Clicking sound from FW aquarium

[TomK2]

I keep hearing this clicking noise, usually 2 to four times rapidly, and it always seems to be coming from the general vaccinity of a skunk loach that hitchhiked in on another tanks plant. It sure seems the loach is running off some other fish when I hear this. There are no invertebrates in the tank.

Do loaches make clicking noises?

[talloulou]

Yep, here's a link for ya

http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/botia_morleti.html

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Yes, loaches will click or snap at food. Scared the daylights outta me the first time I heard my Bala's do it, so I was kinda relaxed when my Clowns started doin it.

They also tend to communicate this way, I've heard them click like mad when another loach is in the way.

[tropicfishman]

are you guys serious????? how loud is this clicking noise??? I think thats awesome lol I might have to buy a clown loach just to hear this lol I've alwasy liked them anyways, when i get my 29 gallon i'm defintly buying a loach

[Lonewolfblue]

Yes, they click, isn't it awsome?

[Lonewolfblue]

Originally Posted by tropicfishman

are you guys serious????? how loud is this clicking noise??? I think thats awesome lol I might have to buy a clown loach just to hear this lol I've alwasy liked them anyways, when i get my 29 gallon i'm defintly buying a loach

My skunk loaches click a whole lot more than all the other loaches in my tank. I never hear the striped ones do it, and rarely from the yoyo's. But the skunks do it all the time when they chase each other all over the tank.

[bosk1]

My clown loaches do it when eating. I had already heard of it before they did it the first time, so I was prepared.

[spring007]

even mine do the same thing...
Usually in the night..

Huh, I've had and have clown loaches and I've never heard any clicking coming from them.

My Bala sharks are the loudest I've every heard. Sometimes it sound alot like the clicking of the keys on my key board. It gets louder when there eating.

[ILuv3ggs]

My clown loaches always clicked when it was feeding time

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Yeah, Bala's are really loud, esp. when picking at an algae wafer or at a leaf.

Tho, the clowns do get louder then my bala's (bala's are probably 5", the clowns are 2" tops.)

I have a 3/4" piece of conduit in my tank that the clowns will pack into. if one is sitting at the entrance and another wants in it's very loud. he'll ram at the end of the pipe and click away at the conduit trying to get the other one to move in. That's why I figure they also do it to communicate.

[TomK2]

Thanks, I didn't think I was hearing things! Sounds like someone snapping fingers in the room with you. I have also read how agressive a loach can be. This one certainly does chase off a lot of fish, especially around feeding time. Do I have to worry about it bothering the fins of my Angelfish? The Loach pretty much sticks to the bottom, and the Angels don't spend much time down there. I do have a spiny eel and some cories that share the bottom with it.