# When Clown Loaches Attack...



## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

We've got a dozen 2"-3" clown loaches in Djamm's rainbow tank, and I don't think they've read the "peaceful community fish" part of their job description very well. 

At last count, they've eaten 2 gold rams (sorry, AWW), at least two of the smaller rainbowfish that I'm sure about, and I think either the clowns or the rainbows have eaten some of the zebra danios. Has anyone else had this issue? These guys are very well fed, lots of variety, and have good water parameters. There are lots of hiding places in the tank (it's heavily planted) and enough space for swimming.

The danios are going to get relocated to the tropical community tank, and I'm thinking that the loaches are going to be going into the 180g with the oscars as long as I can build enough hiding places that they don't get eaten! I think this needs to be a species only tank if we want the rainbows to be happy.


----------



## Ebonbolt (Aug 12, 2011)

O.O? NEVER have I heard about this happening... O.O

I've heard of clown loaches picking at dying/dead fish; but outright attacking healthy fish, never... Are you sure you didn't buy 12 oscars or something? =P


----------



## Smiladon (Apr 23, 2010)

Did you see them attacking the fish?

As the above post elaborates, clown loaches would eat dead fish lying on the ground as they are scavengers.


----------



## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

I've seen them chasing the rainbows and occasionally injuring them, but I have to admit that I haven't seen them *kill* anything. I'm blaming them for the rams because they were very aggressive over territory with them, and I just didn't get the poor things out fast enough. I tend to blame the rainbows more for the vanishing danios, as they were actively hunting and eating the green tetras.

So it's possible that they've been eating anyone who has previously kicked it, as in all cases I found them scarfing down bodies. Eww.


----------



## BCAquaria (Apr 24, 2010)

Danio's are usually very quick and hard to catch....are you sure maybe the Danio's arent dying and the Loaches are just eating the corpses?

Ram's are territorial....usually not so much with the smaller fish in my experience


----------



## firsttenor (Jul 7, 2010)

Clown loaches killed my fairy cichlid, I've had them torture a fire eel too. They didn't actually kill him but they coverd him in white spots (bites). He shared a hide with them. Eventaully he died of stress. They did not pick on his corpse. So yes clown loaches are intellegent enough to vary in personally from group to group.


----------



## firsttenor (Jul 7, 2010)

I have had neons and huge clown loaches with no deaths! As well as clown loaches that kill plants vs clown loaches that leave them alone. They are really weird that way.


----------



## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

I am sorry to hear the rams passed, hopefully you can solve the problem


----------



## monkE (Aug 4, 2010)

I've never seen this kind of behavoir from my clowns, though i've also never had 12 of them at one time before...


----------



## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

Tho I have only 4, I have yet to see an aggressive clown loach .....other than when I netted one of mine in a transfer and his barbel stabbed me lol it reallllllly @#$%^&* hurt


----------



## Shell Dweller (Jul 11, 2010)

Well I had to move some fish around when my large tank started leaking and I put 3 small and 1 3 1/2 inch clown loach, 1 LG pleco, 7 odessa barbs, 7 australian rainbows and 1/2 dozen BNP in a 70 gal along with my 2 discus. I found my 2 discus dead yesterday aft floating at the top. Dead within 24 hrs. I am blaming the lg clown loach.


----------



## The Guy (Nov 26, 2010)

I have 13 Cl's in my 72 gal. bow front largest being 4" to 2" in size. I find them very peaceful with other fish and have never seen them go after anything living. As mentioned prior they will peck away at dead fish along with my vampires and BN plecoes. Sorry to hear you lost fish though.


----------



## couch (Apr 22, 2010)

I have watched a group of CLs devour a tank full of fancy tailed male guppies. It seems they couldn't swim away fast enough and by the time I discovered my mistake I had a tank full of females.


----------

