Lethargic Little Loach Loses Life - B. Dario suggestions?

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Andythaler
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:02 pm

Lethargic Little Loach Loses Life - B. Dario suggestions?

Post by Andythaler » Sun Mar 15, 2009 6:39 pm

Hello all of you, I do have a problem with my beloved Botia Darios.

About 2 months ago I started out as a fishkeeper (with a 80x40x40 cm / 120 liter aquarium) and bought 3 of these wonderful and lively creatures, and they have quickly become my favourite aquarium inhabitants. (Others include 6 Xiphophorus Helleri, 4 Ancistrus Dolichopterus, 9 Red Tetras and 2 aquatic dwarf frogs)

Unfortunately, since about 3 weeks the three have become more and more lethargic, and only spend their time in a shelter, lying on the floor and not even coming out when I feed them.

Unfortunately, one of them has died yesterday. I was not present, but my wife told me in the evening that the little loach had been floating on the surface dead, with some bloody spots on its belly.

I suspect that it is a result of white mouth disease that befell some of my Xiphophorus helleri.

I tried to treat it with ESHA EXIT and ESHA 2000, but have not overcome it yet. I also added some salt to the aquarium (on the suggestion of the fish dealer who sold me all the fish) - which I have since read here on the forum is not a favourite of loaches. Shortly after that time (2-3 weeks ago) the loaches have been quite lethargic ... not swimming around and performing their loachy dance as before, but rather hiding, lying on the floor (sometimes half on the side) or trying to snuggle into crevices. The remaining 2 are still able to swim fast and elegant, e.g. if I try to catch them to isolate them, but they prefer not to. When they swim, they use very little fin movements, it looks as if they are shivering when they are maintaining their position in the current.

The 2 medicaments I mentioned contain the following:

ESHA 2000
6.3 mg ethacridine lactate (Rivanol)
1 mg proflavin
3.2 mg copper 2+
0.26 mg methyl orange

ESHA EXIT
Diaminoacridine 6.3 mg,
Malachitgreenoxalate 0.31 mg,
Methyl-rosaliniumchloride 0.79 mg,
Methylthioniniumchloride 3.98 mg.


Apart from water changes and stopping to put more medicine in, is there anything I could do to help my remaining darios?

Would appreciate help, as I love the little critters.

Best regards,
Andy

PS:

My water has the following characteristics:
(according to water authorities)
Hardness 3,35 ± 0,13 mmol/l (hard)
pH-value 7,20 ± 0,04
Calcium 109,9 ± 4,1 mg/l
Magnesium 14,9 ± 0,7 mg/l
Natrium 39,4 ± 1,7 mg/l
Nitrat 21,9 ± 1,3 mg/l
Fluorid 0,12 mg/l
Sulfat 84,5 ± 6,5 mg/l
Phosphat total < 0,05 mg/l

Nitrite not significant (< 0,05 mg/l according to JBL drop test)

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