Yoyo loaches dying suddenly

[XavNav55]

All loches I have bought suddenly die and breath heavily at the top except Kuhlis. Clowns where quicker with it, so I tried 3 yoyos. They grew, were eating well, and lasted 2 months and grew to around 4.5cm. Today suddenly, like with the clowns, one was dead, the other is breathing heavily at the top, and the other is fine. The on breathing heavily has a red color to its whiskers, but the mouth looks normal. I tried water changes many times but they still die at the end. I increased oxygenation rn but I need to understand why. I have a 120g tank with alot of plants and logs. The video below is at the top of the tank with a floating water sprite.

 

[fishorama]

Red whiskers say bacterial infection to me. Do you vacuum around the plants? What are your water parameters & water change schedule? Filtration? How long has this tank been set up? Sorry, more questions than help.

 

[XavNav55]

Tank has been setup for 3 years, filtration is external with filter media, activa carbon, and filter sponges(white and black). Water changes are every 2 weeks and I vacuum the plants not very frequently, once a month. Parameters I only have acess to PH wich is about 7.0 and no sign of chlorine. Water temp is 27C. Just another question, If any of those are a problem, why do my kuhlis all have +2 years? Oh and also I have alot of snails Yoyos were eating.(That was one of the reasons I got them)

 

[Colin_T]

There's something wrong with the water. Did you do anything to the tank yesterday?

Do a big water change and gravel clean the substrate. Make sure the new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine.

Increase aeration and clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. Wash filter media in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the lawn outside.

 

[XavNav55]

Changed the water, cleaned the substrate, cleaned the filter, and increased the aeration. Loach is still alive and no longer at the top, but it still looks like its having a seizure. He moves but slowly and doesnt close his mouth. The other loach is still good. All other fish are good.

 

[Colin_T]

Do a few more water changes during the next week and hope for the best.

If fish ever get sick, wipe the inside of the glass down, do a massive water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week or until the problem is identified, and clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. That usually helps buy some time to try and figure out what is going on.

 

[XavNav55]

Loach is way better now, thanks for the help!

 

[jaylach]

Glad that the loach is doing better.

Still I'm curious as to your water. As to the fish that have died does the tank's water KH and GH fit the species?