Loaches Online Forum

Hello, Thank you for this forum! I am new here, and new to keeping fish. I'm just starting to read all the information contained in here so I apologize if there are Q&A about this already.

I have a clown loach about 2" long in a 36 gal bowfront, but you wouldn't ever notice. I know they are shy and don't like light but this loach almost never comes out. I have a really nice rock that it hides underneath . I keep the light cycle 12 on 12 off as I need to for the many live plants. there is lots of cover in the lower 1/2 of the tank! I don't have enough tank space to create a shadded portion and a lighted one.I got the loach about a month or two ago... I wanted a bottom feeder and did not find out that they get really big, and like the dark, till I got it home and started looking it up on the Internet. My LPS is not much help in the fish department. I realize now my setup is not ideal, but I got the loach already so am trying to do my best for it.

Well I only can catch a glimpse of my loach once every few days. I worry that it is dead under the rock and sometimes lift the rock and shake the loach out just to make sure it is still kickin. Is this normal behavior??

I don't have lots of viewing time when the lights are off so perhaps he is more active then, at least I hope. I try to feed flake food and bloodworms, and sometimes algae pellets and celery. The few times I have seen him is at this time and I assume he is so starving that he braves the lighted tank.
I am just worried that this behavior is too shy, and wondering what I can to do make the loach more comfortable outside the rock. ?
It shares the tank with about 10 glo-tetras , 3 small black skirt tetras, a small gourami, and a very small Borneo Sucker. There is a nice cave in the rock, about 8 or 9 live plants and 2 fake plants, so there is plenty of cover in this friendly community tank.
Is this behavior normal, or to be expected with my tank set up?

Most Loaches are rather social critters, so having more of the same species would be the best way to tempt them all out of hiding.

Welcome to LOL, Nube. The behaviour is normal given that you only have one clown. These guys want to be kept in groups - nearly all loaches want to be kept in groups of five or more. They are social fish, and they show off the best parts of their personalities when they can swim as a group. Even in groups, though, if your tank is brightly lit, the loaches will probably want to hang out in the darkest corners or only come out at night.

Clown loaches also get big, and over time need more aquarium space than you've got. So you have a dilemma. Can you realistically commit to a tank two or three times larger than the one you've got? And can you add several more clowns to make it worthwhile? Have you seen the photos of the foot-long clown loaches?

I think if you don't get more loaches, you won't see much action from your lone clown. It will not have a very fulfilled life. A lot of people end up with a clown loach and no good advice on their size or their needs. I did the same thing.

Thank you for your responses. I have no room to get a bigger tank in the future, and do not want to introduce more loaches into such a small tank. I think I should try to find a better home for this loach with someone else.
I would really like to keep it, but I realize now he will get much too big for my tank, and might not be happy here until then either. I was trying to convince myself that it will only grow to a size applicable to the tank, but I think that is incorrect now.
I hate to give him back to the LPS and have someone else in my same situation take him home again.
Perhaps an add - "free loach to big tank owner" - in the local media.
Well at least I have learned a valuable lesson in researching the fish you want before taking them home.
Thank you for your advice, I will continue to try and soak up information and become a better fish keeper in the future.

Welcome, nube,

Where are you located? There have been frequent swaps of fish between members here. You may find someone local who could take him.

I am in Paradise, California.

PS.- great forums here! I have been reading lots of posts and have learned a lot, thank you people for taking your time to help out us noobies. Way more helpful information here than at my local pet store.

Thanks nube, but I'm not surprised. Fish stores are notorious for misinformation. (except Emma's and a few others. )

you might want to start a new thread regarding re-homing your clown. you'll get more exposure with a subject line that denotes your offer.