what do you do when you can't find loach?

[netnews.agilent.com]

Hi all,

kind of an inane question...

well, I currently is supposed to have five zebra loaches in my 37G tank..
it's pretty heavily planted, although you can still see through the tank at
the gravel level (lots of sword-like plants)

anyway, I think I've only seen 3, or may be 4 loach at any one time since I
increased the number.. (I used to have 3.. just added 2 more 2 weeks ago).
I assume the ones I don't see are just hiding and is okay, but...

so.. what do you do when you can never count the total number of fish in the
tank? I routinely make it my task to make sure all the inhabitants are
alive and well.. usually within the course of a week or so, you do find a
moment you can account for all the fish in the tank.. but the recent loach
arrivals are making that very difficult... do you just leave it be?

where the heck are they hiding anyway? the only place they really could
hide is in the sword leaves, but as try as I might, I can never see them!

linda

[Jim Brown]

In the plants, under the gravel, inside filters or tubing, on the floor.
Maybe as you see them you could make a note of pattern so you can tell if
there are indeed 5 left in the aquarium.

Jim

netnews.agilent.com > wrote in message
...
> Hi all,
>
> kind of an inane question...
>
> well, I currently is supposed to have five zebra loaches in my 37G tank..
> it's pretty heavily planted, although you can still see through the tank
at
> the gravel level (lots of sword-like plants)
>
> anyway, I think I've only seen 3, or may be 4 loach at any one time since
I
> increased the number.. (I used to have 3.. just added 2 more 2 weeks ago).
> I assume the ones I don't see are just hiding and is okay, but...
>
> so.. what do you do when you can never count the total number of fish in
the
> tank? I routinely make it my task to make sure all the inhabitants are
> alive and well.. usually within the course of a week or so, you do find a
> moment you can account for all the fish in the tank.. but the recent
loach
> arrivals are making that very difficult... do you just leave it be?
>
> where the heck are they hiding anyway? the only place they really could
> hide is in the sword leaves, but as try as I might, I can never see them!
>
> linda
>
>

[Pierre-Normand Houle]

"Jim Brown" > wrote in message
.. .
> In the plants, under the gravel, inside filters or tubing, on the floor.
> Maybe as you see them you could make a note of pattern so you can tell if
> there are indeed 5 left in the aquarium.

Yes, my idea exactly. Try to discern some distinctive features and name them!