feeding clown loaches

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surf city baby

fish mom
Apr 28, 2003
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I have a 12-gal. aquarium, two platys, two cories, and two clown loaches. I got the loaches to help with the snails and a nasty gammarus infestation. They couldn't eat all the gammarus so I had to clean out the tank & start all over. Now I remember how much I hate cycling.

Since all the tiny undesirable critters are gone, I'm wondering if my loaches have enough to eat. I rarely see them but tonight they're out. They've been out since I got home, digging at the gravel. (I'm also afraid my substrate is too big for them to be able to do any decent foraging.)

How can I tell if my fishes, especially my clown loaches, are underfed? I'm afraid of overfeeding but don't want them hungry.

Oh--and why would one of my cories be fat? Like it swallowed a marble....
 

famman

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Aug 16, 2002
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As long as uou are actually putting food into the tank it is very hard to underfeed a fish, they can live nicely on very little food.
Some corys are known to develop very large tummies, no one seems to why but it doesn't seem to harm them.
good luck
:)
 

clayt101

Registered Abuser
First the bad news....Clown Loaches are going to get way to large for that aquarium. In aquariums they get to be about 8-10 inches long. In addition, they like to be kept in groups of at least 3.

Now the good news....Claown Loaches are very slow growers, so you have some time. I would recomend dropping in bottom feeder tablets, like the ones for plecos or cories (cory pellets would be better). When they feed, it will be very enjoyable for you to watch because they will actually make a clicking noise when they eat, or when they are being a little territorial.

One other note, it is completely normal for clown loaches to sleep on their backs or on their sides. In addition, if these are new clown loaches, there is a good chance that they will get ich. You may want to begin raising the temp slightly as a pre-emtive (sp?) strike.

Good luck:)
 

surf city baby

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Apr 28, 2003
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Thanks, famman. I thought the fish might be preggers. :D

Clayt, I'd learned after I bought them that the loaches would grow too big. I'm glad I have time to expand their home. I was already giving the cories tablets, one each at night. Now I'll give the loaches one each as well.

I don't know how fish diseases happen. Why will they get ich? That's the white spots, right? (I'm still pretty new at this.)
 

OrionGirl

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Aug 14, 2001
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If the clowns have been in your tank for more than 2 weeks without any sign of ich, they are in the clear. Clowns often become infected during shipping--they are kept in crowded conditions, ect. Since ich can go undetected while internal, it can be several days before an infestation is noted and treated. However, after 2 weeks, the parasite would have made it's way to the skin, and you would see the salt-like spores on the skin of the fish. If you have not, your fish are clean.

Contrary to popular myth, ich is NOT always present in your tank, nor is any other parasite.
 

shimanocono

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May 10, 2003
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Shrimp Pellets!

I highly recomend buying shrimp pellets! My clown loach LOVES them. He'll find them then chase any fish away other then my red tail shark that tries to eat them! He even tries to steal them from my leopard sailfin pleco!
 

Clownloach458

Three years, so litte posts
Nov 23, 2001
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Shrimp pellets work good. sigh* my clowns have come down with ick. and ive got 2 ina 20g. but ill be getting a bigger tank in the future and get some more bud`s for em. So keep a good watch on your clowns. and Shrimp pellets work :D :cool:
 
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