Feeling fruity?!

[libingboy]

thanks for the reply!
i was wondering, how big is the loach that's been with you for 13 years, but hasnt grown much?

[Emma Turner]

i was wondering, how big is the loach that's been with you for 13 years, but hasnt grown much?

I would say that loach is about 5" long. The other (bigger) one of the same age is closer to 8".

Emma

[Glostik]

Do you mean Zucchini or Cucumber?

I thought it was zucchini that clowns love.

[Emma Turner]

Is zucchini the American term for courgette? If so, I've never tried that with mine. They go crazy for cucumber though, I even peel it for them (they don't like the skin!) before I put it in the tank.

Emma

[Desi]

I've heard they like both zuchinni and cucumber. I have fed my clowns zuchinni with skin and with out skin both times they ate the center and seeds but left the harder outer stuff. I didn't try softening it though I just put it in raw both ways. I've fed it more than twice and the same thing happens every time. I am left with this perfect ring (even when I left one in over night... not on purpose I was waiting and fell asleep). I tried a bit of strawberry one time and they took a taste and turned their nose up to it so I took it out before it got too soggy.

[Graeme Robson]

Superb pictures, Emma.

Lovely!

[ey]

i was wondering, how big is the loach that's been with you for 13 years, but hasnt grown much?

I would say that loach is about 5" long. The other (bigger) one of the same age is closer to 8".

Emma

Hi again Emma,

Would this suggest that it is perfectly normal for some clown loaches to grow slower than others? Kind of like a group of puppies, where you will always get a runt in the pack? I've noticede one of my clowns (5-6cm) growing the slowest out of the group, at first I thought he had skinny disease but when I asked the LFS to have a look, they said its definitely not skinny disease and more likely to be a runt in the group.

I think you mentioned the 5" clown in the photo is one of your favourites, did (does) his slow growth hamper his behaviour or health in any way? Or does it eat and swim just like the bigger 8" one that is around the same age?

Thanks again!

[Emma Turner]

There was a brief discussion on this in another thread recently: http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php?t=1199
It is thought that the Alpha loach may secrete some type of hormone that inhibits the growth of the subordinate Clowns.
The 5" Clown in question is perfectly healthy and acts just the same as the 8" one of the same age (well, perhaps slightly more friendly - the 8" one has always been a bit bossy! ). There is an even smaller one that was housed with these 2 for the last 13 years, and it can only be 3.5" max. Again, no health problems whatsoever. A small Clown loach does not always indicate internal parasites.

Emma

[Fishhead]

Amazing!!

I'm happy and sad..

Happy because those are really awesome pictures and your loach specimens are incredible! You hardly ever see clowns that big, in that condition that still retain that much color!

Sad because my loach tank now looks like a goldfish bowl to me..

Maybe I can take up knitting or waterskiing or collecting coins or...

Fishhead

[Vancmann]

Hi Emma,
I am new to this forum. I joined a few days ago. I wanted to comment on the health of your loaches. I am very impressed on how well your loaches look. You must take care of them very well. They are beautifull specimens of the species. I will upload some pics of mine soon. The one you call the monster remind me of my large one. I do not know many people who have kept their locahes for as long as you.
Vance

[Emma Turner]

Thank you Vance. If you want to have a look at any of my other Clown photos, you can find them here on the excellent Coppermine site, spread over 13 pages: http://www2.2cah.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=45 (I also have albums for many other loach species on the same site).

Emma

[notoo7]

Very nice Emma. Hey Emma need some advise, how are Clowns with Discus? I am planning to put them together in the 90-gal livingroom tank.

Remember how you mentioned fish remember? I bought an 8" Clown from a LFS. He won't come out of a log I put in for him. Even to eat. only time I have caught him out of the log is with my night vision goggles when all the lights are out. I am thinking of buying another one of his tank mates from the LFS so he adjust better. Curently he doesn't interact with the four 5" plus clowns i have in this tank. Should I give him more time? Been three days...

[Emma Turner]

Hi nootoo7,

It is my opinion that Clown Loaches and Discus should not be housed together. You will hear other opinions on this, but Discus are easily spooked (and stressed) by the boisterous behaviour of Clown Loaches. You should also remember that Clowns are largely nocturnal, and Discus are not, so their night-time activities disturb them. My advice would be to keep them separate.

With regards to your new 8" Clown, do not be too concerned if you don't see him/her out and about for some time. The bigger Clowns can take a lot longer to adjust to new surroundings. If there was room in your tank, you should have purchased some of the fish he/she was originally housed with, rather than separating one from the (possibly) long-established group. I'm surprised the shop was willing to split the group up actually. Anyway, to give you some idea, our largest Clown (Marge the 11.5" one) took seven whole weeks to come out from her hiding place when we added her to the tank. We obviously were getting a bit worried at that point, but remember that larger fish have quite a lot of fat reserves in the body, and may not need to come out and feed for some time. Give the new fish a few weeks, and he/she should venture out - three days is nothing! Consider adding blue moon lighting too (which switches on just before the main tank lights go off) - the bigger loaches are much more confident under this sort of lighting.

Emma