Loaches Online Forum

I have had two clown loaches for about eight months now they’ve always been healthy and never had a problem . I made the mistake of bringing home two snails that I had caught in a natural pond near myhome. ( cone shaped snails). It seems as if right after putting the snails in one of my loaches started acting odd.. I immediately took the snails out but my loach continued to go down hill. That was three weeks ago and today he looks near death .. laying on side at bottom of tank. Is there anything I can do ? Do you think it was related to the snails ?

Snails are in intermediate host to some fish parasites. I do not know if this is the case here, but it is one possibility.
Otherwise it might just be a coincidence that the fish got sick right after you added the snails.

First of all, it is probably a coincidence that he got sicker when you added the snails. I suspect that the stress of only having 1 other loach in the tank with him eventually did him in. I don't know if this will work, but get at least 4 to 5 more. Ideally, you want a minimum of 6 loaches. Hope this helps!

As much as I use to love feeding my loaches snails I've stopped due them being a major vector of disease.

Sorry I'm not much help, just wanted to add my 2 cents.