white spot AND a crab in my filter

[nemery]

Lost my pim pictus today. Because they hide all the time I didnt notice he was covered in white spot until yesterday eveing. So this morning I rushed to the shop to get some treatment but he didnt make it, didnt think he would. So.

And i have a crab who likes it inside my filter, do you think this will do any harm? to either him or the filter. I have a Rio180 where the filter is in the corner with the heater etc all in one and he just hides in one of the gaps. Ive already fished him out once but he just went back.

I thought he had died the other week, because there was a sad looking crab all pale on the gravel. So I buried him in the garden. Then later that night I was watching the tank and I saw 2 crabs again.... I dint realise they shed their skin. That ones called Jesus now.
heyhum

 

[Fawke]

Hi Nemery

Sorry to hear about your pim pictus.

Once they get white spot (ICH) they are very hard to treat as they are scaless and very sensitive to alot of medication.....
On another note.... mine hide occasionally but are usually very active fish, swimming all over the place.
Make sure that your Nitrates are low and your other parameters are very good, as scaless fish will not tolerate bad conditions as well as others might.
A good indicator on pictus is the barbels. The condition and length will detiorate if the water parameters are bad or it is stressed out.... as well as the usual indicators you get on most fish (good colouration, feeding etc).

Pim Pictus also like to be kept in groups, as they are a loose shoaling fish. I had a single pictus in a tank once and he went barmy chasing his own reflection in the glass. I got 3 more and he settled down very nicely.

In regard to the crab, im affraid i do not know alot about them, other than they shed ther skin
If the crab is happy and the filter is not being damaged then initially i can see no harm. Best wait for a crab/Rio filter expert to advise on that note.....

I would be interested to hear your water parameter results (Ammonia, NitrIte, NitrAte, pH and hardness) being the most important...

Good luck, and to the forum BTW

 

[nemery]

see, everything is spot on. It alway is. No problems with water qualoity at all so i dont understand where its come from cos I havnt added anyone to the tank either for a good motnh or so.

 

[nemery]

aaaaaand my scking loach appears to be eating the parasites offa my loach.

good?

 

[Paul_MTS]

not good at all the sucking loach is eating your loaches coating which will leave the loach open to desease so you need to be rid of 1 or the other or try and eat the sucking loach something more interesting to eat.

 

[Fawke]

Good, glad your water quality is ok It always pays to ask....

Somehow Ich got into (or became active) in your tank......
Sucking loaches, as PvB stated, will be taking the protective slime off of your fish and will leave it open for infection....

If you have the facilities i would take the fish out and put them in a seperate tank. Personally i would remove the sick fish and treat them accordingly. I rarely treat my main tank and remove sick fish quickly to avoid the others getting it....

Touch wood i have never encountered Ich, but i have had flukes before and that was the only time i treated my main tank....
The meds were ok for scaless fish at half the dose and did not effect bio filtration.

I then invested in a UV steriliser to reduce spreading diseases in the future and to improve water quality....
A tad uneccessary i hear you say but i have had no outbreaks or spreading since in my main tank.....

Keep us updated on how your fishies are.... are they all infected, can you remove them (sick ones) if not can you remove one of the loaches? What meds are you using?