Clown Loaches + Ich

[kev350d]

Added two clown loaches yesterday and today one seems to have a minor case of whitespot (this wasnt visable when acclimatising as the lights were out) i checked at the store today and all the fish have signs of it although non blatently obvious until close inspection, Its obviously to late to treat them on their own or return them (i wouldnt want to as they will be allowed to further suffer), ive read that it is ok to use protozin where clown loaches are concearned but the problem i have is that the advice ive been given warned me off it.

Do i just treat as normal with protozin or do i have to use myxazin to treat my entire tank. I feel gutted as i always check my fish and their surroundings in store but somehow these slipped the net so to speak.

I am about to do A 30% waterchange and give the gravel a good ol vac, before increasing the temp slightly.
I must also add that i do have shrimp and the tank is heavily planted.

 

[beechey]

i always use interpet...

 

[kev350d]

Ive went to town on the gravel and gave the tank a 35% water change, everything is looking good the loaches are actively feeding and scavaging as are the shrimp, the loach that showed the signs of white spot seems to have lost alot (does this mean it has moved to its next stage) what i really need to know is should i dose the tank with protozin "i have 120ml to treat my 350l (will it harm the clowns) or just use myxazin although i only have 60ml now but i can purchase more if this is the preffered treatment.

The only reason im stipulating the two types is that these are all the LFS stocks until thursday and i have both Myxazin and Protozin at hand now.

Any help would be warmly welcomed im not the type to come back with "but you told me" i would just like couple pointers as to the best form of treatment (after reading the thread on white spot i chose to go with protozin but the bloody lfs put a doubt in my head hence why i now have Myxazin aswell).

Regards
Kev

 

[WILDER]

Fish can get bacterial infections on top of whitespot, but myxazin is a bacterial med.
The whitespot med is good by waterlife, have you raised temp to 30 and increased aeration in the tank.
Best to treat another week after spots have disappeared.

 

[kev350d]

Fish can get bacterial infections on top of whitespot, but myxazin is a bacterial med.
The whitespot med is good by waterlife, have you raised temp to 30 and increased aeration in the tank.
Best to treat another week after spots have disappeared.

Im still currently raising the temp as we speak ive also lowered the level of the water so the 405's outlet is allowing alot of surface agitation. Just waiting now on the temps as i dont want to shock em.

Then i'll start the treatment as each time i look at the loach he has less spots infact i can only see two now which i takeas being the next stage and that they are now free swimming and vunerable to the meds. (I will continue with two treatments as to ensure i eradicate it) ohh and im gonna go out and get a 10gal tank to quarantine any new inhabitants.

£5.99 per fish then £15 to treat them lol "works out expensive if you dont quarantine and is certainly more costly treating 350L rather than a small hospital/quarantine tank" but we live and learn.

Cheers Wilder

Kev

 

[WILDER]

Yes your'e right expensive to treat large tanks, best to issolate new comers and sick fish.
Good luck.
Get you a good link to whitespot.
http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/ich.shtml

 

[kev350d]

Thats a fantastic and informative link with a whole world of new info for me to get my teeth into, Thanks.

btw. Temp approaching 30° and i now have a eary blue tinge to my water thanks to the protozone (if it has done one thing its brought all the shrimp out of hiding as i now know i have all 5 still) lets hope these are ghost shrimp lol and not those bleedin demon monster things pet smart seem to be knocking out

Gonna follow the treatment to the word and carry over slightly as you stated to ensure erradication.

 

[WILDER]

Strimp don't tolerate parasite meds to well can you issolate them.

Keep an eye on the clown loaches as well as there funny with parasite meds.
http/www.waterlife.co.uk/waterlife/protozin.htm

 

[kev350d]

Strimp don't tolerate parasite meds to well can you issolate them.

Nah i tried for half an hour before issuing the med with two nets (its like trying to do the immpossible in the trigon because im on steps trying to get to them) and the lighting has to be moved for me to access the back of the tank, sounds nasty but they are gonna have to take their chances i think. (Doesnt sound very nice i know)

Yeah i read that about the med. but also read that they have been treat by members on here and have proved ok with it, i'll watch for them (its a bit crazy showing clown loaches on a brand of medication that may infact be harmfull to that species) new people to the hobby walking into a store and seeing Effective treatment for whitespot and a picture of two happy clown loaches on the label may be led to believe that it was indeed used to treat them. "myself included"

 

[WILDER]

Ok, good luck.
This is a good site on clown loaches.
http/www.bollmoraakvarieklubb.org/artikl...own%20loach.htm

 

[kev350d]

Ive had to lower the temp from 30° down to 27°-28° as the fish were becoming very lethargic and the clown loach that was hit the worst from the ich seems as though it has just had enough and keeps rolling onto its side then righting itself , now that ive turned the lights out it is feeding on the bogwood and filter pipes but is very dosile i really dont think its gonna see it through, why the hell dont such places like pets at home treat their fish (our local Dobbies is infact a garden centre but always quarentines its tanks with signs reading "not for sale currently under treatment" )i went back to pets at home (Metrocentre) to see how the rest of the tanks in the store were doing and to my utter dissapointment 5 were crawling with obvious whitespot and they were still selling stock from them to parents with their kids (yes i know they should know better than buy them but alot of people are new and take the advice from the staff as gospel) whats worse is the fact a women complained about the condition of a fish her son bought (beta) yesterday and they had the cheek to blame her water.

Im going to make it my buisness to complain and follow it up, its just not fair that they allow their fish to get in this condition and allow them to remain so. Im sure they could seize selling their stock for a week or so and treat the poor things but all they do is either remove their corpses and THIS is my biggest concearn removing the visually affected ones out of the public eye then re-stocking the infected tanks with new fish a week later.

If the bloody staff took as much time looking after their livestock and less time chatting each other up the store would be a cool place to visit..

rant over

 

[andyt_uk]

Ive had to lower the temp from 30° down to 27°-28° as the fish were becoming very lethargic and the clown loach that was hit the worst from the ich seems as though it has just had enough and keeps rolling onto its side then righting itself ,

this may be typcal clown behaviour..
the high temp really does help with ich

Im going to make it my buisness to complain and follow it up,

good lad

its just not fair that they allow their fish to get in this condition and allow them to remain so. Im sure they could seize selling their stock for a week or so and treat the poor things but all they do is either remove their corpses and THIS is my biggest concearn removing the visually affected ones out of the public eye then re-stocking the infected tanks with new fish a week later.

If the bloody staff took as much time looking after their livestock and less time chatting each other up the store would be a cool place to visit..

rant over

sounds like my local big chain pet store who doesnt really care about the animals..
wouldnt be the first time i stood there and told both staff and customers about the condition of the fish and that they were ill and shoudnt be for sale...

get some pics of the ill fish if you can - even better if you can get the staff netting one for a customer...

 

[WILDER]

I would report them letting fish suffer try the rspca.
Clown do lay on there sides but it sound like with having the whitespot he's coming down with a bacterial infection, which is common with parasites.
All I can suggest is try to frozen shelled peas for now.
Have you increased aeration in the tank.

 

[kev350d]

Yep ive got the fluval 405 and a fluval 4+ on full and the outlet slightly off the water causing thousands of micro bubbles all traces of carbon have been removed and replaced with filter wool and sponges although my 405 does have a layer of efi torf to lower the ph (this wont effect the medication) there is lots of surface agitation.
On a side note ive just been out and purchased a 2nd hand juwel rekord 60 to serve as a hospital / quarentine tank so this scenario wont be repeated in my main tank.

To let you all know when i thought about keeping fish again (after a 10yr break) i thought along the lines of a small community tank for my children to enjoy "after spending time on here i now have a trigon 350 and now a second" and would like to say a big thank you to all for helping me spend my wages by reminding me how addictive and enjoyable the hobby of fish keeping is (even with its problems) lmao.

 

[WILDER]

Good luck, it is an enjoyable hobby when things are running smooth lol.
I would seriously have ago at that lfs shouldn't be keeping fish if they won't medicate when there ill.
Good luck with your fish at least you care.