM
I have had 2 clowns in QT for a little over 3 weeks now. One of the stripes on one is a bit pale. If you look very closely, it almost looks blotchy, but it could just be me or the light, very hard to tell. If it was columnaris or something else wouldn't it have gotten worse by now? I would like to end the QT, but I'm afraid to do so!!! I'm beginning to wonder if it is just a normal coloration.....The other clown and the 2 balas that are also in the tank look/act great.
Roan Art
03-01-2006, 4:33 PM
Are all the stripes on that one pale, or just one stripe? My Juliet has pale stripes, almost grey, but all of hers are that color. She looks like a ghost when she comes out of her tunnel in the morning.
Roan
budrecki
03-01-2006, 4:46 PM
Fat Albert, the largest of my 7 loaches at 6 inches, is a very pale loach. As the pecking order decends, the loaches get darker. The smallest loach in really dark. I've always wondered if pecking order plays a part in their color.
dajewfish
03-01-2006, 4:56 PM
what do you mean by pecking order?
Primetime
03-01-2006, 5:01 PM
A pecking order is when fish of the same species fight/confront eachother to figure out whos the leader, 2nd leader and so on.. After the confrontation they will stay with that order unless someone challenges it; in which case, they fight for it. Ofcourse, its not that serious with Clown Loaches. Sounds pretty interesting doesn't it? :D
dajewfish
03-01-2006, 5:14 PM
yeah, so the highest in the pecking order is always the darkest or only wirth loaches? My loach (only have one for 5 years...I know, I know), changes colors from vibrant color to pale color almost all the time... 1 day pale the next vibrant... any idea what that means? maybe I drop to many pills in the tank :joke:
BTW he is in a 55gal with a Pacu (about a pound or more and only has 1 eye), pictus cat, and a rainbow shark.
mduros
03-01-2006, 5:33 PM
Fat Albert, the largest of my 7 loaches at 6 inches, is a very pale loach. As the pecking order decends, the loaches get darker. I've always wondered if pecking order plays a part in their color.Do you know how long it takes for a clown loach to grow to 6 inches? Just curious.
budrecki
03-01-2006, 5:45 PM
Fat albert in not quite 2 years old. When I got the fisrt couple loaches, the were less than 2 inches long.
mduros
03-01-2006, 6:03 PM
Fat albert in not quite 2 years old. When I got the fisrt couple loaches, the were less than 2 inches long.
Oh boy! Caved in to the sig other on that one, at least he's happy, and I've got a couple of years to prepare to get bigger digs for the fellas... :D
Holly9937
03-01-2006, 6:06 PM
It seems like only the one stripe is more pale, and he is the bigger of the 2 though...I'm just always very cautious with introducing these guys, so maybe I'm being a bit paranoid. Monday will be 4 weeks, which about the longest I usually QT for.
Roan Art
03-01-2006, 6:30 PM
That's so COOL! My Juliet IS the dominant loach and she's the palest, then comes Tybalt who is really Tybaltia, then Romeo, the darkest and smallest.
Holly, I wonder if it's possible that as the loaches establish a pecking order, THEN they start to pale? Is this loach the "top banana"? It's not that noticeble with clowns, IME, but there is a pecking order.
Roan
Roan Art
03-01-2006, 6:31 PM
Fat Albert, the largest of my 7 loaches at 6 inches, is a very pale loach. As the pecking order decends, the loaches get darker. The smallest loach in really dark. I've always wondered if pecking order plays a part in their color.
Budrecki,
Now that you pointed this out, I think it does, too.
As I was telling Holly, my Juliet is the queen and she's the palest. The darkest is Romeo and he's at the bottom of the ladder. He's also the one who is usually off on his own doing his own thing.
Hrm! Interesting stuff.
Roan
Holly9937
03-01-2006, 8:00 PM
Does anyone have a recommendation for how much longer I might want to QT, assuming things don't get any better or worse, just to be safe????
Roan Art
03-01-2006, 8:49 PM
IMO leave them for one more week, just to be sure. I normally go 3-4 weeks.
Roan
budrecki
03-02-2006, 7:46 AM
Roan art
Are all your clowns different sizes? With mine, their size seems to correlate to the pecking order.
Roan Art
03-02-2006, 7:52 AM
Roan art
Are all your clowns different sizes? With mine, their size seems to correlate to the pecking order.
Yes, but Juliet is the alpha and isn't the biggest. Tybalt(ia) is the biggest, but also the newest. Romeo is the smallest and at the bottom of the ladder.
When I first introduced Tybalt (I need a new name new, since he's a she), Juliet chased her all over the tank for about 15 minutes. Got a few nips in, nothing serious.
Roan