Disappearing clown loach

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bosk1

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Oct 31, 2005
Messages
751
Location
Sacramento, CA
I've got three clown loaches in my tank...I think. I can only find two. I know these fish are masters at hiding and getting into places fish should not get into, but I really can't seem to find him anywhere. You'd think a fish couldn't stay hidden forever in such a confined space.

Oh, and the tank is sealed up pretty tight at the top. But just in case, I did check the floor around and behind the tank. It's a mystery...
 
look inside anything he could have hidden in. they like things that act like caves and should always be given a hiding spot if there aren't a lot of plants they can nestle into.

*edit*
posted too fast :)

I meant to add, if he doesn't come out during feeding time and it's been over a week since you last saw him, he's probably dead.
 
My loaches when I first got them hid also. They got up in the holes of a cave. The holes were intened to let water in the cave so that I could sink the cave in the aquarium but the cave was not down enough in my gravel so my Loaches found it.

After about 3 days of not seeing my loaches I removed all the plants in the tank and the decorations and thats when I found them up in the cave. One of them was almost stuck in the cave.

Once I got them out they were ok and when I put the cave back down in the tank I made sure that it was in the gravel enough so that they couldnt get back in. I have no problem with them since and I've had them for about 6 months now. HTH
 
My loach is always hiding in a "cave" that is just an area of my driftwood that arches out of the gravel. I wouldn't worry about it, they hide so well. he also disappears into my plants, but usually I see him around feeding time
 
Hmm. He is pretty small. You don't suppose he could be hiding inside my full-grown oscar, do you?

(just kidding! I don't have an oscar)
 
I would try to spy on him at night, as most loaches are nocturnal until they get used to the aquarium. I bet you see him digging around 8)
 
I have an 8" piece of 3/4" conduit, you'ld think they wouldn't fit, but I always know where mine are, they are fun to watch, 4 of them are out almost all the time, but they all freaked when I took the conduit out, so it's now hidden behind some mopani.. they also like to push 1 end up against the glass, they seems to come out backwards..

Mine also hide completely inside a piece of mopani, if there is a slit in the wood, that's where they go.
 
I've been checking my water parameters every day to make sure I'm fine, and everything has been just about perfect. So I don't think he would have just died. But it is possible given the initial problem I had just after introducing them (another thread...). If he didn't survive, I just wish I could at least find the body so I can get a new one. I don't like my fish dying, but at least a free replacement makes the wallet feel less pain.
 
Hey,

Just thought I'd toss this out: I have had two smaller (2''-3'') clowns "disappear" on me. I have sand as my substrate, and a pile of rocks in the corner. They were jammed in the rocks. Odd, but hey, I found them. Just a thought if you have a similar setup.

Luke
 
Hmm... Well, that does give me an idea. I don't have anything he could hide in where I wouldn't be able to see him. But I do have a couple of pieces of driftwood that are just sitting on top of the gravel, and not buried. So he could have possibly gotten under one of them. I'll have to carefully check later.
 
Hmm... Still can't find him. I'll move some driftwood tonight. It's just weird. Even if he's dead and the rest of his tankmates tries to eat him, there should still be a fish head floating around somewhere, shouldn't there?
 
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