Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciated!

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Butterfly
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by Butterfly » Tue Feb 10, 2015 4:14 pm

Thank you again for your response mikev - as always, much appreciated!

I hate to sound daft, but how do we go about deworming? I have read the info on the link you posted about salts, but I am unsure of the best way to deworm.

The kana is enroute, should be here by tomorrow I am hoping. Our water-baby (Solo) is still hanging on, though he was laying upside down for several hours today...longer than usual. He is upright now, but I know that he is suffering. :(

Interestingly, the white patches have disappeared, at least for now...so confused.

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mikev
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by mikev » Tue Feb 10, 2015 5:15 pm

deworming : flubendazole, I posted ordering info before.

generally any new bottom fish should be dewormed, especially loaches... otherwise problems, sometimes obvious (weight loss), sometimes strange develop later. Later often means many months, 2 years is a bit too long, but this is really the only other thing that can be tried and possibly help.

Kanamycin: watch the biocycle, check ammonia and nitrites daily, and do water changes before adding the antibiotic. Kanamycin is capable of breaking the biocycle, especially if pH is high.

Butterfly
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by Butterfly » Wed Feb 11, 2015 7:54 am

Whoops - I did look at that link, but by the time I ran it by hubby and then posted back to you, I was a little 'dazed and confused' so to speak!

We have been doing daily 25-30% WCs in Solo's tank since moving him over, so hopefully there will be no issues with the Kana. We will test the water frequently, just to be sure. I really hope that it arrives today!

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mikev
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by mikev » Wed Feb 11, 2015 10:19 pm

Best wishes for the Solo's recovery!

Incidentally, the guy who sells flubendazole, Dr. Charles Harrison, may have ideas about the Solo problems too, he is quite knowledgeable.

You can just ask him, email is on the link I gave above.

Butterfly
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by Butterfly » Fri Feb 13, 2015 5:42 pm

Kana arrived. We were considering adding only half a dose where he is a loach, or should we add a full dose?
Thanks!

On a different note - I think that is a good idea. We'll contact Dr. Harrison. Thanks again!

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mikev
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by mikev » Fri Feb 13, 2015 8:40 pm

Full dose -- it is an antibiotic, you never half-dose them!

Best of luck --- lemme know if Harrison says something interesting/useful.

Butterfly
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by Butterfly » Fri Feb 13, 2015 9:07 pm

mikev wrote:Full dose -- it is an antibiotic, you never half-dose them!

Best of luck --- lemme know if Harrison says something interesting/useful.
Thanks - we just added the full dose. Will keep you updated! Thanks again. :)

Butterfly
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by Butterfly » Tue Feb 17, 2015 8:32 pm

I sent an email to Dr. Harrison, perhaps too late as, unfortunately, Solo took a major turn for the worst, stopped moving and eating completely. Solo is gone now, and I am feeling heartbroken and guilty that I couldn't save my water-baby.

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mikev
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by mikev » Wed Feb 18, 2015 9:54 am

Very sorry for this -- but you obviously tried your best, and it is quite likely that there was nothing you can do. The truth is that once a fish shows symptoms of a serious disease and you do not have a firm diagnosis chances of saving it are not good. And even if you have the diagnosis, often little you can do.

Butterfly
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by Butterfly » Thu Feb 19, 2015 8:17 pm

Thank you mikev for all of your help and support - I so appreciate it. The fish room feels empty without his hospital tank set up. For the last few months, my routine has been to go into the room and first check on Solo, then check on everyone else (we have six other tanks in this room). I hate going into the room and not seeing Solo. He had personality plus, for sure.

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mikev
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by mikev » Fri Feb 20, 2015 11:55 am

Sadly this is how this works, once in a while one loses a particular favorite fish (or tank) one gets close to. Happens a lot at my end too: with 170 tanks and thousands of critters someone dies nearly every day -- this is simply the statistics, the healthiest town on Earth with pop of 50k will have a death almost every day -- and sometimes it would be a fish I like particularly, or cannot replace... at least dojos are replaceable. You will find another one, perhaps with a different personality, but interesting in some other way.

When I whined years ago about a painful loss, another fishkeeper said "view this as opportunity to get new fish". I thought this was a horrible thing to say... but actually he was right.... things go on.

Butterfly
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by Butterfly » Fri Feb 20, 2015 7:47 pm

Thank you mikev, and I understand what that person was trying to say. Solo, however, will never be replaced. We do have five other loaches who also demonstrate different personalities. One of our guys likes to sit in my hand...never to eat, he just prefers to sit and rest in my hand (this loach is quite large, so he may be a she). We have another loach who eats from my hand, never sits in my hand though, but comes up as soon as I start feeding this tank, with barbs and loaches. This loach always comes up to be hand fed. Solo also acted this way, even in his hospital tank, he showed no fear of us, only showed trust in that he would look for the food, even when my hand was in the tank. So hard to get over, but I know that this result was the best for Solo...he experienced an awful time over the last few days before his death. We will miss Solo...correction, we are missing Solo :(

Thanks again, I so appreciate everything mikev - nice to have someone out there who cares. If it weren't for you, I am not sure I could have gotten through this in the same way - just reading your posts helped us a great deal - and I have learned a great deal from you - so again, thanks.

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mikev
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by mikev » Fri Feb 20, 2015 8:39 pm

Best wishes to whatever you do ... I'd probably consider using the qtank to quarantine a couple more dojos...this way it is not empty... and you never know what kind of new personality you would encounter.

Butterfly
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by Butterfly » Sat Mar 07, 2015 7:31 pm

mikev wrote:Best wishes to whatever you do ... I'd probably consider using the qtank to quarantine a couple more dojos...this way it is not empty... and you never know what kind of new personality you would encounter.
Thanks again. We just may consider adopting and QT-ing a few more loaches at some point in the future. For now, there are five in the 220g and they seem active and happy...but I love weather loaches, and I bet they would love to have even more friends!

Butterfly
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Re: Unknown problem with weather loach - any input appreciat

Post by Butterfly » Tue Apr 07, 2015 3:41 pm

Well, I am very sad to be posting in this topic again. I came home from work today and noticed another loach displaying some of the same symptoms: pale in colour and eyes appear to be darkened or "glazed". I honestly want to cry...this must be a disease? We take such good care of our water babies, and this tank is not overstocked, it is a 220g with several live plants, four filters, a UV sterilizer (added after Solo got sick), sand-based substrate, with 5 weather loaches, 11 denison barbs, and 12 gold barbs (and some trumpet snails). We do 30% WCs every Sunday. Nothing new has been added. I am beside myself here. :(

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