Clown loach not growing

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shollia
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:13 pm

Clown loach not growing

Post by shollia » Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:36 pm

In my 125gal tank, there is 1 clown loach out of a small group of them that has not grown at all since we got it about 6 months ago.
The other loaches have grown a considerable bit. They're fat and healthy and look great, and then there's this little one. The little one acts completely normal, swims just fine, eats like a little piglet, but it hasn't grown. It looks just like it did the day we got it. It doesn't look sickly. The gill area does seem slightly red, but water quality is perfect. The tank was fishless cycled before any of the fish were added, I do water changes every week. None of the other fish have red gills.
I'm thinking it's probably some kind of internal parasite, but the thing is is that I can't catch it to put it in to a hospital tank.
The tank is filled with plants, wood and other decor, along with a lot of other fish, and well... there is just no way of getting it out without stripping the tank down and causing a ton of stress to the other fish, which isn't going to happen.
I know that sounds bad, but I'd much rather not stress the other fish out trying to catch this one.

Plus I figured if this fish has an internal parasite, then other fish in the tank may have it as well.

I'm just wondering what med I should use and if it will have a negative effect on the fish that may not have a parasite? Also I was reading that the treatment for skinny disease is to treat with a parasite med, then an antibacterial, then parasite again, etc etc... is that the only way to do that to insure that the problem is fixed? I ask b/c I'm super paranoid about wiping out the beneficial bacteria colony with a antibacteria med.

Any help would be fantastic.

glenna
Posts: 484
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:28 pm
Location: Sanford, NC

Post by glenna » Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:33 pm

That is SO interesting.....because I have the SAME situation, but in my Qtank (believei it or not)
I put two clowns in there a few weeks ago and started the old antiparasite, then antibacterial, then anti parasite med protocol. Then my biological filter totally CRASHED and I put everything on hold to let that come back a bit. I am in no hurry to put them in the big tank. Anyway, one is GREAT the other is fine, but not growing.
They were the same size when I got them and now the healthir one is notable bigger and, well, just healthier.
The dilemma is probably not new (how to not kill your biofilter in the Q tank) since the fish have to live there for a while.
Anyway, back to your problem... at least the little guy is doing okay (I mean not quickly croaking, so you have time to think a bit. Wouldn't it be great if you could get some levamisole!!!!).
Really need ot restart the protocol and just do water changes to make up for lack of biofilter, but it makes me sad when the fish are a lot more comfortable now.
I am anxious to see what others have to say!!!
glenna

glenna
Posts: 484
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:28 pm
Location: Sanford, NC

Post by glenna » Thu Nov 12, 2009 7:13 pm

That is SO interesting.....because I have the SAME situation, but in my Qtank (believei it or not)
I put two clowns in there a few weeks ago and started the old antiparasite, then antibacterial, then anti parasite med protocol. Then my biological filter totally CRASHED and I put everything on hold to let that come back a bit. I am in no hurry to put them in the big tank. Anyway, one is GREAT the other is fine, but not growing.
They were the same size when I got them and now the healthir one is notable bigger and, well, just healthier.
The dilemma is probably not new (how to not kill your biofilter in the Q tank) since the fish have to live there for a while.
Anyway, back to your problem... at least the little guy is doing okay (I mean not quickly croaking, so you have time to think a bit. Wouldn't it be great if you could get some levamisole!!!!).
Really need ot restart the protocol and just do water changes to make up for lack of biofilter, but it makes me sad when the fish are a lot more comfortable now.
I am anxious to see what others have to say!!!
glenna

shollia
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:13 pm

Post by shollia » Thu Nov 12, 2009 11:35 pm

When I first noticed that it wasn't growing, I just figured it was a slow grower b/c some of the other loaches grew at different paces.
But then well.. it never grew :P

It acts healthy now, but I just know sooner rather than later, that's probably going to change. I hope someone can help me out :)

glenna
Posts: 484
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:28 pm
Location: Sanford, NC

Post by glenna » Fri Nov 13, 2009 7:48 pm

I think you are eventually going to have to bite the bullet and treat with the "skinny protocol". It is true that it sounds like little-guy is the only one showing signs, but I would imagine you will have to treat everybody for some of this stuff ( I do not know about the WHOLE series of meds for the WHOLE tank????....I will have to leave that to others more experienced than myself)
IT would be optimal if you could CATCH him/her...what if you left the net in the tank for several days, planting food near the net and then maybe SNATCH the little fish when he is really hungry (okay, I guess you already tried that :lol:
Then, if you could catch it, you could Qtank it. OF course if the recommendation from the "smart people" on the forum is that the whole tank needs to be treated for EVERYTHING, then why bother stressing the fish out with traps, nets....
Also, do not assume that your biological filter would totally crash with treatment like mine did. Mine was a newly cycled Qtank which is only ten gallons. Your bigger tank may be more expensive to treat, but may not suffer nearly as much because of a well established and hopefully more diverse biofilter.
Okay, so I have diarrhea of the mouth,...sorry 'bout that, but I know how it is to worry about a fish like that!
good luck.
glenna

shollia
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:13 pm

Post by shollia » Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:44 pm

Oh I'm also pretty scared that some of the other fish might be too sensitive to go through med treatments.

The tank has giant danios, rainbowfish, tiger barbs, 1 pleco, 1 black ghost knife, about 16 different types of cories, and then the 5 loaches.

I'm scared b/c the first batch of loaches we got. They went in to a quarantine tank b/c I noticed while they were floating that they had ich. Well, they all ended up dying.

And I think plecos and black ghost knifes? are sensitive to medications, nm the loaches, so *shrugs*
And then if I did miraculously net the little one, would it get better or worse being on its own in a hospital tank. Ya know?
Just so many questions, so many what ifs lol.

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Post by Diana » Sun Nov 15, 2009 1:01 pm

I would be most cautious about medicating the BGK. I think Plecos are sensitive to similar things that Loaches are sensitive to. If yours is a common Pleco, the treat it like the Loaches. If it is one of the fancy Loricariads then treat it like the most delicate of Loaches.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

Ferris
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:07 am

Post by Ferris » Mon Mar 01, 2010 4:27 am

Fishing is the activity of catching fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping.

The term fishing may be applied to catching other aquatic animals such as shellfish, cephalopods, crustaceans, and echinoderms. The term is not normally applied to catching aquatic mammals, such as whales, where the term whaling is more appropriate, or to farmed fish. In addition to providing food, modern fishing is also a recreational sport.
Ferris

PASoracco
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Post by PASoracco » Mon Mar 01, 2010 11:33 pm

as long as the fish doesn't look skinny, it just isn't growing, I wouldn't worry. I have 15 clowns, and two of them out of the entire group have had a drastically slower rate of growth than the others. One I purchased with a group a little over a year ago, and another was part of a group I got within the last 4-5 months.

The one I have had for a year is a true sumatra clown, has beautiful finnage and coloration, a little round belly and a stubby nose, but is about half the size of the other fish I bought at the time. He has actually grown, just very slowly. We'll have to see about the clown I got more recently; he looks perfectly healthy, but I haven't noted any growth.

I have noticed that all my sumatra clowns grow a little slower, and also had an adult borneo clown with a stubby nose who has grown quite slowly; it seems like a slight body mutation. Also, some of my young sumatra clowns have little rosey pink/red marks by their cheeks, in front of their gills that slowly went away as they matured. Does your clown have red gills, or these marks? Do you know color variation this clown is? What variation are the others that grew normally?

like i said, if the fish isn't skinny, hasn't lost color, have red gills, breathing quickly, etc, it is probably a healthy fish.
Just call me Pierce :)
"Act Well Your Part - There All the Honor Lies"

Newname
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2018 12:47 am

Re: Clown loach not growing

Post by Newname » Mon Dec 17, 2018 12:59 am

Is crazy hey im same boat one large 8 inch clown 5 others i bought from juvinile 4 have growen to 4 inches but just the one hasnt growen well hardly at all hes happy eats etc.just never grew theyr all healthy as for the last 12 months since iv had em all.so idk im thinkin is just a runt of the litter.maybe this is just somthin that happens in packs from time 2 time.mine r with oscars africans etc.but never get challenged and all get ther share of food. Is along time ago hope u guys see this would love 2 know what happened

GavinPullman
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2019 6:01 am

Re: Clown loach not growing

Post by GavinPullman » Mon Feb 18, 2019 2:15 pm

I bought 4 clown loaches about 9 months ago from my LFS. They were about 1.5" at the time and they are still that size. They haven't grown at all in that time. I bought another 4 a few months later from another fish keeper, they were about 1" bigger and they have probably grown another 0.5" since i got them.

ChanelLeuschke
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2022 9:26 pm

Re: Clown loach not growing

Post by ChanelLeuschke » Thu Jun 29, 2023 10:39 pm

I'm in the same situation as you. One enormous 8-inch clown out of the five others I purchased from Juvinile has grown to a height of 4 inches, but the one has barely grown at all despite being content and eating food.simply never grew to be as healthy as they have been over the past year while I've had them all.Idk, but I suppose he's just the baby of the litter.Perhaps this is just something that occasionally occurs in groups.Mine are with Africans, Oscars, etc.but are never pushed, and everyone gets their fair share of food. I hope you people notice this because I'd love to know what occurred. geometry dash

reiteratecocoa
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2023 10:54 pm

Re: Clown loach not growing

Post by reiteratecocoa » Sun Nov 26, 2023 8:32 pm

I find that this species is very difficult to care for, because it grows very slowly gorilla tag

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