Lonely Clown Loach

[alaynalayna]

*Been set up for 6 months
* 55 Gallon
* Fluval U4
* Currently 78*
* 10% Water changes weekly
2 Balloon Mollys
4 Mollys
5 Platys
1 Albino Pleco
2 Swordtails
1 5inch Clown Loach
ammonia-0
nitrite-0
nitrate-3
pH-7.2


Alright I've been reading this forum and cannot figure out what to do!

I work at petco, and Someone dropped off a 5 inch clown loach they didnt want anymore, he is absolutely amazing, always silly. After hours of research i went to get him some friends, i picked up 2 and slowly acclimated them, the 3 of them were very happy for about a month, ich came and killed the 2 new ones.I tried the heat method (85*) and took out carbon and turned out lights but I guess I was too late, I also vacumed every day. So about a month later I tried again, the same thing happened, I feel bad for my poor Loach, I know he'd be happier with friends, but they just keep passing. Any Advice? I would love to figure this out!!

[Diana]

Put the new Loaches in a quarantine tank and treat there from the first day for Ich. I would get a UV sterilizer.
After running the UV for a week, turn it off. Most Ich ought to have fallen off the fish and died, especially if you keep the Q-tank really warm.
If Ich still comes back then go to a medicated treatment, but you cannot combine meds with UV. The UV will destroy most meds. Rid Ich is a good one. Do not use Amquel dechlorinators while using any of the dye-based medications.

While the fish are in quarantine is a good time to treat for internal parasites, too.

Continue quarantine for at least a month after all medication has stopped.

Ich can live in the gills, which is why you cannot always see it on the fish.

[alaynalayna]

How big should the quarantine tank be? And does it need decorations and gravel? Pretty much starting all over?

[glenna]

most people like to keep the Qtank completely bare, except for a hiding place so as not to cause excessive stress to the fish in treatment/observation.
I usually put just a SKIFF of gravel (easily vacuumed), a ceramiccave, and some sacrificial live plants (clippings from wisteria off the big plant in an established tank), since I think living plants really help reduce fish stress (I have no data on that, only my personal observation).It just floats around and serves as an island hiding place. It does not get in the way of keeping the tank clean, and being able to observe the fish in the tank, which is the important part.

[alaynalayna]

Thank you so much, would a 5 gallon be too small for one 3 inch for 2 weeks?

[glenna]

i usually use a 10 gallon for quarantine because the smaller the tank, the more difficult to keep parameters, temp etc, stable. Five gallons seems small in that regard. I have never used one as small as that, but that is not to say that it could not work, for just one 3" fish.

Still, you want it small enough to make treatment affordable. Sometimes I use a 20 gallon, but of course, it is more $$$ to do treatment. I would quarantine longer than 2 weeks for loaches because I treat for parasites for bottom dwellers. Then I will observe for close to a month AFTER that to ensure that the fish are good. I think it really depends on the target tank: if you have a number of personally valuable fish in the main tank, you will find yourself being very protective and careful to not put them at risk. I have kept a fish out of the main tank for months before introducing it because I am very attached to some of the fish in my main tank. If you are setting up a NEW tank, you might be a little more brazen: after all, the new tank is empty, so no one in there to get sick if you do not quarantine very carefully.

[zenins]

All good advice here