clown loach

Does anyone have any experience with this fish? My brother has two young specimens which normally get on well together, but have recently started to swim towards each other and press their jaws together before breaking away and continuing doing whatever they were doing before they made contact.

He has asked me if this could be a courtship display but from what I can find on the web it does not appear to be part of a mating ritual.

Both fish have attained brighter colours within the last day or two. They are kept with rummy-nosed tetra, chocolate catfish and harlequin rasbora.

I believe it could be a case of one of the fish trying to assert its dominace over the other. I have also told him that the minimum number of specimens recommended for this species is 5, but some people just will not listen will they?

If anyone can help your information will be greatly appreciated.

 

Is he sure that they are a female and a male, and not two males?

Could be territorial fighting if its two males, I have had this species in the past but only kept a single male with a group of females, the males and females can be difficult to tell apart from each other sometimes and best would be to ask an fish expert. There is a loach forum on the net with alot of useful info.

I have kept this species in groups of 7-8 and this has not been a problem if the aquarium is big enough.

 

Thanks sebbe67

I've searched around on the loach forums and the info is basically what you have told me.

I've been advised that to keep this loach successfully a minimum of 5 specimens is neededl which I've already told my brother. His tank is only 3 feet long which is way too small for this species anyway I think.

 

Yeah, with clownloahces you follow the african cichlid rule of disperssing the aggression, i just unpacked a bag of 100!