Weather Loach May Have Damaged Barbels

[RockyRaccoon]

The title says it all. He's been pretty inactive the last couple days. I'm guessing my gravel is too thick for him. He didn't eat today when I dropped a pellet right next to him which was pretty discouraging. Is there anything I can do besides give him away to a pet shop? I'm going to try to hand feed him tomorrow because he is generally the only fish that doesnt swim away from my hand.

 

[mancin]

Based on your other post, it seems you lost several fish yesterday? I would invest in an API Water Test kit and get your Ammonia, NitrIte and NitrAte readings as soon as possible so that you know what the water quality is like.

 

[Honeythorn]

As well as the above advice, if your loach makes it, remove the gravel on one side of the tank and replace it with a nice big patch of sand. Gravel does tend to wear down the barbels of loaches and cories, so sand is best for them as they like to root in the substrate, and loaches love to bury themselves.

 

[shelaghfishface]

they are also cold water fish, they can adapt to heat in the wild but in artificaly heated tanks they become prone to infection

 

[Honeythorn]

They're ok if you keep to 25 degrees C and below. Mine is dead on 25.

 

[Gilli]

Might be better to put him in the hospital tank if you have one and leave the bottom sand/gravel free - that way he can find the food more easily because they do rely on the barbels to find food. If he survives his barbels will grow back.

 

[RockyRaccoon]

Based on your other post, it seems you lost several fish yesterday? I would invest in an API Water Test kit and get your Ammonia, NitrIte and NitrAte readings as soon as possible so that you know what the water quality is like.

yeah, i'm going through some serious fish troubles. the word from petsmart is that my water is pretty much fine. i was told that the nitrite (i think) and ph were just slightly off because of "new tank syndrome". I've changed 25% of the water since then over a two day period.

As well as the above advice, if your loach makes it, remove the gravel on one side of the tank and replace it with a nice big patch of sand. Gravel does tend to wear down the barbels of loaches and cories, so sand is best for them as they like to root in the substrate, and loaches love to bury themselves.

damn, thats a really good idea.

they are also cold water fish, they can adapt to heat in the wild but in artificaly heated tanks they become prone to infection

yeah, i try to compromise with him and the tetras. i keep the temperature at about 74-75

Might be better to put him in the hospital tank if you have one and leave the bottom sand/gravel free - that way he can find the food more easily because they do rely on the barbels to find food. If he survives his barbels will grow back.

I don't have a hospital tank but I figure I could find a bucket or somethin just temporarily. its encouraging to know that they'll grow back if he survives.

 

[mancin]

yeah, i'm going through some serious fish troubles. the word from petsmart is that my water is pretty much fine. i was told that the nitrite (i think) and ph were just slightly off because of "new tank syndrome". I've changed 25% of the water since then over a two day period.

If you have a NitrIte reading over 0.25, that will cause organ damage in your fish. Ammonia readings over 0.25 cause gill damage. If they told you they saw a NitrIte reading, that would definitely warrant a water change. I saw that you have done a water change, but you may need more! Unfortunately, without a test kit of your own you won't know how much water to change in order to bring the levels down because you won't have a pre-water change and post-water change reading to compare.

 

[vonnie06]

if petsmart told you about nitrite and ph then you really need to get your self a kit of your own and start doing water changes about 25% a day to get the nitrite down,the barbels on the loach will grow back but id do what someone said in previous post change half the tank to sand you'll see a difference in behaviour when you do this.like said they love sand as they do bury themselfs plus its more comfy on the barbels,if your thinking of putting the weather loach in the bucket for a hospital tank i woulded because he will jump if he gets frightened or something makes him jump.so my advice would be get a test kit i know they are a bit pricey but how you got to look at it is that once youve bougt one you can test you water when ever you want so if you have a emergency one time late at night you havent got to worry of getting your water tested at the petshop,its always handy to have one there.once youve got one test your water to see how it is hope you get it sorted