Loaches Online Forum

I've removed a rectangular cave my 4" clown was getting stuck in and replaced it with a larger one. My clown doesn't seem to like this and is refusing to use it and refusing to eat. He's shacking up in a ceramic log that is home to my other 4" clown. The second clown is now not coming out of his log and not eating either. I have 3 small 2" clowns that don't seem to mind at all. They eat small meals 3+ times a day.
Do I have anything to worry about or should he adjust to the new cave in a couple days?

It may be an adjustment situation, but just to be sure check the water for all the usual, and do water changes as needed, maybe throw in an extra water change, just in case there is something building up in the tank.

well most of my clowns like what would be best described as a crevice or crack. Then they love to play "how many clown loaches can fit in here" Some times all i can see is 4 or 5 red tails from under this or that.. it shocks me they are perfectly fine doing this because it does not look sane.

as scary as it seems, they actually love to be stuffed into small spots and if the cave is too big,, it is not welcomed at all. They will completely ignore it for some other small hiding spot if one is available.

good luck mate

maybe adjusting!

Keeping in mind what OneWay was saying about caves being too large, it sounds like the boys might be having some adjustment/attitude problems with the new living arrangements.

Clowns don't really like each having their own cave but more of a community cave that is just a little too small for all of them, and then they fit in anyhow.

I might try removing all caves and replacing with a new cave, or couple of cave or pvc pipe options sized around this idea. This will make them all start over without anyone invading anyone else's cave and maybe get them back to the community cave that is more typical for them.

Clowns can just be clowns sometimes too. I find all mine passed out in a row down the front of the tank sometimes while their cave sits empty, I just look at it like they must feel comfortable in their surroundings.

I evicted them from their ceramic log this morning as I haven't seem them at feeding time in a couple days. Well they didn't like that one bit. I turned off the lights though and they calmed down right away. They even started eating bloodworms with the three little clowns!
I had to leave for work but I left the light off as the two bigs are not a fan of being out when the light is on. I'll see how they're doing when I get home tonight but they seemed good when I left.

I'm going to either find something to make the entrance of the new cave a bit smaller or I might put in an old round cave that they never seemed to care for in the past. Now that they're bigger they may find they like it now.

I've been thinking of removing a couple of plecos from the tank as well. I've got 6 longfin albino bristlenose in there and they're about a year old now. Probably wouldn't hurt to give the clowns a bit more space with less pleco pollution in the water.

Let us know how it works out.

(That's a lot of bristlenose in one tank )

BotiaMaximus wrote:Let us know how it works out.

(That's a lot of bristlenose in one tank )

Haha, yeah I got them last year as fry. I was hoping to breed them before getting the clowns. Now I've got clown fever!! I'm looking to get a bigger tank in the next 6 months and set it up for the clowns.

The two bigs seemed okay when I got home from work, they were sleeping in one of the new caves together. Hopefully their appetites pick up in the next few days.

They can't pout forever - if the water conditions are OK they will get over their attitude and start eating again. They won't be able to resist tasty bloodworms no matter how pissed they are.

Sounds like they are halfway over it anyhow if they were snoozing together.

BotiaMaximus wrote: They won't be able to resist tasty bloodworms no matter how pissed they are.

BotiaMaximus wrote:They can't pout forever - if the water conditions are OK they will get over their attitude and start eating again. They won't be able to resist tasty bloodworms no matter how pissed they are.

Sounds like they are halfway over it anyhow if they were snoozing together.

Yup, they were out eating blood worms with the three little clowns this morning. Looks like they are adjusting to the new caves just fine after all.
Thanks for the help everyone!

Glad they are coming back around for ya!

Sounds like it was just a little temper tantrum over the re-arrangement.