Re: [GSAS-Member] Clown Loach Maturity and Skittishness

[Steev Ward <steevward@yahoo.com>]

Many fish act that way when they are young - to keep from getting eaten. Each 
Clown
Loach wants to do whatever the others are doing, and go where the others are 
going.

But they do get hungry and they compete for food. The best way to get them to 
come out
in the open is to put a tiny bit of food in the tank EVERY time you are in 
front of it.
Not enough to satisfy their hunger - just enough to get the smell of food in 
the water.
It helps if you have other fish in the tank that will eat all the food. The 
loaches
will learn quickly that if they want food they have to come out immediately 
whenever
they see a person come up to the tank. This method works best if the Clown 
Loaches are
unable to find ANY food when people are not there.

Older loaches can learn these new tricks as well. We once had customer bring a 
big
skinny Clown Loach into the shop. As many do, this one lay on its side on the 
bottom a
lot, so even though it didn't have a good hiding place people were always 
yelling "You
got a big dead fish over here," which is annoying. I put a big hungry Oscar in 
with it
(who ate all the food) and in a couple of weeks the loach was up at the front 
trying to
stay between the Oscar and the person who might have food.

Steev




--- Shango Los <Shango@shangolos.com> wrote:

> Hello All,
> 
>  
> 
> I have a school of 5 Clown fish and I got them about 8 weeks ago from my
> LFS.  They are small and look young but I don't know how young.  Right now
> they are VERY skittish.  If I come anywhere near the tank they disappear to
> the back of the tank under cover.  This does get tiring when trying to enjoy
> their antics.
> 
>  
> 
> My friend has some that are at least a year older than mine and they are not
> skittish at all and actually nap out in the open and do that cuddling thing
> Clown Loaches do.
> 
>  
> 
> Is this skittishness typical of young Clown Loaches?  If so, when do they
> tend to grow out of it?  I am wondering if it is the tank environment that
> is leaving them feeling unsafe or if it is simply their youth.  I have been
> unsuccessful finding anyone addressing this topic online.
> 
>  
> 
> Any insight would be great.  I know some of you like Jack are really into
> these sweet fish.
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Shango
> 
>  
> 
> ________________________________________________________
> 
>  
> 
> Shango Los
> 
>  
> 
> Phone: 206-595-9006
> 
> Fax: 206-729-5271
> 
> www.ShangoLos.com
> 
> www.SunbreakShines.com
> 
>  
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> 



       
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