Loaches Online Forum

Thanks, I lost my fourth loach sometime during the night. Chefkeith; About my tap water, gH is 14 degrees and kH is 10. pH is 8. TDS is measuring 185. Typically, how long does it take for filters to become fully mature, thus avoiding nitrite and ammonia spikes? Helen; How do you wash the plants? I d...

I've had the lights off most of the time, plus I've monitored the nitrites and ammonia daily and have 0 readings each time. However, I have not added minerals to the distilled water. When I acclimated the fish to my tank, everything matched but the TDS. The LFS had a TDS reading of @250, while mine ...

The two sick loaches that I have now have hung on longer after developing symptoms than the other three did and I just noticed that one of them is now starting to stay in one place at the bottom of the tank, just like the others did before they died. I've just stared at him for about ten minutes, tr...

1. Fish appear to be dying during the night. The first two died in the evening and the third died at some time during the night. 2. I have two pieces of java fern (about five inches long each, stuck in holes in the driftwood). I have two small bundles of hornwart (about seven inches long each). 3. T...

Hey all; It appears that I only post when I have problems but I still don't feel experienced enough to offer advice. I need help identifying/curing something that is killing my new clowns. (sorry for the long message, but I want to be as detailed as possible) QUESTIONS What is wrong with the loaches...

Thanks for the info, Diana!

Hey guys! I have a 10g tank that is now set up to be a quarantine tank (I re-homed the tetras that called it home to my 29g). --Right now the water parameters are pH 8.0, 0 nitrite, 0 ammonia, <10 ppm nitrates, 200TDS, 15dGH, 80 degrees F. The high pH and hardness is influenced by my tap water condi...

Hey guys; I'm finally setting up my new 72 gallon! I've installed a new HOB 30g Whisper filter on the back of my 29g so that the filter can get cycled and I can install it on the 72 gallon. --How long does it take for a new filter to get colonized with the beneficial bacteria? --I also have a new 60...

How many should I order at a time? In other words, how many is too many for a 10 gal quarantine tank?

Well, I think that I will stock B. histrionica and Y. sidthimunki. Temp will be 80degrees F, pH 6.8, a couple hang-on-back filters with extra powerheads for current, pool-filter sand substrate, sandstone and bogwood caves, and java fern. How many of each species should I stock? What about other spec...

Oops; I meant dwarf loach, not skunk loach

Thanks for the initial feedback. Frequent water changes won't be a problem (bi-weekly or more often) and I do plan to upgrade to a larger size tank eventually. In fact, the only thing keeping me from that 200g tank is lack of wall space in my tiny house (To make more room, I could get rid of the new...

Hi all; I recently acquired a new 72 gallon tank (5 ft. long, 2 ft. tall, bowed front, 18 inches deep at widest point, 12 inches deep at narrowest point). I have kept clown loaches for years but, until a couple months ago, was an unknowing amateur. I introduced a new fish to my loach tank a couple m...

Thank you guys for your kind words. I've cried so much the last week, not only because my fish were dying, but because of the guilt I feel over the fact that I was the reason they were sick. I hate for learning experiences to come at the expense of lives, but at least I have learned. I will never pu...

Hey guys; I've lost all of them, except the pleco. Even my last cichlid, who I really thought was going to make it because he was showing the least signs of stress, and didn't even have the white spots, was dead this morning. I'm going to keep treating, because I still have my pleco to save. Thank y...