Sick Loach please help.

[Z28angel]

Hi, looking for some help. I have a golden dojo loach about 6-7yrs old and around 8-9" long. About a month ago after getting a new loach I had ich in my tank for the first time ever. After treating and lots of water changes we seemed to make it over the hump. Everyone seemed to be doing well in the tank and eating great again. Still doing weekly water changes about 25-50%. Sunday she did not eat well for the first time since the ich and I noticed 4 small raised, almost welts like bumps on her. They do not look fuzzy like fungus and look nothing like the ich from before. Also noticed that the color on her head seemed splotchy. Some areas pinkish and others yellowish. Not sure what is going on now or how to help her at this point other then the water changes and prayers. I had my water tested and it was good other then high nitrates. The only other fish in tank 3- corydoras and a golden pleco are doing great, non have the welts on them. Tank is a 20G temp 80f. Also the welts/bumps come and go and she gets veins when the welt goes down. She is dropping weight and lethargic. Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.

[redshark1]

I dont keep these fish and cannot be certain what the problem is but it would be likely to be related to the high nitrates. Do you have a figure for the level?

High nitrates may be difficult to reduce with a large fish relative to the small size of the tank. I also hope the Pleco is a small species.

Common ways of lowering nitrates are to reduce stocking, control feeding, encourage fast growing plants and do weekly 25% water changes.

Do you still need the temp at 80F now that the ich has gone. I don't think Dojos should be kept at so high a temp permanently. Most but not all Corydoras like it cooler also. Not sure about your Pleco until you identify the species.

I have only had whitespot when introducing new fish so avoid new introductions as far as possible.

As far as I know these are very robust and long-lived fish indeed when kept in suitable conditions.

Hopefully others who keep these fish will add their comments. I do hope you can turn this around.

Oh, I see you posted this elsewhere on the forum. I wish you mentioned this.

[Z28angel]

Thank you for your reply. I was not really sure how posting on the forums worked so I ended up posting in two place and realize that later. I am slowly working the temp back down as I know my fishies like it cooler. We are down to 78*F now. I consulted with the University of Florida and we have started medicated baths every other day on her. They believe it is a secondary bacterial infection due to the Ich. She seems to be feeling better and has eaten very well last 3 days. The welts come and go over night. Popping up in new places and then going away within 24 hrs, it's very strange. We are continuing with weekly water changes and hoping that once my biological filter has been reestablished the nitrates will stay low. Not sure how much truth there is to it but from several people I have talked to they said that hopefully my nitrates are only high due to the fact that my biological filter was wiped out during the ich. My fingers are crossed we will soon me back to normal and she can finally be moved to her larger tank. Thank you again for your help.

[redshark1]

Ich is caused by a protozoan so I do not know if medications to kill this also kill filter bacteria but it seems feasible and I guess you could google it.

Good luck, I hope you can get on an even keel.

[Diana]

See my response in the Fish Health forum.
Perhaps a mod can unite these 2 threads.

Where would the NO3 come from if the nitrifying bacteria died? THINK!
Where does it START? As Ammonia.
If there were no bacteria, it would stay in the ammonia (or ammonium) form and the fish would all be dead by now.
If there were some bacteria, not enough, then you would see ammonia and nitrite. (and the fish would still be dead).

Your nitrifying bacteria are alive and on the job. The NO3 proves it.

[Bas Pels]

If for no explanable reason nitrate is high, the reason must be something, somewhere in the system, is decaying.

You might want, after another water change, today 50 %, tomorrow 50 % and so on, to make a list of all fishes which are supposed to be in the tank, and then look for each and every one of them.

One, or more, could be missing. Or perhaps something else you brought into the system might be wrong. I once heard someone finding a nice piece of wood, which must have been used as a toilet by some anima - it was loaded with nitrates

[Z28angel]

So far so good. Her welt like bumps are almost 100% gone. Red vessel like marks still show but are shrinking daily. I am going to have my water tested again as the nitrates are coming down. Also ordered some at home testing strips to keep an eye on the levels. Loacheecha is eating well and everyone else in the tank still happy and healthy. We are continuing with every other day medicated baths and water changes. I am hoping soon she will be well enough to move to her bigger tank as I know she needs the room.

[redshark1]

I have a lot of experience with this 20g size tank and I know that without plants it is difficult to control nitrate level. I would think it especially difficult with your size of fish. Testing regularly with the API liquid test is recommended to get a guide for nitrate levels (you have to judge the colour which is not easy but gives a guide). If you settle on a maintenance regime and stick with it you will likely keep the same nitrate levels and can test less frequently.

I have found exchanging 2 gallon daily my best solution as I like a regular maintenance regime. I also wash the filters in aquarium water each week as I have had problems when I left it too long and they blocked - some fish died. Then it is possible to keep fish very healthy. I have 9 x glass catfish Pareutropius buffei 9 years old in a 100 litre.

[Diana]

In your most recent post you said Nitrite. Spelled with the letter i. Chemical formula NO2. This can be toxic to the fish at low levels (.25-2ppm. depending on the fish, their age, and a few other things.), and is a sign that there is a problem with the nitrifying bacteria.

Compare to Nitrate, spelled with the letter a. Chemical formula NO3. This can be toxic to the fish, but is a sign that the nitrifying bacteria are doing their work.

If you actually are seeing NO2, then there is indeed a problem, and it is much more urgent than seeing NO3.

If you are actually seeing NO3, then this can be a problem, but can usually be dealt with, and is not so urgent.

[Bas Pels]

Nitrite is more than a thousand times more toxic than nitrate.

That is, nitratie is rather harmless, in many places the tap water cntains nitrates in amounts of 20 mg a liter, but nitrite is deadly. Even for humans

[Diana]

IvanoFFMab,

This is a fresh water aquarium site, specializing in Loaches. While some of us may keep salt water tanks as well, I do not, and this site does not even have a forum for marine tanks.

Also, you posted in someone else's thread about a sick loach and some related problems. Best to start your own thread.