Loach clicking

[patryuji]

I was wondering by what process they make the clicking noises so I observed them closely for a day. I wanted to know why they click when getting flake from the surface and why they do NOT click when getting flake that is floating down. They click when they eat "bottom feeder wafers" but not when eating "shrimp pellets". They will click at other loaches...but only the most territorial will click at non-loach type fish.

I always read about people's loaches "happily clicking away when they are playing". I have a different theory on this based on my observations. They make a "click" sound from their teeth/jaw bones. Hard items (bottom feeder tabs, algae wafers) force them to bite harder to pull off an appreciable amount and thus the clicking. Flake floating down and shrimp pellets are soft enough that they can eat without any appreciable force exerted (thus no click). Flake from the surface causes them to "lunge" at the food in an attempt to quickly grab the food and get back down to a depth where they feel "safer" so thus they click as they exert effort in making sure they can grab the food quickly and retreat.

Inter-fish interaction with "clicking" involved is not playful at all. It is one loach trying to bite another loach forcefully. I have had my loaches "nibble" my arm without "clicking" force involved and they have some sharp little teeth. I am sure a "click" bite would pierce my skin. Highly aggressive/terrirotrial loaches click at all fish near their territory and the results are usually ragged fins on the other fish. When my loaches are being "playful" they seem to push and shove eachother without clicking a single time (the dominant loach will click more than other loaches as it "beats them down" into submission).

 

[patryuji]

Oh, forgot to mention. I actually watched closely as they fed on various food items and looked at the way in which they used their mouth and the particular biting action used when a click was heard and when it was not.

 

[savga]

That is so cool! I don't have any loaches myself but I have often heard stories of clicking. I'm glad someone took the time to investigate the behavior. Hopefully someone with loaches can confirm your observations and post here.

 

[Keeper]

my loaches tend to go to the top of the tank and that is where they do their clucking. Never when they are eating...strange!!! 8O

 

[krap101]

eat now talk later

 

[DRVNFAST]

My loach does it in the dead of night for no reason. At first I thought something was caught in my filter. Then I got my flashlight out once I figured it was not a mechanical clicking.
I do not belive it has to do with eating because my loach does it when there is no food in the tank. He just streaks to the top , clicks, and hauls butt back to his cave.

Weird.

 

[patryuji]

Perhaps an aggressive display?

Eating and aggression were the only times I witnessed it in the following loaches:

Skunk (botia morleti), Sun (botia eos), Yo-Yo (bota almorhae), and tiger (botia hymenophysa).

I did not have the tiger for very long though and I was never afforded the opportunity to study its behavior but I know it would click when acting aggressively.

 

[pkremer]

Hmmmm...I have never heard either of my yo-yo loaches click at any time. Is this loud?

Paul

 

[patryuji]

When eating it is usually not very loud. It seems to depend on the hardness of the food and how much other competition there is for the same food (ie, other fast moving surface feeding fish such as my angelfish and other loaches).

When acting aggressively it can get quite loud. Sometimes with the skunk, sun, and tiger their clicking would get so loud when someone enroached upon their territory that it sounds like a rapid fire tapping on the aquarium glass like someone threw a bunch of the gravel at the glass.

 

[Punkymom]

I just got rid of my Skunk Loaches today. (wanted Oscars) The clicking to me sounded like rocks hitting together. They clicked mostly when chasing each other and less when eating but it was quite audible and sometimes very loud.

 

[Fruitbat]

Among my loaches...my YoYo Loaches (Botia almorhae), Zebra Loach (Botia striata) and Batik Loaches (Noemacheilus triangularis) are the clickers, with the award for volume going to the Batiks. I've never heard any of my Schistura click at all, though others have said that theirs do. My Marbled Loaches (Botia kubotai) and Sinibotia robusta don't click either...at least not that I've ever heard.

I rarely hear any of them click except at feeding time and almost always when they're going at the algae wafers.