New Black Kuhlies with white marks

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fossphur
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 1:26 am

New Black Kuhlies with white marks

Post by fossphur » Thu Oct 04, 2018 8:35 am

* Type of fish that are affected: Black Kuhlie loach, looks to be pangio oblonga
* How long has the tank been set up for? Less than a week
* Size of tank (dimensions and volume). 15g Juwell Koralia, 60cm x 30cm x 30cm
* How is the tank being filtered? Mature Sponge filter from another tank
* Water temperature. 27ºC
* Your maintenance regime: Partial changes twice a week, 10lt at a time
* Has anything new been added to the tank recently? Brand New quarantine tank set up since Friday contains 13 rasbora espei and 6 pangio oblonga, bought from same online seller and intended to live together in own display tank once finished with quarantine. Tank is bare bottom but contains an indian almond leaf (whole) for cover, a crushed up IAL for tannins, a ceramic structure on some pebbles as a cave for the loaches, a piece of bogwood also for the loaches to hide under and add tannins, a java fern attached to a rock, and some loose plant stems weighted as cover for the rasboras.

The fish arrived early during cool weather instead of on the warmer day I had expected the order to be sent on. Almost all the fish looked fine initially but one loach showed what looked like abrasions on the upper surface. I have been monitoring since Friday and it has not improved and perhaps looks to have worsened. I have seen one other loach with a small white patch near the upper side of his caudal fin but I don't know if it was there all along or has spread from the other fish.

https://i.imgur.com/DMYtVdV.mp4

Hope this suffices as an image, I have not been able to get a still shot as you can probably imagine, a still kuhlie is a rare sight. I do believe the white looks whiter now and has maybe spread lower on the fish.

I have access to eSHa 2000 and eSHa Exit as medications but one contains copper sulphate and the other malachite green, not sure if they are kuhlie safe although there are no warnings RE scaleless fish on this medication. I don't want to put off treatment any longer and intend to do a half dose of these after today's water change.

Anyone seen anything like this with their Kuhlies?

NancyD
Posts: 1608
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:17 pm
Location: SF bay area,US

Re: New Black Kuhlies with white marks

Post by NancyD » Thu Oct 04, 2018 10:43 pm

I'm going to guess it may be columnaris, it often looks like that saddle back white patchiness in the chronic form. I think you have different meds than we in the US have, I'm not sure what to suggest with esha meds.
Image

fossphur
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 1:26 am

Re: New Black Kuhlies with white marks

Post by fossphur » Fri Oct 12, 2018 2:52 am

I tried treating with half strength doses of esha2000 and esha Exit, which seem to contain malachine green, copper sulphate and ethacridine (effective on gram positive). I did the 3 day course as recommended on the box and most of the markings on the back of the loach cleared up, there is still a patch on the head which is where the worst of it was. I did a partial water change at the end of the three days and have been monitoring and none of the loaches seem to have had any ill effect from the medication, so I'm planning to do a second round of treatment after the next water change, at maybe a slightly stronger dosage to see if it will clear up the last white patch. I still don't know exactly what the cause is but the loaches seem to be in good spirits which to me is the best indication that they are in good health.

Every time I drop some grindal worms in they appear like magic and hoover around the bottom like crazy! It's the only way I've been able to see progress on the sick loach and it is a real challenge counting how many I see to make sure they are all okay but I'm getting better at counting squiggles. Can't wait to get them out of quarantine and into a nice sandy tank.

fossphur
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 1:26 am

Re: New Black Kuhlies with white marks

Post by fossphur » Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:57 am

Of the loaches I regularly see, there is one that has a pale blemish on his head which would correspond to where the worst abrasion that I saw on my original discoloured loach. It's hard to say because of how fast they are but I have only ever seen 4 or 5 at once of the 6 so there is still a chance that a sick or dead loach is hiding somewhere; I don't think my eyes or brain are fast enough to process 6 zoomy kuhlie loaches at once!

In any case all are well, seem relaxed and happy and often visible out and about either searching the bottom or racing around the sides. I really think the red-heavy LED light lends itself towards them being comfortable out and about. I feel sorry for them being on a glass bottom but they will have soft soft sand when they get out of quarantine! I am going to try and check with a brighter light in a while but I am pretty sure they are very much recovering.

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