For the most part, clown loaches are not picky eaters. These fish are omnivores, and it’s going to be easy to get them to eat.
They like to eat many different types of food. You’ll be able to get everything that you need to feed these fish from your local pet store, but you can also order food online.
What should you do if your clown loach isn’t eating, though? Is there a good reason why clown loaches would stop eating?
Read on to learn about common reasons why these fish might stop eating. If you can understand what might be happening, it’ll be easier to figure out what to do to help your fish.
1 – Sickness
There are various types of sicknesses that can cause clown loaches to lose their appetite. It’s also possible that clown loaches will stop eating when they have a parasitic infection of some sort.
If you suspect that your clown loach might be sick in some way, then you’ll need to monitor it. Examine the fish and try to take note of the symptoms that it’s experiencing.
These fish are susceptible to various conditions such as ich. Some types of sickness are closely associated with sluggishness and lack of appetite.
Being able to understand the symptoms will make it easier to diagnose the fish. If you need help figuring out what’s wrong, then you can always turn to an exotic veterinarian for assistance.
2 – Bullying
Bullying in the fish tank can easily keep clown loaches from feeling comfortable enough to eat. Clown loaches are great community tank fish, but that doesn’t mean that they will be fine in an aquarium with any fish.
You need to ensure that fish are compatible before putting them in a fish tank together. Clown loaches are very peaceful fish that are susceptible to bullying when placed in fish tanks with very aggressive fish.
In some cases, clown loaches might choose to hide due to being afraid of the bully fish. They might not even come out to eat when it’s time.
If you think that bullying could be the problem, then you’ll want to separate the fish. Only put clown loaches in community tanks with appropriate tank mates in the future.
3 – Temperature Fluctuations
Temperature fluctuations can shock your fish and make them act strange. You can easily stress the fish by changing the water conditions too fast.
Also, keeping these fish in water that is too hot or too cold will be bad for them. Remember that you’re supposed to keep clown loaches in water with a temperature between 72 degrees Fahrenheit and 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
These are hardy fish that can tolerate a wide range of different temperatures. Even so, there are some temperatures that will be too cold for the fish.
Is your heater working properly? Make sure to check the temperature of the water as well as the other water parameters to ensure that things are fine.
4 – Getting Used to a New Aquarium
If you’ve moved the clown loaches into a new aquarium, it’s possible that they might stop eating for a while. Sudden changes can be stressful for fish and it can make them feel unsure of how to react.
You might have moved the clown loaches to a new and larger fish tank that is more appropriate for them. This is a good thing to do, but they might need several days to acclimate.
Likewise, when you first buy clown loaches and bring them home, it can take a while for them to feel comfortable. They get used to their new situation after a while, though.
These fish can adapt, but just don’t be surprised if they hide and seem skittish for a while. It’s normal for these fish to hide even when they’re happy and secure.
5 – Problems with the Food
Another possibility to look into is whether or not there are problems with the food. It could be the case that the fish don’t like what you’re feeding them.
Ensure that you’re giving the clown loaches recommended food that meets their nutritional needs. Most people feed them algae wafers and sinking nutritional pellets.
Mixing up what you’re giving the fish might help to keep them from getting bored. Many enthusiasts say that feeding clown loaches live food once per week as a treat will be a good way to keep them happy.
These fish love eating bloodworms and earthworms. Also, they’re known to enjoy eating live snails.
The clown loaches can hunt the snails down and force them out of their shells. It might be a good treat to buy a few pond snails for the tank so that your clown loaches can eat well.
Clown Loach Not Eating Snails
Clown loaches love eating snails. It’d be unusual for the fish to not want to chase and eat the snails.
If this is happening, then the fish might be sick. It could be that one of the other discussed reasons why the fish aren’t eating could be to blame as well.
6 – Not Enough Hiding Spots in the Tank
Did you ensure that you put enough hiding spots in the tank for the clown loaches? These fish feel so much more comfortable in an aquarium when they have lots of hiding spots to utilize.
To give the fish the most comfort possible, you should put live plants in the aquarium. Put lots of plants in there that will make good hiding spots for the clown loaches.
It might also be wise to place some little caves in the fish tank. The fish will like cramming themselves in those little hiding spots, too.
Hiding is simply normal behavior for these fish. They like to stay out of the light and often occupy hiding spots.
It’s possible that these fish might stop eating due to feeling stressed about not being able to hide. Put hiding spots in the tank for them to see if things improve.
Final Thoughts
Learning about some of the reasons why clown loaches might stop eating will help you out. You now know that they might stop eating food for many different reasons, and you’ll have to try to pay attention to what is going on.
Sometimes these fish will stop eating when they get sick. You might need to monitor the fish to try to see what is wrong with them so that you can provide them with treatment.
Temperature fluctuations and issues with the pH balance of the water can stress the fish. This will keep them from having normal appetites.
Clown loaches might not eat if they’re getting bullied in the fish tank, too. It’s important to avoid putting them in community tanks with fish that will be too aggressive toward them.
Other potential reasons for not eating include not having enough hiding spots, having to acclimate to a new tank, and not enjoying the food that you’re giving them. Make some changes and see if you can turn things around now that you’ve learned this information.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.