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KILLER LOACHES!

Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:55 pm
by newshound
I recently bought a house and had to move about 10 min away with my 4 tanks. I only really enjoy loaches (dario, yoyo, histies, kubs, rostrata, striata, clown, modesta, skunk, eos, sid, rubusta and helodes) and keep few other fish.

I have a RTS, a couple of SAE, young Red-Lined Torpedo Barbs (Puntius denisonii) and a couple of dwarf neon rainbows.

Moving 4 tanks was a hell of a lot of work to put it mildly! If I was to do it again I would build a closeable cave that all the loaches would go in once the tank was empty of places to hide. Close the water tight cave with all the loaches in it and put it in a big bucket full of tank water. Less stress on the fish and much easier.

I bagged the fish moved them to the established tanks at my new house and everything was fine when I arrived... except both Red-Lined Torpedo Barbs were dead! (in different bags with the community loaches, not grr tank loaches or with the clowns)

They were the only deaths in the hour move.

I recall once reading that one should never bag clowns with other fish due to the toxins they give off when stressed but I will say that I would now extend that to all other fish. Both barbs were my youngest fish and in different bags.

Please note the RTS, SAE and rainbows were in bags with loaches. The RTS was with grr loaches. Maybe the RTS, SAE and rainbows survived but at what cost longterm.
anyhow food for thought.

Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 7:06 pm
by stevenallenbarnard
I've heard the same thing about corydoras.

Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 10:15 am
by Emma Turner
Hi newshound,
Sorry to hear about your Denisoni barbs. I don't suppose they were bagged with oxygen? If not, I really would think the cause is lack of oxygen, even if it was a move to a place only 10 mins away. These fish are a real nightmare for shops to import and sell as they have such a high oxygen requirement and can be lost very very easily. Of course whatever loaches they were bagged with could have given off some mucus, but I think the cause is more likely oxygen deprivation having gone from a well-filtered, well-oxygenated aquarium to a bag with several (?) fish and no aeration.
Emma