Clown Loaches--sick?

"Jamie Drilling" wrote in
oups.com:

I named them Skitter and Scatter, because they are neurotically shy.
They have developed a new hobby, or they are slowly dying, of laying on
their sides together behind a planter. Slightly worried. Last night I

Clown loaches are very social fish. The more of them you have the less
stressed they will be and they more you will see them.

How long have you had them in your tank? Sometimes they can take a quite
while to get used to a new tank. Give them as many single entrance caves
and hideaways as you can. Eventually they should calm down.

I always suggest people keep a minimum of three clown loaches. These fish
tend to form a kind of hierarchy amongst themselves in a group, with just
two fish you will always have one dominant and one stressed subservient
fish. Though it is not easy to see the quarreling, it will become evident
with time to the careful observer that one is generally more stressed and
less well fed than the other when you only keep a pair.

Clowns also like a softer slightly acidic water, so check your pH. I have
clown loaches in my Altum angelfish tank, and they are very bold and always
out asking for food, but I also have a mob of least seven of them in there.

Some people have luck with singles or pairs, but it will take longer for
them to calm down and adjust to their surroundings. Most of the clowns
available in the trade are wild caught fish, so it can take a while for
them to adjust to aquarium life.