Where did my clown loaches go?????

[CareBear3030]

I have 2 clown loaches. They are both pretty much hiders, but one more so than the other. One of them does come out more than the other and he actually swims around with my Tiger Barbs thinking he needs to keep up with them....but I rarely see them out at the same time. Well today I have not really seen them yet, which isnt really unusual, but then I did some rearranging in my tank. I moved some plants around, added a couple plants, and moved the 2 hiding places around as well. Well I cannot find either one of them. I started getting scared because just with my moving around I thought they should come around....so I was mean and I took the 2 hiding rocks and flipped them upside down and around to try to find them. THEY ARE NOT IN MY TANK. I've looked all around the tank and I cant see where they could have gotten out, and there isnt anything in there that would have eaten them??? My husband says maybe they bury themselves in the gravel????? Where in the world could they have gone????

 

[madasafish]

How old is the tank? If your fish are living in an environment that's not properly cycled (no accusations, of course ) they may leap out of the tank to avoid ammonia, which burns their gills.

If that's not the case, there is still the possibility that they just jumped out! This happens with many, many fish, and I know CLs to be very skittish. If they heard loud noises, they might have shot through the water fast enough to propel themselves out of the tank... as sad an idea as that is....

Check the substrate. They do burrow a bit, so it's possible they're down there... Though they really don't tend to bury themselves completely, as far as I know.

 

[Fruitbat]

Clown Loaches will bury themselves in the gravel on occasion. By any chance are your aquarium decorations those hollow 'resin' rocks? I actually had a Yo-Yo loach get inside one of those (they have holes to allow them to fill with water) and I had a HECK of a time finding him!!! I just knew he'd jumped out of the tank and been eaten by one of my prowling cats. I finally shined a flashlight into the inside of the 'rock' and...there the little monster was staring out at me! He eventually came out on his own.

Oh....have you checked your filter box?? I've also had loaches get up inside of those. As a last resort, check the floor! :?

 

[CareBear3030]

Tank has been running for several months now. Water perameters are fine. One of my rocks is sort of holey like that.....and up in the hole they shouldnt even fit is usually where they sleep....right on top of each other....but they are not in there. I've looked all over the floor, but my dog could have picked them up and taken them somewhere. The only thing I dont understand is both of them jumped out???? Now if they did bury themselves in the gravel, would they have had enough sense to move when my big hand came scooping and moving everything around??? Man I am going to cry if they are gone!!! They are my favorite fish!!

 

[grimlock3000]

Fish can follow each other right out of the tank. I have seen two fish bouce off a glass top in a row, never made sense to me :?

Have you looked IN the filter? Loaches have ended up in filters repeatedly beause they like to swim into the current of the water outlet.

There are only so many places the fish can be...

Gravel
In the filter
Eaten
Jumped out

What other fish are in the tank? How big was the tank?

 

[ferret]

I've got 3 new CLs in my 90 gallon. Two of them are constantly out and about and being social with the other fish (They apparently think they are red minor tetras (Or so Petsmart calls them.. They look serpai-ish to me .. time to get the camera.))

The other hides in a hole in my driftwood and occasionally will come out. Seems like I got two actives and one dud I keep thinking he's died because I could never find him, but now I know where his hole is.

 

[TN Tanks]

I have 6 of them in my 150 gal, they are schooling fish, probably loanly with just 2. They will get large in a few years though.

 

[puffergirl]

I just finished moving my tank today with my 4 clown loaches and I had a hell of a time getting them out of the tank and into the pails. They are fast little buggers and I found out that they will burrow into the sand and try to hide and get away from the net and what they feel is danger. They will also play dead once you have caught them. These fish have so many tricks up their sleeves its hard to say what they did or where they are. Hope you find them.

 

[medge00]

i know this won't help you find your loaches, but I just experience the same thing. my frog is no longer in the tank. I've looked everywhere, filter, substrate, leaves, shells, etc. not there. very sad. i had him for 3 years!

 

[krap101]

wuts better clown loaches or yoyo loaches (i think their called)

 

[patryuji]

Due to the size which adult clown loaches reach yo-yo loaches would be better for a smaller tank.

The clown loaches are more colorful though.

 

[millym]

check your filter - we just lost a yoyo who swam up into the outlet whilst we were away although he was very little.
i hope you find them safe & well

 

[PK Tester]

I hope you find your loaches...I'm sorry to hear that :-(

 

[Bigdan]

Do you have any of those fake plastic ornaments in your tank? If so that's where they could be. They will crawl up inside of these and the only way to get them out is by cracking them apart.

Advice to anyone planning on keeping clown loaches-get rid of the crappy fake ornaments.