Loaches Online Forum

I managed to get some pictures of my small clowns earlier whilst cleaning my tank, they have unusual markings. Has anyone else got clowns with strange markings? I would love to see pic's?

I have never seen a large clown with strange markings, is this just me?

Please excuse the dirty glass and water...

wow thats really weird, did you get them together. they look so different.

I was in my LFS recently and there was a tank full of young Clown Loach, several of which had unusual markings and also, I noticed, there were some with snub noses (rounded severely short noses instead of the usual long pointed ones).

The staff member, who is very knowledgeable indeed and who I know well, stated that they were captive bred using hormone treatment. He had also noted that the fish were imperfect in various ways.

Though these fish are quite eye-catching at first, I'm glad my loaches are conventionally marked. All of them have their individual differences and as I have only six I can tell them apart easily enough.

Those are very interesting. There are clown loaches with unusual markings but they are still clown loaches. I like the unusual markings, makes the clown loaches very unique.

Clowns with outside the norm markings are called oddballs - and those are some really nice ones that you have there!

Edit: Try this: http://www.loaches.com/articles/clown-l ... variations scroll down towards the bottom.

Thanks for the link Emilymarie, I don't remember that being there when I first read that page!!

Clownloachsharky, I did get them altogether but from someone who had bought them all individually from stores.

Redshark1, that is interesting. I had thought it could be a result of the captive breeding process. I do agree, although the oddballs are quite striking I do prefer the conventional three striped clown.

Well I LOVE oddballs and have started collecting different patterns. So if you ever find yourself around Boise, ID USA I would be happy to take them off your hands

redshark1 wrote:I was in my LFS recently and there was a tank full of young Clown Loach, several of which had unusual markings and also, I noticed, there were some with snub noses (rounded severely short noses instead of the usual long pointed ones).

The staff member, who is very knowledgeable indeed and who I know well, stated that they were captive bred using hormone treatment. He had also noted that the fish were imperfect in various ways.

Interesting. In the shops these days, I have noticed that there seems to be a developing co-relation between the `unusual' markings and the snub nose/elephantine forehead* look. They also seem more prone to looking a bit skinny and runted (though perhaps not parasitized?) . Large ones....haven't seen any.. though the one at the top of this thread is def. approaching it. Maybe there aren't any old captive/hormonal -bred `sporty' ones like this yet, since this practice hasn't gone on that long?

*Note the 2nd and 3rd photos at the top of this thread... the bottom loach has that `forehead' look though it appears v. healthy! I have one that is still fairly small and I go from thinking he needs de-parasitizing to thinking ...he's fine/happy and fattening. The most annoying thing is that he, unlike his fellow clowns, seems to really enjoy mowing down/puncturing the centrepiece Amazon Sword in the tank. ...which leads me to think he is seeking roughage for some gut problem ...which leads me back to square one.
http://flickr.com/gp/nielsamd/k89b6j
http://flickr.com/gp/nielsamd/KWF21d
http://flickr.com/gp/nielsamd/j68pfn
http://flickr.com/gp/nielsamd/84RY36
Though hurried and not the best quality shots, in the last one there is a suspicious looking `pinch'/hollow spot just behind the head above the lateral line, that always creeps me out a bit re: CWS/`skinny' syndrome, that is making me watch this loach intently. Levamisole is in the tank at the moment.

I do not have any large oddballs myself, but I have seen videos that include them.

For instance, there's this one, though there is no albino (as per the title):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJs-48Ulgms

Others here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOZfx1-coW0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUxI4NK3KNY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1Zbn5DfkDM