clown loaches........not sure?

[ashhhh]

anyone know if it is at all possible to visibly sex these little critters.<
>I have 3 of em about 5cm long. One of them looks a little plumper than the other two and not as
ightly coloured(maybe ate to much and feeling crook?)lol<
>Any info would be great<
><
>cheers Ash   Edited by: ashhhh at: 27/6/05 12:52<
>

[nemo1981]

not sure on sexing them, but spawing in the home aquaria is near impossible so i have read.<
>so, even if you get boyz and girls, don''t get your hopes up of
eeding them in a tank.<
>i have 7 of the buggers, great fish, but i have no idea what they are sex-wise. Steven & Amy<
>Ipswich<
>Email: nemo19_81@hotmail.com<
>Our Photos<
>Edited by: nemo1981 at: 27/6/05 18:39<
>

[ashhhh]

thats exactly what I have read with any article on them,doesnt hurt to ask though,thanks nemo<
><
>Cheers Ash  

[Alan Caboolture]

I reckon you are pushing it to sex them at 5cm!!! You may have a chance at 15cm, but preferably a little larger.<
><
>When you have mature fish and know what you are looking for, they are easily sexed.<
><
>In mature, well conditioned fish the females are larger, body shape more rounded and the anal fin is a different shape and colour pattern to males.<
><
>Alan. When life gives you lemons ask for a bottle of tequila & salt.<
>The only danger I find in life is to take too many precautions. Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.<
>

[ashhhh]

 thats huge! never seen one that big exept in pictures,<
>thanks alan, had to ask<
><
>cheers ash

[jamosfish]

Check out www.loaches.com for more info

[nemo1981]

a little while back i was moving my tropicals (including clown loaches) into a new display tank.<
>now when i netted my 2 largest ones (around 13ish cm) they seemed to release a real slimy substance.<
>now i''ve either got boys or they were covering themselves in a protective layer while out of water.<
>i''m not 100% but i think they were, well, secreting their man juices.<
><
>could someone in the know, fill me in just to quell my curiousity?<
>ta<
> Steven & Amy<
>Ipswich<
>Email: nemo19_81@hotmail.com<
>Our Photos<
>

[Anakist]

I have two big ones (9cm hehe) that are constantly nipping at each other and look to be fighting.<
><
>Is it just dominance? I always thought they were peaceful, these two aren''t.<
><
>James Rockhampton QLD<
>ja_mez(AT)hotmail(DOT)com<
>0408 189 343

[nemo1981]

yeh i notice from time to time my 2 large ones have a bit of a scrap, kind of do a circle give a quick nip and that''s it.<
>i guess it''s just a dominance thing i guess that''s all.<
>not very often though, they also seem to change colour a bit too when they do. Steven & Amy<
>Ipswich<
>Email: nemo19_81@hotmail.com<
>Our Photos<
>

[Anakist]

www.loaches.com/audio_vid...owns2.html<
><
>Looked exactly like that so looks like it is just dominance / bad temper issues.<
><
>James Rockhampton QLD<
>ja_mez(AT)hotmail(DOT)com<
>0408 189 343

[nemo1981]

eek, that''s nasty.<
>mine never go for more than a couple of seconds.<
>they do a little circle dance and that''s it. Steven & Amy<
>Ipswich<
>Email: nemo19_81@hotmail.com<
>Our Photos<
>

[Bubblesx4]

If your loaches are fighting, you may not have enough of them in your tank to keep them happy or not enough places to hide. The more the merryer, even the smallest of my brood are looked after by the larger ones (most around 17cm). They love to sleep piled ontop of each other in pvc pipe.

Cheers.