Clown Loaches acting weird

[IowaFish]

Hi Everyone-

I have 5 clown loaches for quite a while now, and recently I could only find 3 of them. Well after looking for over a few hours, I saw the tail bairly sticking out of a small sea shell. He wasn't moving at at all and after a half hour I flipped the shell over to make sure he wasn't dead. Well it turns out two of the clown loaches were in that small shell. The one clown loach darted off and appears fine but the other sticks close to the shell and just kind of stutters around. Should I have not moved the shell?


Now the fish is just sitting in the bowl of the shell, doesn't seem to be moving very much...should I be worried about this?

 

[trotty]

You were best off moving the shell. Ultimately it probably would have died, it would have been pretty stressed or maybe suffocated a little causing the weirdness? I had 4 clowns before one wedged itself under some wood. They all went soon after for some strange reaon. water was fine, they were in with discus and they had been in the tank for about 12 months.

I've been told they live in packs that dont get along with new clowns loaches, buy the number you require and thats it?

 

[Zagz]

I have clowns and have added to the groupings with no troubles at all. I've done this on several different occasions with different sized clowns.

 

[Devilishturtles]

The clowns are also a nocturnal species, and aren't at their most active state during the day. I say its normal. Nothing to worry about.

 

[caribou]

I have two clown loaches and they are out all day. In fact, they never stop, except to take a short rest on a rock. They are always going and always together.

 

[SerLunchbox]

just keep an eye on him. I had a clown loach live in a filter for a while when it was quite small ... don't ask me how but he managed to do it and i never knew how

 

[bosk1]

The one thing I've learned about clown loaches is that all bets are off when trying to predict behavior.