HELP - loaches much worse

[WILDER]

I'm afraid not a good sign if he's laboured breathing, the parasite has invaded the gills, are the gill pale or red and inflamed, i wouldn' do much as it taking it toll, leave temp he won't be able to breath, can you issolate the fish.

 

[Weeze]

They don't look too inflamed, just moving fast. Whole loach has pale areas. Can't isolate until tomorrow. I need to get a heater for qtank. Do you think this is an option or given his condition, leave him where he is?

 

[WILDER]

I would issolate the worst one's so you can get temp up in main tank, and treat the poorly one more gently, to be honest it's not sounding good anyway.

 

[Weeze]

If he survives the night, i might do that. All the other fish in the tank are fine. Reason for isolating is because I wanted to add some salt, but i have catfish, cories and a plec that apparently do not tolerate it.

 

[WILDER]

Cory can tolerate abit my plec could about two teaspoon no more depend on how many gallons it is.

 

[WILDER]

Don't turn temp up to much as the fish you have can't tolerate high temps either.

 

[Weeze]

Can anyone tell me how to safely clean and sanitise a very small (17.5'' x 10''x10'') aquarium which has been donated by my mother as a quarantine tank.
It has an undergravel filter system and i just need a heater (which kind is best for this size?) the aquarium has been used to keep rescued mice the cat has caught and so needs a very thorough clean! Also what is the best way to prepare it for use as a q-tank, eg gravel, airpump, plants etc? Is this even suitable for the ich stricken loach?

 

[WILDER]

Alot of hot water and salt even do the same with the undergravel filter, give it a good clean with the salt water, even could fill it right to the top again and leave to soak in salt water over night, rinse well to get rid of the salt, then let completely dry out.

 

[IMCL85]

a q tank usually mean nothing at all empty with just the fish and something for him to hide in as they were loaches . Usually flower pot. This is what I use in my q tank a 50watt heater(any brand could work)/aquaclear filter/air pump thats all in the tank. Since ur fish wouldn't be in there for the rest of their life so no reason to set it up like main tank it will just make the clean up much much harder after fish recover or die. Also that since u just set up ur q tank you should not put any fish in it for atleast 3-4 days and let it do a fishless cycle and let benefit bacteria to grow. And plz dont use the undergravel filter for now because you wouldn't be having any gravel in a q tank bared bottom is suggested nor do u have enought time for the gravel to build up benefit bacteria to kill ammonia and nitrite.

 

[Weeze]

I really need to get the loach out sooner than three or four days. Would an undergravel filter not do a good enough job. I have seen quarantine tanks in lfs with same filter system. Please excuse if this is a silly question, still new to all this.

 

[gaya]

Keep an eye your water specs when you move him to the q tank. I've had problems with ammonia spikes in newly set up q tanks even when i add media and ornaments from other tanks. btw, if i were you, at the end of your ick treatments I would do daily or at least every other day w/c for at 4 or 5 days. The best ick treatment/method i've ever used was a light ick med for three days (meant for scaless fish) with no w/c, then light salt for a few days with the temp up to 86F, covered with a few towels so zero light go in, an air stone and once i started with the salt i did 50% water changes every day. Salt was replaced as i went along. Imo, w/c are so helpful when dealing with ick. I know many meds state not to do w/c during treatment but i don't agree especially for 7-14 day treatments.
good luck

 

[IMCL85]

I really need to get the loach out sooner than three or four days. Would an undergravel filter not do a good enough job. I have seen quarantine tanks in lfs with same filter system. Please excuse if this is a silly question, still new to all this.

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If you want to speed thing up. You probably have to take arround 75% of ur main tank water alone with an cycled filter meaning already have bacteria in them usualy you should have . And add another 25% new water, if you just toss him over with new water and not yet cycled I'm afrid its fatle in general. Even hardy healthy fish have hard time to stay in a non cycled tank. The ammonia inside the new tank will over whelm ur fish and lead to only corpse the next day . And in ur case I would probably just leave him in his tank as any more sudden move seem to be fatle for the little loach as he already infested badly.

 

[gaya]

I agree IMCL85. The move might prove to be too stressful and the main tank already has ick in it.