Who ate my Clown Loaches?

Hi,

bear with me as I am a beginner to cichlids.

We have a 6' x 18"(h) x 14"(d) tank with about 45 gallons in it. It
has been running with fish now for about 6 weeks.

My wife bought a variey of fish from several shops and we now have:

1 x 6cm Electric yellow (Labidochromis Caeruleus)
1 x 7cm Convict (Cryptoheros Nigrofasciatum)
1 x 5cm Convict
1 x 6cm Hornet (Pseudotropheus Crabro)
2 x 4cm Pseudotropheus Acei
2 x 4.5cm Silver Dollar (Metynnis Hypsauchen)
1 x 6cm "flameback" (Haplochromis I think, although it originally
looked more like a Protomelas Similis)

And we DID have (until recently) 2 x 4cm (1.5") Botia Macrocanthus!

But one morning, we didn't. I have looked all around the tank on the
floor, no sign of them having jumped out - there is a couple of spots
where they could have. Neither have we ever seen them being atacked by
any of the other fish.

THe other fish have been pretty well behaved. No one seems to be
unduly picking on anybody else.

So, does anyone think that any of the above are likely culprits? I
mean BOTH loaches disapeared, and unless they have somehow BOTH gotten
traped in a crevice we can't see - at the same time - I can only
conclude they were eaten.

Any clues welcomed!

TIA,

Ninereeds

Loaches can be pretty good at hiding. They could be in a crevice between the
rocks, behind filter intakes, under other decorations, or even buried in the
gravel. I suspected that my loaches had died several times, only to find
them swimming around a few days later.

Or they could have jumped out, or a large fish could have eaten them.

I would assume they are hiding until you haven't seen them for a few weeks.

Limnophile

"Ninereeds" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

bear with me as I am a beginner to cichlids.

We have a 6' x 18"(h) x 14"(d) tank with about 45 gallons in it. It
has been running with fish now for about 6 weeks.

My wife bought a variey of fish from several shops and we now have:

1 x 6cm Electric yellow (Labidochromis Caeruleus)
1 x 7cm Convict (Cryptoheros Nigrofasciatum)
1 x 5cm Convict
1 x 6cm Hornet (Pseudotropheus Crabro)
2 x 4cm Pseudotropheus Acei
2 x 4.5cm Silver Dollar (Metynnis Hypsauchen)
1 x 6cm "flameback" (Haplochromis I think, although it originally
looked more like a Protomelas Similis)

And we DID have (until recently) 2 x 4cm (1.5") Botia Macrocanthus!

But one morning, we didn't. I have looked all around the tank on the
floor, no sign of them having jumped out - there is a couple of spots
where they could have. Neither have we ever seen them being atacked by
any of the other fish.

THe other fish have been pretty well behaved. No one seems to be
unduly picking on anybody else.

So, does anyone think that any of the above are likely culprits? I
mean BOTH loaches disapeared, and unless they have somehow BOTH gotten
traped in a crevice we can't see - at the same time - I can only
conclude they were eaten.

Any clues welcomed!

TIA,

Ninereeds

My loaches would cram themselves into anything they could fit into and most
things they couldn't fit into.
I had a sunken ship ornament in that tank and it had a hollow mast, I'd find
my loaches all the way up the mast handle and have to try and get them out
(not easy) so I could take the ship out for a waterchange/gravelvac.
I ended up having to plug up all the holes in everything in that tank. It
also helped to buy more loaches, they were happy to lie on top of each other
in a corner of the tank once the pack was large enough.

"Ninereeds" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

bear with me as I am a beginner to cichlids.

We have a 6' x 18"(h) x 14"(d) tank with about 45 gallons in it. It
has been running with fish now for about 6 weeks.

My wife bought a variey of fish from several shops and we now have:

1 x 6cm Electric yellow (Labidochromis Caeruleus)
1 x 7cm Convict (Cryptoheros Nigrofasciatum)
1 x 5cm Convict
1 x 6cm Hornet (Pseudotropheus Crabro)
2 x 4cm Pseudotropheus Acei
2 x 4.5cm Silver Dollar (Metynnis Hypsauchen)
1 x 6cm "flameback" (Haplochromis I think, although it originally
looked more like a Protomelas Similis)

And we DID have (until recently) 2 x 4cm (1.5") Botia Macrocanthus!

But one morning, we didn't. I have looked all around the tank on the
floor, no sign of them having jumped out - there is a couple of spots
where they could have. Neither have we ever seen them being atacked by
any of the other fish.

THe other fish have been pretty well behaved. No one seems to be
unduly picking on anybody else.

So, does anyone think that any of the above are likely culprits? I
mean BOTH loaches disapeared, and unless they have somehow BOTH gotten
traped in a crevice we can't see - at the same time - I can only
conclude they were eaten.

Any clues welcomed!

TIA,

Ninereeds


I see nothing in your tank that would attack and eat your Loaches. If they
are hiding they should come out at night to feed. Throw a couple of shrimp
pellets or other food into the dark after lights out and sit back and watch
for them.

Rick

"Ninereeds" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

bear with me as I am a beginner to cichlids.

We have a 6' x 18"(h) x 14"(d) tank with about 45 gallons in it. It
has been running with fish now for about 6 weeks.

My wife bought a variey of fish from several shops and we now have:

1 x 6cm Electric yellow (Labidochromis Caeruleus)
1 x 7cm Convict (Cryptoheros Nigrofasciatum)
1 x 5cm Convict
1 x 6cm Hornet (Pseudotropheus Crabro)
2 x 4cm Pseudotropheus Acei
2 x 4.5cm Silver Dollar (Metynnis Hypsauchen)
1 x 6cm "flameback" (Haplochromis I think, although it originally
looked more like a Protomelas Similis)

And we DID have (until recently) 2 x 4cm (1.5") Botia Macrocanthus!

But one morning, we didn't. I have looked all around the tank on the
floor, no sign of them having jumped out - there is a couple of spots
where they could have. Neither have we ever seen them being atacked by
any of the other fish.

THe other fish have been pretty well behaved. No one seems to be
unduly picking on anybody else.

So, does anyone think that any of the above are likely culprits? I
mean BOTH loaches disapeared, and unless they have somehow BOTH gotten
traped in a crevice we can't see - at the same time - I can only
conclude they were eaten.

Any clues welcomed!

TIA,

Ninereeds
Yes the loach can hold it's own with it's eye spines. We have one thats
been with us for 14 years that I thought was dead numerous times.

Looks like you have representatives from all continents and
significant lakes in the Cichlid groups and then the dollar and the
loach. That is going to be a very difficult combination to keep
happy especially if anything tries to breed...doesn't matter if
they are the same sex they will still cause the same fuss.

I don't think the Clown Loaches will last very long but...they will
hide in anything eg filter inlet pipes, fine gravel...anywhere...I
have had them reappear after several weeks

Suggest live food and maybe look with red light without the
aquarium/room lights and see if they appear if not...suggest you
don't replace them. The dollar will be OK if it is big enough

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Hi All,

thanks for the many reassuring messages. They haven't (to my
knowledge) re-appeared, but I have got a few more to hopefully keep
them company and bring them out.

We shall wait and see.

Thanks again,

Ninereeds

(mark) wrote in message . ..
Looks like you have representatives from all continents and
significant lakes in the Cichlid groups and then the dollar and the
loach. That is going to be a very difficult combination to keep
happy especially if anything tries to breed...doesn't matter if
they are the same sex they will still cause the same fuss.

Thanks. It will be an intereting experience!

I don't think the Clown Loaches will last very long but...they will
hide in anything eg filter inlet pipes, fine gravel...anywhere...I
have had them reappear after several weeks

When you say they won't last long, exactly what do you mean?

Thanks,

Ninereeds

"Ninereeds" wrote in message
om...
(mark) wrote in message
. ..
snip

I don't think the Clown Loaches will last very long but...they will
hide in anything eg filter inlet pipes, fine gravel...anywhere...I
have had them reappear after several weeks

When you say they won't last long, exactly what do you mean?

Thanks,

Ninereeds

You have several types of fish that might pick on them, or even eat them if
they are small enough. The loaches do have spines on the sides of their
heads for self-defense, but it's still doubtful they will survive with all
the agressive fish in the tank.

I wish the news were better;
Limnophile

Have you checked your filters? I used to keep clown botias a few years
ago and every once in a while, one would jump up into one of the AC500
filters hanging on the back. Not up through the inlet tube, but up into the
filter outlet stream. I also found a few dead on the floor. The first
botia I ever had, swam into a powerhead,. Thats when I realized I would
have to botia-proof the tank if I wanted to continue to keep them. If you
own botias, it is a good idea to cover the take completeley. Don't allow
any open holes or they can and will jump out.
If you think clown loaches dissappear alot, don't try to keep horse-face
loaches as I would only see them for a split second once every couple
months.
good luck
Matt

"Ninereeds" wrote in message
om...
Hi All,

thanks for the many reassuring messages. They haven't (to my
knowledge) re-appeared, but I have got a few more to hopefully keep
them company and bring them out.

We shall wait and see.

Thanks again,

Ninereeds