Loaches Online Forum

Hi.
Just picked up 5 juvy clown loaches a couple of weeks ago.
They're still getting used to their surroundings but have been dancing around in the tank which is always a good sign.

I was wondering, as far as forum rules, can I post Classifieds stuff?
I'm not a breeder & not trying to make a profit.

Some pics:

Ippo456 wrote:Hi.
Just picked up 5 juvy clown loaches a couple of weeks ago.
They're still getting used to their surroundings but have been dancing around in the tank which is always a good sign.

I was wondering, as far as forum rules, can I post Classifieds stuff?

Hello and welcome,

Congrats on your clowns! I am not sure about your question, but I am sure if it is not addressed in the forum rules you will get a prompt response from one of our moderaters...this is a great forum.

Krista

Hi ippo456 and welcome to LOL.

The Forum Rules: http://www.loaches.com/loach-forum-policies
forbid advertising so that would be a no to classifieds. The Loach and Freshwater Forums exist for discussion and education purposes.

Martin.

when i got my babies about that size they were very light in color like yours are. after about two weeks when they started to feel more comfortable they started showing their true colors. now all of them have very full, vivid colors.

Martin, perhaps a classified section would be a good addition to the loach forum. Perhaps charge a small fee--honor system style that helps support it.

For members like me, it would be a good resource to find fish and equipment. For other members it may be a way to find good homes for fish.

Hi Ippo456, and welcome to Loaches Online.

I've just seen the photos that you've added to your post. How big are your new clown loaches (roughly)? They look to be quite underweight, and to me, look like they have the beginnings of Chromic Wasting Syndrome (a.k.a. Skinny Disease) which will need treating. It's the area behind the head that concerns me, it looks to be a little pinched in. Hopefully others will confirm if they also think this may be the case.

Do you have plenty of cover for them in the tank? They look to be quite stressed out in the pics, and I wasn't sure if they were in a photo tank, or whether this was a bare area of the main tank?

Here's our profile on the Clown Loach for your reference, which will tell you more about their needs: http://www.loaches.com/species-index/cl ... cracanthus

And also, a link to Shari's excellent article on Levamisole, the treatment required for Skinny Disease: http://www.loaches.com/Members/shari2/l ... chloride-1

Emma

Thanks for all the welcomes
I bought them all from the same pet mega mart.
The smallest one is about 1-1/2 inches and longest is about 2-1/2 inches.
The 2 smallest ones have the brightest colours, whereas the 3 big ones are not as brightly coloured.
I read up on the Loach almanac before I joined this forum that it could be that my loaches are 'greying' & I'm assuming it's because they're still getting used to their new environment.
They're still skittish - always hide whenever I come close to the tank, but they come out during feeding time.
I feed them tubifex worms and crushed shrimp pellets.
I think that previously in the LPS, they were only utilized as tank-cleaners (to eat up all the snails).
My 1/3 of the tank has sandy substrate & 2/3 of the tank has gravel.
It's planted, with ample space for hiding.

Emma,
As for the area behind the head that's pinched in, I think you're looking at the loach's black spot, which in the picture looks like his head is pinched in (the black spot blends with the background).
I read the link on Levamisole HCL, I'm not sure if I would medicate my loaches immediately.
Are there other symptoms I should look out for before being 100% sure that my loaches are suffering from Skinny Disease?
I thought that they're small because they haven't reached a mature size.

MTS wrote:Martin, perhaps a classified section would be a good addition to the loach forum. Perhaps charge a small fee--honor system style that helps support it.

For members like me, it would be a good resource to find fish and equipment. For other members it may be a way to find good homes for fish.

I agree.
It would be real useful to have a "swap shop" or something similar.
I'm a member in another fish forum, and plants & equipments are being traded all the time.
Besides, I'd like to get a good bargain on a new tank

I was worried when I got my 4 babies that they had skinny disease. I fed them well and fattened them up in two weeks and they look very healthy now. Even the suspect skinniest loach is looking excellent. But the entire batch were all skinny. The entire batch at big al's and petsmart all looked like this. The big al's had probably around 60 clowns in one tank. probably a 60 gallon. All looked very skinny.

Yea I got these guys at PetSmart.
So, hopefully with more food, these guys are going to get fat & cuter

Keep a close eye on them. Many Botia develop CWS, so once settled it would be prudent to treat.

Also, I wasn't referring to the black spot, I was pointing out the bony appearance of the area behind the head, in the same region as the lateral line. It could be that the store were underfeeding them, but to me it looks like CWS.

Emma

If you look at the pics and notice the white line that travels from behind the eye to the second black stripe you see what could be the beginnings of CWS. That line is produced by the bones in the head area leading back which are close to the surface. In clowns with early stages of skinny this will often be the first indication of the condition. Also notice the completely straight line along the ventral surface of the fish (the belly line). He's quite slim.

Feed them up well. Try some frozen bloodworms and feed more often than once a day and do more water changes. If they don't chub up in a week, you should notice that line become more pronounced and a hollow beginning to show above it behind the eyes.

Watch them. That's not too hard, and observation is one of a fishkeepers best skills to develop.

Oooo I see which white line you're talking about!!
Ok .. I have some bloodworms sitting in the freezer that I'm going to feed them with
I love watching these guys .. too bad they dart away from me & I can only watch them in the dark.