Clicking Clown Loach (solved)

I've never witnessed this myself but wondered if it might be caused by grinding their pharyngeal teeth.

As Clown Loaches are a fish I'm interested in, and would love to keep if only I had the space for a large enough tank, I did a bit of Googling and confirmed my suspicion.

I found the following:

Clown loaches can make clicking sounds when they are happy, being territorial (used as a type of weapon/warning) or mating. This sound is produced by the grinding of their pharyngeal teeth.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clown_loach

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My dwarf chain loaches click when I feed them sinking tablets. I have read that loaches emit a jet of water to break up large bits of food, and that's what the clicking noise is. Mine click when they find the tablet not while they are eating.

Would love a shoal of those guys but don't they get huge? I've a 240 litre tank and been advised that's not big enough.

2 red bristle nose.
6 Siamese algea eaters.
8 Odessa bards.
8 harlequin rasboras
Pencil fish.
Emerald eye rasboras
1 spotted hoppalo catfish
Yamoto shrimps.

I saw a photo of a Clown Loach recently and the guy holding it needed two hand to lift it,, I'd guess it was getting on for about 3lb !

We wont be able to keep ours when they get bigger, I was aware of that when I bought them but they're guaranteed a rehome when they get too big. I got them as company for the one eyed clown loach we inherited, who is just over 10 years old and about 8 inches long. He's been fed on tropical fish flakes all his life until we got him. He's skinny and washed out colour wise and he's the only one that clicks, although they all get the same diet.

BTW I noticed one of the younger clown loach tugging away at one of the sea shells I'd put in the tank for decorative purposes. He yanked it a good 3 inches along the tank, flipping it quite a few times and it was deliberate too, he kept sticking his nose inside the cavity. I filled the shells with live bloodworm and stuck them back in. He dived straight on them but there was no clicking.

One eyed Jack clicks over any food we put in, we dont use flakes though.

...
i will rehome them when they get bigger... if i can catch them 
Luckily they grow very slow!

How long have you had them?

By all accounts, from what I've read, they should grow very quickly in the first year or so and reach 4-6 inches. After this they grow more slowly.

I'd love to keep Clown Loach as they are one of my favourites, but I just don't have the room to home them.