Pale color of clown loaches

[Toothpik]

hi,
Im new to the clown loach owning...so far i have really enjoy keeping these little guys.. i bought 3 about a month ago and they seemed happy right now they are in a 10gal tank but will be moved to a 55gal tank in a couple months...but i was wondering my loaches are very pale..they eat hardily...but i want them darker like ive seen at aquarium shops and some of emma turner's loaches(you are famous emma!) anyways ive fed them bloodworms and brine shrimp because i heard they were natural color brighteners...so i dont know what is going on...2 are 2 1/2 inches and 1 is 3in i think...the tank is bare...i was thinkin about adding a coconut cave would this help? thanks for all your help!

Respectfully
Jonathan

[Rocco]

Hi Jonathan, Welcome to Loaches online!

The coconut cave would definately help, as well as substrate, but I think the best thing for those guys is a much bigger tank than the 55 you have planned. Think 150 gallons up.

At this point, I'll direct you to the species profile on Loaches Online, which can be found here:

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/cl ... cracanthus

please read it as it is written by people with a lot of experience in keeping clown loaches.

[Diana]

Fish often try to match their surroundings, at least somewhat. In a tank with no hiding places they feel exposed to any predators that wander by, and they pale out to attempt to be less visible.
Use a dark substrate, medium or dark background, and add things for the fish to swim around and under and through. They will then know that safety is nearby, so they can come out and play, and keep their dark colors.

There are other reasons for fish to change their color, so standby for more input.

I kept my Clowns in a small tank only long enough to treat them for parasites, then moved them to a bigger tank. I would suggest that the 10 might be fine as a quarantine tank, but please move them into a larger tank ASAP. They really need more room to play, chase each other, and generally have fun. While the ultimate tank size can easily be in the triple digits, that does not have to be right away.

[Toothpik]

thank you guys...it has a light colored substrate so that might be one reason and ill try to add some hiding places....they are only 2 1/2inches right now so a 55 gall should work till the time comes they need a bigger tank..i heard it takes them a yr or two to reach full size so i got time to save right?

[Emma Turner]

Hi Jonathan, and thank you for the nice comments.

You really do need to move your clown loaches to that larger tank sooner rather than later in order to avoid stunting. Young clown loaches can grow fast, given spacious surroundings, excellent water quality & feeding a varied diet.

Some clown loaches are naturally lighter in colouration than others, for example, batches of clowns from Borneo (vs Sumatra or Kalimantan clowns). Have a read of this article: http://www.loaches.com/articles/clown-l ... variations

However, if your tank is bare, this is likely causing them to be in a permanent state of stress and when they are not relaxed, the colours will be paler than normal. I would recommend adding pieces of bogwood so that they can hide under/behind it when they feel the need.

In addition to the frozen foods you are providing your loaches with, you should be alternating this with quality sinking pellets. Brineshrimp in particular is not actually very nutritious. However, in a small tank, you need to be extra careful about overfeeding and the problems it can cause.

Hope this helps,

Emma

[Toothpik]

i have added coconut caves but they do not seem to want anything to do with them and i hope that the permanent stress is not the case it would be a tragic thing they are such pretty fishes! but the bigger tank is not ready for me to put these loaches..(mom is being stubborn)...and about the sinking pellets they arent big enough to eat them? i heard they had to be atleast 4 inches to eat them

[Emma Turner]

Most sinking pellets - which are available in various sizes - start to break up when they are placed in water, so the loaches can nibble little bits off of them at a time. Feeding a diet that consists of just bloodworm (which is very rich) and brineshrimp (not very nutritious) is not good for them.

Also, you need to stress to your mum that it is important that these loaches receive a larger home very soon because otherwise stunting will occur and this can cause irreversable damage. Larger tanks are also much easier to maintain as larger volumes of water are much more stable.

Emma

P.S. If you wouldn't mind adding your location in to your profile, other members may be able to recommend brands of sinking pellets for you to try your clown loaches with.

[Toothpik]

well i have one size of pellets and I have given some to them once when i first got them...they started to nibble but never really went after them..so i gave them algae wafers they ate it up at first then after a little while they didnt want it anymore..so yeah lol and i have tried to tell her that and she said she would think about it hopefully it wont take her long

[Toothpik]

i have great news ever since i have added the coconut caves one or two of the loaches have because charcol dark and hopefully it will notify the other loach its ok to be dark as well looks like they are gettin happier!

[Diana]

I feed the Spectrum brand name of food (In rotation with a lot of others)
This company makes sinking pellets in many sizes from small enough for fry on up to very large fish.
I would suggest you try the 1 mm sinking pellets. As your Clowns grow, move up to the 3 mm sinking pellets.
Very nutritious and all my fish love them.
Omega One makes a quality Sinking Shrimp Pellet that the fish go for, also. Probably a bit big for your Clowns right now to eat whole, but feed them some. As the pellets soften the clowns will eat them.
Other foods for Clowns include fresh and lightly cooked vegetables. Try zuchini, pumpkin, and many other things.
The bigger a rotation of food you can feed them the better.

After my Clowns came out of quarantine they grew really fast for a while. If at all possible get the longest possible tank that you can, even if it is not quite so tall.

[Toothpik]

thank you so much for all your help i will try to get all this done right away

[Tinman]

Increase flow to increase color. Pale fish are sometimes in to low a flow enviroment....My 150 flows 40 gallons a minute and I am looking for more still . Lower your tank level a bit and add a powerhead breaking the surface and really,really splash the surface to add O2 to your water for vivid colors......

[Toothpik]

oh i didnt know that i thought a powerful air pump would be sufficiant but ill try that also thanks tinman

[buster]

Hi Jonathon,
You might want to try veggig rounds. Clown loaches love veggies and the veggie rounds are algea. They love them!! even the smaller loaches.
They also go crazy over zuccini, and organe sections. But a much larger
tank is definitely in order. Also don't be alarmed when you see them laying on their sides. I thought mine were dead!!!
good luck with these guys they really are fun to watch especially at
feeding time.

[Toothpik]

ok im thinkin of moving them to a 55gal tank for now.the substrate is about light brown and some white medium sizes rocks....im worried that its not the loach liking due to the size and they wont really be able to dig around but my mom wont let me get any other kind of substrate..so i hope it will be fine..ill also be adding some fake plants and such maybe a nice pice of bog wood..put some coconut caves and such..but they will be housing with rainbow fish and a couple of goldfish would this be ok? if anyone has any input please let it be known...everyone who has helped i really appreciate all ya'lls help....

(this forum is very friendly im glad i found it!)