Loaches Look Awful

[jschlosser]

I noticed what appeared to be ich on two of the three clown loaches after I saw one of them flashing, nothing on anyone else at that time, back on Friday night and started the usual treatment, water changes, temp changes, took out carbon and what all. Other than the spots, they were fine, acting normally, playing, eating, etc.

Yesterday, they were acting fine still. Today when I went in to get started with another water change, I noticed one of them sitting on top of the heater - while it was on - one sitting close to the filter playing dead but I had to check to make sure he wasn't and the other off doing his normal thing. All three of them now have frayed tails but the ich spots are almost gone. I went ahead and dumped in some Melafix after the water change and addition of RidIch.

Could this be something other than ich? I haven't had a sick tank in 6 years and my loaches are 8 years old. None of the other fish is affected.

 

[WILDER]

Have you increased aeration with the high temp and med.
Has his breathing.

 

[jschlosser]

86 degrees, feels like a sauna and the surface of the water resembles a rolling boil.

50% water changes daily
daily vacuuming of the substrate
removed carbon from the filter
86F
lights out
Rid-Ich
and now Melafix

Geez, it's been so long since I had sick fish, I don't even remember half this stuff. Sounds like the tail rot is part and parcel with the ich. I really don't want to trash my biofilter with antibiotics if I can avoid it.

 

[3tankfan]

I noticed what appeared to be ich on two of the three clown loaches after I saw one of them flashing, nothing on anyone else at that time, back on Friday night and started the usual treatment, water changes, temp changes, took out carbon and what all. Other than the spots, they were fine, acting normally, playing, eating, etc.

Yesterday, they were acting fine still. Today when I went in to get started with another water change, I noticed one of them sitting on top of the heater - while it was on - one sitting close to the filter playing dead but I had to check to make sure he wasn't and the other off doing his normal thing. All three of them now have frayed tails but the ich spots are almost gone. I went ahead and dumped in some Melafix after the water change and addition of RidIch.

Could this be something other than ich? I haven't had a sick tank in 6 years and my loaches are 8 years old. None of the other fish is affected.

Your fish probably have a fungus and as gouramis get older they get VERY agressive. To be honest I bought a gourami a few weeks ago and it killed my biggest goldfish by slowly ripping its fin off till it got it to the tail vein, so I seperated it from the tank.

 

[jschlosser]

The gouramis are young and behaving themselves (more interested in each other than anything else). I swear, I am going to overstock my tank every ten years and leave it alone. Hadn't added a fish in 4 1/2 years or had any issues with anything at all in 6, now this. Thing is, even after quarantine and no disease showing in the new fish or the three non-loaches, this happens to the oldest and biggest in the tank.

The loaches are alive this morning, thank goodness. Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in today. One of their tails actually looks better already; it may be the Melafix. I hate putting this crap in my tank.

 

[WILDER]

Finrot can be common on top of whitespot.
Antibiotics should only be used in isolation as they wipe all the benefical bacteria out in the filter.

 

[jschlosser]

I thought ahead and pulled the filter media and about a gallon of gravel, put them in a bucket with a killer dose of RidIch and a bubbler and set them aside so I can dope the tank again. Not that I am looking forward to getting that back in equilibrium again. This just sucks.

My hospital/quarantine/fry tank isn't really big enough for the three of them. I should probably buy a bigger one, but I haven't had a sick fish in 6 years and space away from my oak floors where the cat can't get to them is hard to come by. She already nearly killed off the big tank by chewing through an airline and siphoning the tank. I moved the anti-backflow thingy. When I left the house this morning, they weren't much worse off than they were at 11 last night, so I am crossing my fingers that they will still be among us when I get home.

 

[jschlosser]

Two of the loaches look pretty good, the third is kind of iffy, but he might pull through. He sat in my hand (they are all hand-tame) for a few minutes over in the area that probably has the best oxygen then swam off on his own. I may move just him to the hospital tank so he can be in shallower water or drop some oxygen tabs in the corner where he likes to hangout.

 

[jschlosser]

Well, lost one. Just moved the others to the hospital tank. 2.5 gallons is awfully small for 5" fish. They are in pretty decent shape but are definitely sick. The did put up a good fight when I tried to move them, though. They are resting quietly. I'm changing water in the main tank, continuing to treat for ich but want to get the antibiotics out of there.