Loaches Online Forum

Within the past year, my clown loaches got real tame and comfortable with me and started eating directly out of my hand, chases my hand for food, wiskers or even takes little nips at my fingers. Does anyoneelse have this experience?

Added on 2/20/2011:
Well, I finally compiled a few short clips of my little friends eating from my hand. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnncSSsVSyg

My youngest clown loach will swim to the top of the tank and steal blood worms from my fingers. My older guys are too skiddish.

Very cool. Maybe that little one will start a trend. The older clown loaches get the more cautious and skiddish they get. Ironically, my biggest started the trend. Got to tell ya, unless they are biting, they bodies are real soft and they are gentle. I always make sure there is no detergent or lotion on my hand as well.

My little one has grabbed the entire cube of blood worms from me and then races around the tank like a mad fish trying to eat the worms and playing keep away.

I've had a few loach species in the past take food from my hands. It's nice to see the trust from the little chaps!

I agree it says a lot about a keeper to gain their charges' trust.

Well thank you. I got some videos to upload sometime soon.

Even better. Let's see the video.

I have a 12" loach that used to eat out of my hand/try and eat your fingers. unfortunately he got sick and is now all scared of everything again. It'll be months before he gets active again as any disease is a deliberate act of attempted murder by me.

Thats real funny surgeon. It is so cool how easily they get spooked and loose trust. Even the loud thump of a dictionary falling on the floor would put send them away for about 15 minutes. Hungry! My large loach recent got sick and lost her appetite but she seems to be moving around today. Real happy there.

Forgot. I recent noticed some jealousy in the mix of behavors. I have one of the more shy clown that would porpousely butt/ram any other loach that came close to my hand in attempt to take food. Got it recorded too.

Hi, my oldest clown would feed from my hand everyday. A few of the smaller ones would do this too but were not as brave as old "Yarp". I had to rehome my shoal last year but they are all still together and in an even larger group in an 8 footer now so it's all good.
Some snaps: -

Really nice! She absolutely trust you and looks gentle as well.

My large loach initially bit my hand but has now learned what is food and what is my hand so she is real gentle.

The little ones do some major biting on my hand and bites harder than the large loach had bitten me. Feels like a little quick pinch.

That is pretty cool! Mine just pick at them- they hide when I have my hands in the tank. But, I have only had them for a month...

My bettas are the same- they are hand fed, and will nip at my hands when I have them in the tank for water changes of anything like that. Doesn't hurt- just not expecting it! They take algae wafers, and swim with the whole thing hanging out of their mouths.

Finally got these short clips of my loaches eating from my hand compiled. Hope you all like it.
Vancmann
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnncSSsVSyg

Very nice