Out Of Condition Clown Loach

[zuulan]

Can anyone help me with 1 of my clown loaches? I hope you can see from the photos it doesn't look very good, but it's been like this for awhile and is eating well enough. It's has very faded colours and is skinny, although it can still have a belly full of food. He's not getting bullied or anything and gets on well with the rest of his tank mates. Should I worry about it. What can I do?

One on the left here. You can see the comparison. They are babies, about an inch long.

 

[3ndl3r]

If it's eating normal i wouldn't be too worried, keep an eye on him

James

 

[zuulan]

No-one else thinks he looks in bad shape?

 

[Geoff1991]

Its hard to tell from a pic (and a blurry one at that ) how healthy a fish is as you can see how it is acting/eating etc...

 

[3ndl3r]

No-one else thinks he looks in bad shape?

I agree he doesn't look perfect, but if he's swimming and eating normally i wouldn't be too worried at this point.

Could you possibly get us a better picture?


James

 

[holidayinn]

Can't see the pic...

 

[zuulan]

Its hard to tell from a pic (and a blurry one at that ) how healthy a fish is as you can see how it is acting/eating etc...

Sorry but I don't have a proper digital camera. I only have the camera on my blackberry and it's not good for moving objects, but I think you can see the faded colours on the first photo, no?

As for how it acts and eats, he's fine. Just acts and behaves like the others and I've seen food in his belly so he seems to be eating well too.

 

[three-fingers]

Clown loaches are very susceptible to something called "skinny disease" (it's always great fun receiving new shipments of clown loaches at the lfs ), and I'd say that's what this loach has.

It's basically usually a internal bacteria problem, and you will need to treat the fish for that first. It's possibly internal parasites too, but treat for that after the internal bacteria.

 

[Truck]

remember any antibiotics will also kill filter bacteria

 

[three-fingers]

Not necessarily true truck . Depends which ones, different anti-bacterial products can target different bacteria.

Filter bacteria are gram-negative, while mycobacteria (causing skinny disease) are gram-positive.

Basically this means there should be a treatment available that doesnt kill filter bacteria but will cure skinny disease...

Interpet No.9 should work .

 

[Truck]

did not know that...cheers for informing

 

[zuulan]

Not necessarily true truck . Depends which ones, different anti-bacterial products can target different bacteria.

Filter bacteria are gram-negative, while mycobacteria (causing skinny disease) are gram-positive.

Basically this means there should be a treatment available that doesnt kill filter bacteria but will cure skinny disease...

Interpet No.9 should work .

Interpet 9. Great, thanks! That's what I needed to know.

Do you think he'll be OK in a 45 ltr QT tank for the 1-2 weeks it needs for the treatment to take effect?

I just ask because people always seem to go mad if you mention you have a Clown Loach in any tank smaller then 400ltr.

 

[three-fingers]

Tbh I would treat the whole tank to make sure none of the other fish have it, it's contagious (though, I've never experienced it spreading).

 

[zuulan]

Tbh I would treat the whole tank to make sure none of the other fish have it, it's contagious (though, I've never experienced it spreading).

OK, I treated the first dose on Thursday but 1-2 days later the water turned Milky. It's now gone more murky. Any ideas why?

 

[three-fingers]

Could be a lot of reasons, if stats are OK, don't worry about it until the treatment is over. Tanks often go murky after being medicated, adding strange chemicals to an ecosystem usually mucks it up. You have n choice though, you need to get rid of this contagion.

If stats are off, then you will have to be doing 50% water changes and re-adding medication to compensate, which is a more risky approach since you have no way of telling how much of the medication is still active.