I'm new to Aquaria and am having problems keeping my loaches alive.
About a week ago I purchased a gold dojo from a local pet store. He's super tiny, but seems to be doing just fine.
On monday I purchased 3 dojo loaches from a Petco. The morning after, one was on its back. I went in with the net and it flipped over and started swimming around. Today that loach is dead (or dying as of now). I noticed last night that its barbels were drooping. One of the other loaches died yesterday. I noticed that its barbels were shriveled as soon as I got home. Looking at the corpse I noticed its back as crooked as well.
The very last loach was fine until I got home today. It has some red coloring around it's tail fin, the tail fin itself is deteriorating. It acts a little lethargic at times, seemingly leaning against the glass.
My ammonia and nitrate levels were good the last time I tested my water and the gold dojo is perfectly fine (for the moment).
Advice?
Dying Dojos
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StrangeSavant
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helen nightingale
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could you give us some more details please?
you say your ammonia and nitrate levels are fine - but what are the exact readings? what temperature is your tank at? pH?
how long has the tank been set up for, and were these the first fish added? how did you acclimatise them?
sorry to ask so many questions, but there could be several reasons for your problems
you say your ammonia and nitrate levels are fine - but what are the exact readings? what temperature is your tank at? pH?
how long has the tank been set up for, and were these the first fish added? how did you acclimatise them?
sorry to ask so many questions, but there could be several reasons for your problems
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StrangeSavant
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I don't know the exact readings... I take my water to a particular pet store to have it tested. My water is about 80 degrees. I can get some exact readings tomorrow assuming my whole tank isn't belly up by then.
I also have 5 black skirt tetras (the first fish added), a gold gourami and an opaline gourami. The tank itself has been up and running about a month and a half. I acclimated all the fish the same way; let them sit in the bag for 15-20 minutes and then pour them out.
Like I said, the gold dojo in there doesn't have any discoloration and all the upper strata fish are fine as well.
Erm... I also just dosed the tank with some Melafix in hopes it might save the last of the Petco dojos.
I also have 5 black skirt tetras (the first fish added), a gold gourami and an opaline gourami. The tank itself has been up and running about a month and a half. I acclimated all the fish the same way; let them sit in the bag for 15-20 minutes and then pour them out.
Like I said, the gold dojo in there doesn't have any discoloration and all the upper strata fish are fine as well.
Erm... I also just dosed the tank with some Melafix in hopes it might save the last of the Petco dojos.
Last edited by StrangeSavant on Mon May 04, 2009 12:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
Do you really just pour them into your tank with the water from the store? This maybe an issue if the water from the bag was tainted. You might consider pouring some of the pet store water into the drain, and taking a scoop of your tank water and add that to the pet store water as you are floating it in the tank. This helps with temperature and helps the new comer acclimate to the actual water conditions of the tank. When you do add the fish, pour it out thru a net to catch the fish, then only add the fish and none of the water from the bag.StrangeSavant wrote: ...I acclimated all the fish the same way; let them sit in the bag for 15-20 minutes and then pour them out.
This may not be the cause of your issues, but going forward could eliminate the pssibility of transferring bad stuff from the pet store into your water.
80*F is too high for Dojo Loaches; they are a cool water fish. Mid 70s is about as high as I allow my Dojo tank to get. Mostly it is closer to 70*F.
I have given up going to the local Pet Co stores (there are several, and ALL are really bad for fish: Unhealthy, filthy tanks...)
Get your own test kit. Much better to have it on hand, and not have to run to the store every time you need to do a water test. Such as when fish are not doing well.
Here is one use:
Test the tank for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate to be sure it is fully cycled, and that the nitrate is low. Fish added to a tank with high nitrate do not easily make this transition. Nitrate is a stress, though not usually toxic, it can be if the fish have been in water with low nitrate. High nitrate levels also lowers the immunity of the fish that are living in that tank.
Test the GH, KH and pH of the water in your tank, then test the same in the bags the fish are in. If there is a difference the fish will not make the transition to your tank very well, and could die.
Store water can carry disease or parasites. Do not add it to your tank.
Set up a quarantine tank for new fish, so that whatever disease or parasites they may have does not get introduced to the main tank.
I have given up going to the local Pet Co stores (there are several, and ALL are really bad for fish: Unhealthy, filthy tanks...)
Get your own test kit. Much better to have it on hand, and not have to run to the store every time you need to do a water test. Such as when fish are not doing well.
Here is one use:
Test the tank for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate to be sure it is fully cycled, and that the nitrate is low. Fish added to a tank with high nitrate do not easily make this transition. Nitrate is a stress, though not usually toxic, it can be if the fish have been in water with low nitrate. High nitrate levels also lowers the immunity of the fish that are living in that tank.
Test the GH, KH and pH of the water in your tank, then test the same in the bags the fish are in. If there is a difference the fish will not make the transition to your tank very well, and could die.
Store water can carry disease or parasites. Do not add it to your tank.
Set up a quarantine tank for new fish, so that whatever disease or parasites they may have does not get introduced to the main tank.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.
Happy fish keeping!
Happy fish keeping!
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StrangeSavant
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:26 pm
- Location: Albq, NM
- Contact:
Right, so Pet Co is out of the picture. That last dojo loach was belly up this morning with some severe discoloration on his tail. I'm going to get my money back today.
The gold dojo is just fine, btw. Oddly enough, he's been more active since the others died.
I'm terribly poor at the moment, so it'll be a while before I can get my own water testing kit or set up a quarantine tank. While we're on the subject, I don't know the first thing about setting up a quarantine tank. How large should I get it and do I establish it the same way I did my main tank?
The gold dojo is just fine, btw. Oddly enough, he's been more active since the others died.
I'm terribly poor at the moment, so it'll be a while before I can get my own water testing kit or set up a quarantine tank. While we're on the subject, I don't know the first thing about setting up a quarantine tank. How large should I get it and do I establish it the same way I did my main tank?
Q-tanks are often a 10 gallon tank, and I have found them at Pet Smart for $10, and I believe Pet Co has a sale once a year for $1 per gallon for certain sized tanks. Garage sales, thrift stores...
Even a storage tub can work as a q-tank. It is not so good, though, because you cannot see the fish so well.
You will need a heater, a filter and a cover. A light is optional, but very helpful. Much better visibility so you can monitor the fish.
Usually these are run bare bottom, or a very thin layer of small gravel.
One hiding place for the fish that can be sterilized, such as a couple of rocks, a ceramic bridge, clay pot, or similar thing. If your main tank has live plants you could add some trimmings to the Q-tank, or plastic plants are OK. (Can be sterilized on the top shelf of the dishwasher)
This is a minimal set up, designed so you can see the fish every day, check for disease or parasites. Easy to clean, cheap stuff that can be sterilized between uses, or tossed. If the store water is different from your water then you will be able to slowly change the water in the q-tank to match your display tank.
To cycle the q-tank you actually keep a bit of filter media on the main tank, either in a separate small filter, or in the main filter, and just move it over when you want to use the q-tank. If you know ahead of time that you will be getting fish then cycle the q-tank using the fishless cycle.
If the fish in quarantine died, then sterilize or throw away the media and start the bacteria growing on new media on the main tank. (Or do the fishless cycle) If the fish come through quarantine with flying colors then simply move the media back to the main tank.
Here is how I set up a q-tank:
1) I do happen to know what the water chemistry is like at the stores I shop at the most, and can set up the tank ahead of time. If I did not know I would set up the q-tank with rather soft water. I leave the filter running on the main tank until the last minute.
2) When I get home with the fish I open the bags, dip stick test and TDS, and add a few drops each Amquel Plus and Nov-Aqua. Then float the bags in the tank. (and move the filter)
3) Test the water in the tank, and make it match the water in the bag. GH (Barr's GH Booster), KH (Baking soda) and TDS (Epsom salt and sodium chloride). Raising the KH usually makes the pH similar enough, but I do not care as much about pH as I do TDS.
4) Net the fish out of the bags and put them into the tank with the least amount of store water that I can.
5) If the fish come from a suspicious source set up and run the UV sterilizer from the beginning for the first week.
Follow up care:
Complete isolation! The Q-tank has separate equipment (Gravel vac, net)
Lights off for 24 hours.
Feed roughage food such as Daphnia.
When the lights come on monitor the fish for any signs of disease.
Keep the fish isolated for a month past any medication that might be needed.
Certain fish get preventive care, such as treating bottom feeders (not just Loaches) for internal parasites.
If the store water is different then with each water change alter the water chemistry in the q-tank a little bit until the GH, KH, pH and TDS matches the main tank. This can take a month if the water chemistry is significantly different.
Even a storage tub can work as a q-tank. It is not so good, though, because you cannot see the fish so well.
You will need a heater, a filter and a cover. A light is optional, but very helpful. Much better visibility so you can monitor the fish.
Usually these are run bare bottom, or a very thin layer of small gravel.
One hiding place for the fish that can be sterilized, such as a couple of rocks, a ceramic bridge, clay pot, or similar thing. If your main tank has live plants you could add some trimmings to the Q-tank, or plastic plants are OK. (Can be sterilized on the top shelf of the dishwasher)
This is a minimal set up, designed so you can see the fish every day, check for disease or parasites. Easy to clean, cheap stuff that can be sterilized between uses, or tossed. If the store water is different from your water then you will be able to slowly change the water in the q-tank to match your display tank.
To cycle the q-tank you actually keep a bit of filter media on the main tank, either in a separate small filter, or in the main filter, and just move it over when you want to use the q-tank. If you know ahead of time that you will be getting fish then cycle the q-tank using the fishless cycle.
If the fish in quarantine died, then sterilize or throw away the media and start the bacteria growing on new media on the main tank. (Or do the fishless cycle) If the fish come through quarantine with flying colors then simply move the media back to the main tank.
Here is how I set up a q-tank:
1) I do happen to know what the water chemistry is like at the stores I shop at the most, and can set up the tank ahead of time. If I did not know I would set up the q-tank with rather soft water. I leave the filter running on the main tank until the last minute.
2) When I get home with the fish I open the bags, dip stick test and TDS, and add a few drops each Amquel Plus and Nov-Aqua. Then float the bags in the tank. (and move the filter)
3) Test the water in the tank, and make it match the water in the bag. GH (Barr's GH Booster), KH (Baking soda) and TDS (Epsom salt and sodium chloride). Raising the KH usually makes the pH similar enough, but I do not care as much about pH as I do TDS.
4) Net the fish out of the bags and put them into the tank with the least amount of store water that I can.
5) If the fish come from a suspicious source set up and run the UV sterilizer from the beginning for the first week.
Follow up care:
Complete isolation! The Q-tank has separate equipment (Gravel vac, net)
Lights off for 24 hours.
Feed roughage food such as Daphnia.
When the lights come on monitor the fish for any signs of disease.
Keep the fish isolated for a month past any medication that might be needed.
Certain fish get preventive care, such as treating bottom feeders (not just Loaches) for internal parasites.
If the store water is different then with each water change alter the water chemistry in the q-tank a little bit until the GH, KH, pH and TDS matches the main tank. This can take a month if the water chemistry is significantly different.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.
Happy fish keeping!
Happy fish keeping!
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StrangeSavant
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:26 pm
- Location: Albq, NM
- Contact:
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SophieJaynne
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- Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:39 am
- Location: Lincolnshire
Thats really strange - I had the same problem when I first got dojos! The red marks you describe - were they like red bruises under the skin? I only bought one at a time and I got through 4, then I gave up for a couple of months and then tried from a different LFS. I think they must have been a bad batch or something! The one we have now was absolutely riddled with anchor worm when we got him, although there was only one when we first bought him which we didnt notice, but they seemed to multiply so quickly! I treated him with wormer plus and he made a full recovery! He has a healed chunk missing on his back where there were about 5 worms but other than that he is just fine! We've had him about a year now and hes a great little character!
Really hope your bad luck with dojos was like mine in that you will be more lucky next time! Good luck! Dojos are great little guys!
Really hope your bad luck with dojos was like mine in that you will be more lucky next time! Good luck! Dojos are great little guys!
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