Loaches Online Forum

Hi there,
Can anyone tell me why my loaches (particularly the clown and zebra loaches) in my aquarium sometimes change colour? I have particularly noticed that they go lighter when the aquarium lights are off, once they are on, and especially if they are encouraged to move about by feeding, they return to their usual darker shades.
Kathryn

when lights go out some fish lose all colour (color
and yes loaches sometimes do the loachie dance in water current.

You must be from England, with using the language properly.

I see from your other thread, that your concerns with keeping single specimens? Yes you should keep them in groups. And the colour change is known with loaches, especially when they feel stressed. This can be many factors. Water quality/tank mates/envoirment...etc.

Can you supply us with more information?

Hi,
Yes, I really wanted for them to have their own kind - but the clowns friends died a couple of months ago, and all the ones in the local fish shops look so unhealthy or are in tanks with diseased specimins.
The yo yo was on his own in the first place, and I've never seen any others. I only got 2 zebras as my tank is quite full as it is.
There are 11 tetras, 2 corydorus, 4 guppies.
Tank is 80ltr (I have learnt now, and I consider it to be rather full, but I can't do much about it, unless someone dies)>
I test the water quality regularly and nitrite/ammonia-0, nitrate 10-20mg. pH is 8. There were some sudden deaths in the tank which may have been down to internal bactrial infection, but they have all been ok for 3/4 weeks now, and are very active. The guppies hang near the surface at night, but swim below all the time in the day. One of the zebras had a little hole in the head so I put in some oxyci... but it didn't clear up.
What sort of info would help?
K