I don't know if it's just my imagination but I think my clown loach has grown significantly within one week. I bought all my fishes (4) at once 6 months ago. The loach was the big boy then and then everybody got into growing ad he got left behind. About a week ago I replanted my tank and moved some things around and some were taken out of the tank. The loach hid in his cave majority of the time since. He wouldn't even come out to eat! He just came out today and he has grown not in length but in "height". Probably about 3/4 of a centimeter. Do clown loaches really hibernate when they're increasing in size? Is this a normal behaviour?
Clown Loach
- Thread starter Sharkee
- Start date
Often when you buy CLs from stores they are under-nourished and it's always a surprise to see a fish after it's been hiding awhile! Clown Loaches are tropical so, at least to my knowledge, they don't "hibernate". They are nocturnal though, so they don't like to come out during the day. This means he's probably doing his eating at night. Clowns have a very long lifespan which can surpass 30 years and thus generally grow very slowly, hence why yours isn't keeping up with your other fish growing-wise. He will fill out more before he grows longer, which is probably why he looks "taller". 
PS. If you want him to come out more he'll need some friends. Most schooling fish, Clown Loaches especially, will only venture out in day light when they're with 4 or more of their closest friends. Of course this is often difficult for fishkeepers, as Clown Loaches have the potential to grow 11" in length each.
PS. If you want him to come out more he'll need some friends. Most schooling fish, Clown Loaches especially, will only venture out in day light when they're with 4 or more of their closest friends. Of course this is often difficult for fishkeepers, as Clown Loaches have the potential to grow 11" in length each.
Unfortunately, I can't get him some new buddies soon. I need to a get bigger tankupgrade first and that will come after a month of vacation. I want to be around if anything goes out-of-balance. I'm the fish person in the house. He seems to have come out longer last night though. I'll take that as a good sign.