sorri if this is an old question...shy clowns...tips please

[cybersymes]

hey there...thanks for looking...

i have 4 clown loaches...2years old...3 inches long...
healthy...happy...feeding well...[flake and bloodworms]...
they are in a juwel rio 180...bigger tank to come soon...

their chums are...15 cardinals...15 black neons...
3 botia striata...2 ancistrus cats...3 denisonii barbs...
cats are 5 inches easy...denisonii barbs are 4...
all are happy and healthy...

parameters are fine...no worries...
10 percent change every week...
plastic plants in the substrate...
substrate is small round gravel...
low level lights...4 hours a day...
no direct sun...pretty dim environment...
water is crystal clear...7ph...

as i'm somewhat overstocked i have two in-tank filters...
the stok 600L per hour...and a further 1000L per hour...
good current movement in the top water zone...
lots of room to swim and show off...

for the clowns i have 2 8inch high moai or easter island heads...
they are hollow...the clowns love to jam themselves in there...
and they like it so much...i seldom see them...
sometimes fleetingly at dusk and dawn...

could anyone please give me some tips on how to entice them out...
i know those torpedo barbs are very active....
but the clowns don't seem bothered when they do appear...

the clowns are my favorite fish...
i want whats best for them..
but i want to see them to...

hey...thanks for your time...
any replies mucho appreciated...

all the very best...simon ...

edit...if it makes any difference they are borneo botias...

[chefkeith]

One big thing that will help the clown loaches come out more is to increase the water flow in the tank by adding a few powerheads. The tetras won't like the increased flow, so you'd probably have to move them to a different tank.

Also, If the clowns have a favorite hiding spot, then they won't want to leave it.

You might want to try something like PVC pipe instead.

10% weekly water changes isn't nearly enough. If you have a Nitrate test or TDS meter, it would help determine a good water change schedule. IMO, You'll probably need to do water changes of atleast 20% - 2x per week.

[Tinman]

You might consider changing the substrate to pool filter sand. It will hold much less waste and at only 10% w/c you can not possibly be cleaning the gravel thoroughly. These are high O2 using fish and the extra waste in the water reduces the O2 available for the fish. They are in-active because of low Oxygen levels.Use a power head to increase aggitation actually sraying the water above the surface and splashing the entire surface .You can do this by lowering your water level a couple of inches if your filtration allows. Increase the O2 and you will increase activity,try it and see. The small flake and bloodworms you feed can possibly get in the substrate so you must close the substrate surface by using small grain inert sand or none at all as I do in some tanks to maintain clean.You are not growing plants . You should feed them small shrimp available in the seafood dept at the store for a much better diet and a cheaper one too...about 3.50 a pound of a hundred and you only need a couple a day if that for your collection.

[cybersymes]

hey there...thanks for those wise words...
i have two powerheads at the moment...
with a fair bit of surface agitation...
i'll try and increase it...

i will up the w/c to 15 percent...twice a week...
i'll also seal my substrate...or change to sand...

i'll get some shrimp too...
as for pvc pipe...not sure...i'll think about it...

thanks again guys...

if anyone has anything further to add...
i'm all ears...

all the very best ... simon ...

[chefkeith]

i'll also seal my substrate

what does this mean?

[loachmom]

i'll also seal my substrate

what does this mean?

I think this is what it means:

Tinman wrote:

The small flake and bloodworms you feed can possibly get in the substrate so you must close the substrate surface by using small grain inert sand or none at all as I do in some tanks to maintain clean.

[chefkeith]

ah, thanks

[Tinman]

chefkeith wrote:
Quote:
i'll also seal my substrate


what does this mean?


I think this is what it means:

Tinman wrote:
Quote:
The small flake and bloodworms you feed can possibly get in the substrate so you must close the substrate surface by using small grain inert sand or none at all as I do in some tanks to maintain clean.

I worded that badly.Smaller grain gravel or inert sand can be added to close those areas between particles down in size overall. The area between the substrate particles is capable of holding waste and uneaten food.This area should be minimized or avoided to maintain a clean enviroment.Large gravel is deadly eventually IMHO .Trapping waste in gravel is similar as the old days with undergravel setups and has the same effects as the UGF used to have sometimes with as much mass. The amount of waste generated a day per fish will surprise you and can accumulate to many grams or pounds of degrading bio mass in your substrate. A smaller grain reduces this available space between the rocks and thereby minmizes total waste accumulation in the substrate helping your water parameters overall including O2

[cybersymes]

worry not tinman...
i got it first time around...

i think i'll change to sand...
as i have rapa-nui [easter island] features...
i need black sand...

must go surf now and find some...
all the very best...simon ...