Swollen kuhli loach - not sure what to do
Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 5:21 am
Hi all,
I recently got back from vacation and noticed these nasty white sacs on the side of one of my kuhli loaches' body. He/she looks chunky, it's definitely "fattened up" in the past two weeks. The other kuhli loaches look their normal size (I have two other survivors). I left a vacation feeder while I was away, my other fish (20 cardinal tetras, 9 sterbai cory, 7 lemon tetras, and 4 pearl gourami) all look OK and are eating fine. My nitrates were on the high side (can't tell if they were 40 ppm or 80 ppm.. the color looks the same to me). I did a 30% PWC tonight. My nitrates have been a bit elevated for months now, so not sure if it's that.
Help! What could they be? I'm hoping they don't "pop" and spread disease everywhere. Any ideas? Could it simply be constipation? or internal parasites> Here are a few pictures.
Tank info:
- 55 gallon planted tank + 29 gallon sump (total water volume of ~60 gallons)
- tank has been running for 2 years
- water params; 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 40 nitrates
- ~1 dKH, 6 dGH, 180 ppm TDS, 6.6 pH
- 30% weekly water changes
- eco complete substrate, heavily planted tank
- stocking: 4 pearl gourami, 7 lemon tetra, 20 cardinal tetra, 9 sterbai cory, 3 kuhli loaches
- kuhli loaches had a 4 week quarantine, and have been in the planted tank since last Dec (9 months)
I recently got back from vacation and noticed these nasty white sacs on the side of one of my kuhli loaches' body. He/she looks chunky, it's definitely "fattened up" in the past two weeks. The other kuhli loaches look their normal size (I have two other survivors). I left a vacation feeder while I was away, my other fish (20 cardinal tetras, 9 sterbai cory, 7 lemon tetras, and 4 pearl gourami) all look OK and are eating fine. My nitrates were on the high side (can't tell if they were 40 ppm or 80 ppm.. the color looks the same to me). I did a 30% PWC tonight. My nitrates have been a bit elevated for months now, so not sure if it's that.
Help! What could they be? I'm hoping they don't "pop" and spread disease everywhere. Any ideas? Could it simply be constipation? or internal parasites> Here are a few pictures.
Tank info:
- 55 gallon planted tank + 29 gallon sump (total water volume of ~60 gallons)
- tank has been running for 2 years
- water params; 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 40 nitrates
- ~1 dKH, 6 dGH, 180 ppm TDS, 6.6 pH
- 30% weekly water changes
- eco complete substrate, heavily planted tank
- stocking: 4 pearl gourami, 7 lemon tetra, 20 cardinal tetra, 9 sterbai cory, 3 kuhli loaches
- kuhli loaches had a 4 week quarantine, and have been in the planted tank since last Dec (9 months)