Is my Clown Loach sad? depressed? dying?

[jmkeuning]

I started with three. Early on, one jumped out. Almost a year later, during a recent water change, this guy was limping around. Then his remaining companion up and died. This guy has been hanging on for a week but looks very sad. He hangs out in the tank, vertical like this, up in the very top corner, for much of the day. He does some bottom feeding but not like he used to. There are plenty of hiding places, and he does not take them.

What should I do? Should I put a few more loaches in there for him?

 

[khombre]

Clown Loaches are schooling fish. They do better when in groups. In short, the more the merrier. Whether you should get some or not depends on your current stocking levels. How big is your tank? What types/How many other fish are in there?

On a side note, have you checked your water parameters lately? Clown Loaches can be pretty sensitive when it comes to water quality.

Good Luck. :dive:

 

[poondobber]

I have a clown loach that I bought a while back. It was the only one in the store and I needed it to control a snail problem. It schools with the other fish in the tank really well. Also my Ph is always high, I have never been able to keep it down. Dont know if this helps but I thought id put in my 2 cents.

Probably one of the more active fish that Ive had. It tosses around gravel like its nothing. And no more snails!

 

[kooter]

We are going to need some more info. like mentioned aboved.....size of tank, water parameters, other tank mates, how long has the tank been set up?
I have heard of clowns jumping out of the tank because of the water parameters, they shouldn't just "jump out" if all is good. I did notice a CO2 ladder in there, what plants do you have? Maybe there is a lack of oxygen?

 

[ET1]

I don't know if this applies, but when one of my corydoras catfish began acting very ill and hanging in the top corner like that I put him in a quarantine tank and treated him with Maracyn II. After 10 days he was healthy and thriving once again.

 

[eklikewhoa]

mine love being in little schools and when i seperated them they didnt like it too much. the tank i have them in includes 9 clowns and they love it.

 

[jmkeuning]

i got 2 mor loaches today [typing w 1 hand bc baby sleep n other]

loach still sick . parameters r good but i can test and post specs. 30 gal tank, 65 wat pc light, c02 bubbling slow. many plants. 20% water changes reg.

i will cross my fingers.

he is getting skinnier

 

[kooter]

if no other fish are hanging around the top of the tank, then Co2 shouldn't be the problem. If your other clowns are ok then maybe the "sick" one has a parasite?

BTW - clowns do grow slow but if you want to keep them you will have to get a bigger tank. Search the forums for clown loaches or go to loaches.com and there is a wealth of info. for you. :idea: :dance2:

Good luck!

 

[aquarious]

...during a recent water change, this guy was limping around. Then his remaining companion up and died.

hello, i think it may have something to do with the recent water change, i would look into that. if this fish is sick and his companion died after a pwc, it might have had something to with it.