skinny loach not eating
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2018 4:29 pm
Hi all. This is my first post here. I have read through the forum in the hope of finding an answer.
I have 3 clown loaches, I have had them for approx 2 years with no real problems apart from a mild case of ich about a year ago which was treated successfully.
I have a 200l tank
2 bristlenose plecs
3 clown loaches
1 Otto
5 platies
Water perameters are ammonia 0, nitrites 0 and nitrates 30ppm
I have just noticed this weekend that one of my loaches is very skinny so am suspecting possible internal parasites. I feel pretty bad not having noticed this up till now but I often don’t see them all for days so missed the progression of weight loss.
I have always fed them a mixture of courgette, frozen blood worm and brine shrimp with garlic. Catfish pellets, algae wafers and have even resorted to mango today as I read that clowns can like them. My other two clowns have gone in all guns blazing wolfing down as much as they can but my little skinny loach searches for the food, sometimes will take some but will promptly spit it out.
I do notice that the healthy clowns appear to barge him out of the way but even when he is by the food on his own he still isn’t taking any.
I managed to get some levamisole and after a 20% water change added 2mg/ l to the tank
So my questions are.....I haven’t introduced any new fish to the tank for over a year so wonder what the likelihood of it actually being worms are..could they be only affecting my fish at this point or am I totally off with what may be wrong with him.
If it is worms how long before he gets an appetite back or is there a chance he won’t and finally I see people mentioning putting him in quarantine. I do have a hospital tank that I sometimes use but I really don’t want to move him and stress him out any more. I never have great experiences with the hospital tank as the fish I place in there still die (maybe I put them in there when it’s too late to save them)
Any advice would be appreciated. I feel awful just watching him want to eat but not being able to and wasting away
Thanks in advance
I have 3 clown loaches, I have had them for approx 2 years with no real problems apart from a mild case of ich about a year ago which was treated successfully.
I have a 200l tank
2 bristlenose plecs
3 clown loaches
1 Otto
5 platies
Water perameters are ammonia 0, nitrites 0 and nitrates 30ppm
I have just noticed this weekend that one of my loaches is very skinny so am suspecting possible internal parasites. I feel pretty bad not having noticed this up till now but I often don’t see them all for days so missed the progression of weight loss.
I have always fed them a mixture of courgette, frozen blood worm and brine shrimp with garlic. Catfish pellets, algae wafers and have even resorted to mango today as I read that clowns can like them. My other two clowns have gone in all guns blazing wolfing down as much as they can but my little skinny loach searches for the food, sometimes will take some but will promptly spit it out.
I do notice that the healthy clowns appear to barge him out of the way but even when he is by the food on his own he still isn’t taking any.
I managed to get some levamisole and after a 20% water change added 2mg/ l to the tank
So my questions are.....I haven’t introduced any new fish to the tank for over a year so wonder what the likelihood of it actually being worms are..could they be only affecting my fish at this point or am I totally off with what may be wrong with him.
If it is worms how long before he gets an appetite back or is there a chance he won’t and finally I see people mentioning putting him in quarantine. I do have a hospital tank that I sometimes use but I really don’t want to move him and stress him out any more. I never have great experiences with the hospital tank as the fish I place in there still die (maybe I put them in there when it’s too late to save them)
Any advice would be appreciated. I feel awful just watching him want to eat but not being able to and wasting away
Thanks in advance