Died With Enlarged Stomache?

[Bambi211]

Hiya, I currently lost two clown loaches, sadly they died The second one, I noticed had a very very enlarged stomache, which it didnt have when it was alive?

Any reasons for this ? Just so i know for future reference?

xx

 

[Syphoniera]

If the belly wasn't swollen prior to death, it's quite likely due to gasses forming in the gut.
Unless the cause of death is known, as this may well have some bearing on the bloating?
But hopefully an expert will soon appear with informed suggestions.

I'd like to express condolences - fish loss is a real heartbreak.
Take care.

 

[Athena]

Hi - I take it these are the two loaches that died in the tank with all the algae? Can I ask how often you are doing water changes? As you have a fairly small tank with quite a few fish in it, you will need to be doing regular water changes - 25% twice a week would be good if you can manage it, or at least once a week. Don't worry about disturbing the fish - they will appreciate the tank water being kept clean.

Now, I know that on your other post, someone said that high nitrates don't cause algae blooms - but the reason I stated it did was based on what I'd read when I was looking into the causes of algae (as I had a problem with it in one of my tanks). Anyway, it was info I found online (about.com) - found it again and this is what it says:


"Nitrates and Algae
Elevated nitrates are a significant contributor to undesirable algae growth. Nitrate levels as low as 10 ppm will promote algae growth. Algae blooms in newly setup tanks are usually due to elevated nitrate levels.

Although plants utilize nitrates, if nitrates rise faster than the plants can use them, the plants can become overgrown with algae, ultimately leading to their demise."


So, if that's the case and high nitrates contribute to the algae problem (I'm no expert which is why I was researching to learn more about it), then this could be what had caused your fish to die.

Clown loaches are very sensitive fish and not easy to keep. They are prone to Ich and bacterial problems and if the water conditions are not right they will become stressed and develop illness and die if not treated.

(Also, did you realise that clown loaches grow huge and your 60L tank would not have been suitable for them, anyway? thought I'd mention it just in case you get tempted to replace them with more). Always check the adult size of a fish before you buy as it'll save you having to rehome it later on.

Anyway, if you can let us know your tank water stats that might help shed some light on these fish deaths.

Regards - Athena