Monthly Archives: June 2011

Is your clown loach missing?

Posted by on June 19, 2011 7 comments

It was since last water change, roughly three weeks ago, that we noticed that our two clown loaches (Chromobotia macracanthus) were missing. We couldn’t find them literally anywhere in our tank. This is quite a bizarre feeling when you have just a 180 liters (that’s 65 gallons) aquarium. We looked everywhere as thoroughly as we could outside the tank. Of course they could not escape the tank anywhere. We even thought they were lying dead somewhere so naturally we got very worried.

But as it turned out, they just really enjoyed our new stumps (or rhizomes?). By nature the clown loaches like hiding in small holes and inside stumps and I think I just should be really happy that we can provide an environment they enjoy. So a few days back I changed the water again, as I use to,  and there they were – both of our Clown loaches! Now after the water change the other one is happily swimming around but most of the time enjoying the hiding places around the stumps. I reorganized the stumps for them again so I am sure they like the new place even more. The other clown loach is still hiding most of the time, but I am sure both of them are out during the night eating. That is why I give them bottom feeding tablets which are of course gone in the morning.

So if you wonder where your Clown loach has gone and it seems you can’t find it anywhere – I am sure it’s ok! It’s just probably hiding in some hole you can’t see without moving stuff. As it turned out, our clown loaches were under a bark that had a hole in the middle of the bottom of the bark. It was impossible to spot them without taking the bark out from the tank (which I did in order to gravel vacuum the place). They just enjoy small holes and places to hide during the day, so it might be a good thing if they enjoy such a place that you created for them.

Freshwater aquarium plant growth tips

Posted by on June 19, 2011 No comments

I believe strongly that a healthy aquarium with healthy fish requires healthy plants. Below are my tips on how I try to see to it that my freshwater aquarium plants grow as well as possible. I’d like to share these tips with anyone who is interested in them and of course get some feedback on what you think. I hope with the things below also your plants will grow well!

Even if I speak of some specific products in this article, I am sure there are many equally good or even better ones. It just very hard to compare the products on your own, so I am more than happy to receive feedback on some products that you have used and that you think work better than the ones here.

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Our freshwater aquarium, 19.6.2011

Posted by on June 19, 2011 No comments

Our Juwel RIO 180 tank is now 8 months old and has grown from what only had content from our old 100 liters aquarium such as one stump (or rhizome?) and just a few plants. Now the plants have grown so much and I need to cut them at every water change. I really try to take care of our Amazon sword plants (Echinodorus bleheri) which there are multiple of in our aquarium. As you can see from the picture, I have some Amazon sword plant sprouts growing which is an indication of healthy water. Plants are in general very important to me, so as you can see in the upper left corner of the picture, I also have a CO2 dispenser that makes the plants grow really well.

The aquarium in the pictures below has had water changes every three weeks and to me this is the perfect cycle. All the important metrics (NO2, NO3, pH) are still within good numbers and I can keep the bottom clean as well.

In case you have any questions related to the tank, what I do with it or what I have in it, just leave a comment and I will get back to you. You can also send me an email with your question. You’ll find the email in the About section above.