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A few months back I purchased 6 clown loaches and added to my 125 gallon tank. They were all about an inch in size at the time. All except for one are now about 3 inches in size. This one seems to be growing very little if at all. It seems to be eating well,shows no signs of having any health problems(no external parasites or such visible) and usually can be found schooling with the other loaches. Overall it seems to healthy and happy it just that it doesn't seem to be growing.Is this anything I need to worry about and if so what might be causing it?
Thanks in Advance for any help.

G. R. advised us on this before. The "runt" is the consequences of a lack of natural selection in the hobby.

These fish would normally not make it in the wild. As long as he looks healthy and such I wouldn't worry about it.

First of all, I am extremely jealous of your setup! Sounds like a great tank, and clowns are my favorites along with Panda Corys.

I have three clown loaches. One is a bit smaller than the others. Keep in mind that clown loaches do have a bit of a pecking order (I will have to try to find the link, it was on this site, I think) and usually one clown or more is a little more pale and smaller than the others. As long as your little clown is eating and active and looks healthy, I would not worry about it. Apparently clowns grow approximately 1 inch per year, as I understand it. And mine are right in line with that reasoning.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice.Well I guess as long as it's healthy and active I want worry about him.
Maybe I'll name him "GARY" in honor of G.R.

never before have their been so many clown loaches named 'Gary'! I also have a 'Gary' and a 'Roland'

btw, Roland is the smallest of my 5. I wouldn't describe him as a runt, but he and his brother Gary were exactly the same size until recently. I just think Gary is going through a growth spurt and I hope Roland will catch up later.

nah...they are just slow growers..i mean very slow

Hi Cichlid Keeper, i too have a clown loach that is not doing so good,

my is specifically a "skinny" loach, i thought it might the G.R runt of the litter theory cos he is smallest etc.

i found a pretty good website, if you read my post perhaps you might like to read other opinions

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Bottom%20Feeder%20Frenzy/62530.html

the link to the website is in my post.

actually the little guy is ok, his gills aren't red any more. we shall wait and see.

good luck with yours!
GFG


_______________________________________
Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself.
Harvey S. Firestone

try getting more than 3...not only 1 by itself...it'll be very stressful

ckk125, sometimes they get the "skinny" disease and die. It is different than just being small. Once you've had a clown loach with this condition you will know what we are talking about.

Edit: They don't always die, I had one that didn't. He just needed some extra TLC and a lot of live food.

Last edited by ~jamie~ at 06-Aug-2005 20:01

The smallest one in my group happens to be a Sumatran or a Kalimangutan clown, they are supposed to be slower growers than their uglier counterparts - the Bornian clowns. The Bornians are growing at a steady pace, so it may be that the smallest one comes from a differnt part of the world. To distinguish - Sumantrans will have two pairs of blood red fins as against Borneans with one pair of red, and one pair of red and black fins.

what is the difference between the Sumatran or a Kalimangutan clown with the Bornian clowns?

Borneans have only one pair of bright red fins. The middle pair has a spot of black and a hint of red. Sumatrans have two pairs of bright red fins. Kalimangutans are considered the most beautiful of all. They have a sheen to their skin, and 2 pairs of bright red fins, and very good colouring.

The advice about giving your skinny clown some company is priceless. Clownies need some company. At least three to a tank (provided it is a LARGE enough tank, and, if not, you should not have clowns anyway). How is "skinny" doing,anyway?