Clown loaches aggressive toward angel

J

JoelB

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Jul 17, 2008
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The loaches (three of them) are still young and have their own hiding places. The angel is mature and is normally the king of the tank (a 55G). They have been fine with each other in the past.

They have just recovered from a bout of ich...it was only the loaches with signs. I tried QTing them so I could give them a half dose and the tank a full dose (formalin/malachite blend). I put them back after a week and they got a second round of ich so I used the full dose. They have been three weeks at 29 (84) degrees.

Toward the end, they began to nip my angelfish and now that they have recovered (temps down to 25.5 (78) degrees for two days now), they are still doing it. I've witnessed it at feeding time but the signs suggest that it happens at other times as well.

My question(s) is, will getting another two clown loaches help them to feel more secure so they will relax and leave the angel alone? also will they just settle now the water conditions are more stable?
 
Yes thank you, I do.

Could you please define "shouldn't really be kept together", and do you think my plan will help?
 
well... getting more loaches can help to curve aggression, as they prefer to be kept in large schools

the problem is however that i dont really recomend putting a full school of clowns in a tank that size...

the other problem is it MIGHT help.. but I cant guarentee anything-- and I dont wanna tell you to do it because then you have even more fish to rehome
 
You might get lucky and the nipping becomes less. Have seen this happen to many, including myself, long ago. Even in a 90 gal, the intial 3 loaches I had sought the angels out for "play".
 
Just as a note, please do not resort to isolating any fish from your main tank once they are afflicted with ich. The whole tank must be treated. Isolation is pointless as the entire population are carriers of the protozoans by now. Stick to salt as a way to destroy ich. Medicines are simply last resorts if the outbreak remains malignant and refuses to give in to the salt treatment. You can use table salt which is a cheap yet effective option. Dose a tablespoon per 5g when you treat for ich and be sure to dissolve it thoroughly first and add slowly as you treat.

Regarding your nipping issue, I mix my angels with my loaches. What strain is your angelfish? Is it a veiltail? Veiltails are more prone to nipping than ordinary ones. Clown loaches can work well with long finned specimens provided their fins are not extraordinarily long that they become a temptation to nipping habits. Make sure your tank has a very spacious area to prevent the loaches from getting agitated and attempt nipping the angelfish. Please post a pic of your full tank setup.
 
Thanks for the benefit of your experiences.

@CichlidWrangler: Don't worry, I have other larger tanks. I'd just rather not shuffle them at the moment.

@Lupin: It's a common black. Here's the pic you requested.

tank.jpg
 
Very nice setup and DD black angelfish! Your tank definitely has plenty of space although I would advise adding a few more driftwoods and if possible pipes for them to seek refuge around. Add 2-3 more clown loaches to disperse their attention.
 
CichlidWrangler said:
clown loaches and angels shouldnt really be kept together TBH

also.. are you aware how bit clowns get? that 55g is gonna be pretty small one of these days
Click to expand...

I had a single Angel and 3 Clown Loaches, they lived together for almost 4 years without a problem. When I first purchased them I had 4 Angels and the 3 Loaches, there always was a pair of Angels who fought each other, but never worried by the Loaches, other than at times having to get out of the way quickly.
 
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