Skinny Clown Update (Video and Photo)

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Holdstrong
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Skinny Clown Update (Video and Photo)

Post by Holdstrong » Fri Mar 13, 2009 4:13 pm

Hi all,

This is a bit of an update on a previous thread I started on this guy (or gal).

I've had him for over a year now, and for the majority of that time he has been skinny. Hasn't really ever showed any signs of illness. Is quite active, eats well (as you will see in the video), and even gets into tussles with the larger clowns. Hell, other than being skinny, he probably is one of the larger clowns.

I've seen nothing to indicate that he is infecting the other fish in the tanks he has been in. This is his second tank and he's been with two other clowns the whole time.

IN the past I've quarantined him and put him on a body builder's diet. I medicated him solo with a Prazi treatment. And just recently did a 3 day does of a product called Gel-Tek Ultra Cure PX in the new tank. Gel-tek includes Flub, Metro and Prazi, although it has an odd delivery. They tell you to put drops of the product in the tank for the fish to eat. Well, no fish is going to eat these drops as best as I can tell, so I resorted to trying to marinate some bloodworms in it.

Anyway... I haven't seen much change in Skinny no matter what I do. He is getting bigger I think - but only longer as far as I can tell.

Take a look. Given his activity level and how long this has been, etc... do you think I should pull him for another blast in the Q tank? Or should I just leave the poor guy alone?

http://www.townsandtrails.com/avatar12/fish/

I apologize for the poor video (reflections) and photo (water spots) - but you can also get a look at how the tank is coming together. I put the first 4 plants or so in and have another shipment coming soon. The flow seems to be working now for everyone.


EDIT: Oops, in case it isn't obvious... in the video, skinny is the loach that is right on top of the Zuch.

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Gary Stanton
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Post by Gary Stanton » Fri Mar 13, 2009 10:06 pm

"Beware of the fish people, they are the true enemy."
-- Frank Zappa, speech to a pro-choice rally in Los Angeles around 1989-90

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shari2
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Post by shari2 » Fri Mar 13, 2009 10:28 pm

Personally, I don't think he looks that skinny. Yes, he has a very flat ventral line, but he looks muscular and a bit longer in the flank (if fish have a flank) than the others.

The only thing I was wondering was do you think his eye looks a bit larger than the others? Hard to tell from the video but in the closeup I was wondering...

the tank looks beautiful, by the way. 8)
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Holdstrong
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Post by Holdstrong » Sun Mar 15, 2009 12:24 am

I have to admit I didn't notice the size of his eyes till you pointed it out. But my wife was nodding her head saying she has noticed it too.

So hard for me to tell what state he is really in. He is active as hell, and eats and plays and fights as much, if not more, than the others. He doesn't look as emaciated as some of the photos I have seen of other people's skinny loaches.... but he just isn't filling out.

I've been unable to find any Levamisole, so I am contemplating 1 more go at a tank wide dose of Flubenol.

Ultimately I just want what is best for him though. Since he seems to be a happy little fish right now I worry about subjecting him to more meds that might not help, or be needed. But if it will better for him in the long run...

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shari2
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Post by shari2 » Sun Mar 15, 2009 12:15 pm

He is getting bigger I think - but only longer as far as I can tell.
It's possible there may have been some stunting effect in his past prior to getting to you. The fact that he's lengthening out and his body type is not as rounded as the others is not really a problem.
Since he's showing no symptoms of parasites or infections that I can see or that you you have seen based on your description, I wouldn't treat him again.

He's a slim, kinda out of proportion, muscly fish with a big head. 8)
It would be interesting to have a series of dated photos documenting his growth to see what progress he makes into a more normal (or not) bodytype.
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Holdstrong
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Post by Holdstrong » Wed Mar 18, 2009 10:49 am

shari2 wrote: It would be interesting to have a series of dated photos documenting his growth to see what progress he makes into a more normal (or not) bodytype.
Thanks for all the advice. I think you are right, it will be interesting to doc his progress (or lack of)... it will also help me make decisions about him based on evidence instead of my memory or mood that day.

I updated the link with a photo of him from this morning's feeding. I didn't get the camera out till he had already gorged himself. You can see the pot belly which is something he gets often after eating.

The nice part about this is that he is a real easy subject to photo. Drop food in and he is the first one there, and the last one to leave.

I also ordered some Flub from inkmakr to have on hand just in case I decide to go that route in the near future.

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shari2
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Post by shari2 » Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:20 am

He's got good color, is fully fleshed out above/behind the eyes (no sunken areas), is eating well, and behaving in lively fashion.

If you can manage to photo him once a week or every two for six months or so, you may see some progress. See if you can get a ruler into the pic somehow (maybe stick it up against the base?).

keep us posted. 8)
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Holdstrong
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Post by Holdstrong » Thu Mar 26, 2009 1:58 pm

Just keeping this updated. Photos from a week later

Image Image

Click for larger image, and more info can be found here: http://www.townsandtrails.com/avatar12/fish/

That black spot above his eye is not a camera anomaly. That is really there. It only shows up when he grays out... almost like that spot doesn't want to gray out with the rest of him.

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