Help, My loach is sick :(

[ghosty]

Hi,

I have angelicus loaches, and have had them in an established tank for at least two years now. I have noticed at the end of the week that one of them is looking pretty skinny, spits his food out when trying to eat it and is breathing heavy. All other fish in the tank are fine. I have separated him and am trying to feed him frozen bloodworm with an antibiotic mixed in to hopefully cure the parasites (i can't remember the name of the antibiotic now, but i bought it in the fish shop). I am also trying live whiteworms to hopefully fatten him up a bit. I am not sure if he is suffering from internal parasites and am worried that this current treatement won't work because even tho he is eating bloodworm, he eats a very small quantity. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
The water quality is fine. No problems with ph, nitrates, nitraties, ammonia or phosphates.

Thanks

[Keeb]

You should not use medications on any fish until you properly identify the problem. Correct medications may follow if needed. Not only is it costly, but incorrect medications can cause death to an already sick fish. Keep sick fish in quarantine. I'm sure someone will be along to help you soon.

Keeb

[ghosty]

I went to the aquarium shop, they specialise in fish and that was the only thing they could come up with. Apparently medication will not harm the fish if that is the wrong condition becaue it just kills internal parasites if they are present. They have also suggested i feed the medicated food the all the fish in the tank even tho they look healthy, to prevent the internal parasites from spreading.
Other then breathing heavy and looking skinny and spitting most food out, the fish appears pretty happy. They also suggested it might be gill flukes, which are also treated by that medication. My biggest problem is that he needs to eat a lot of food to intake enough meds, and he isn't eating even a quarter of the recommended dosage.
I really don't want him to die.

[KLKelly]

Where are you located Ghosty?

I will be treating my 2 weather loaches preventatively for parasites before they get put in my main tank with prazi pro. I've been told that it is very mild. I hear prazi medication is hard to find in the UK but a member of the goldfish forum just found a medication with prazi in it over there. I'm not sure about your specific loach as I am new to these guys.

I think if he's not eating he is at the point where treatment is needed.

What exactly is the name of the medication/s that the LFS is recommending?

[ghosty]

Hi Kelly,

Im in New Zealand, so most medications are not available here. The medication i was gives is actually one of the antibiotics, i think tricozone (not sure if i spelt it right). It's used for gill flukes in discus and general internal parazites. I also have Cure-Ex at home, but have decided to wait before i treat the tank. Im not sure if it's a disease that can be treated since it affected him pretty quickly, but he doesn't act sick and rest of the fish are fine, including all loaches and catfish.

[ghosty]

Please!!! Someone has to have some ideas or suggestions???

having a pretty bad luck with tanks recently and i really don't want to lose him. Pretty pretty pleaaasssseeeeee

[KLKelly]

I would treat him in a hospital tank to see how he responds. If he responds well continue to treat him and then decide whether to treat the main tank.

I'd go with what you have to treat him. If it kills flukes possibly it has an antiparasite ingredient. If you have the ingredients post them.

I'd be worried about treating the whole tank if its more than an antiparasite. If its an antibiotic it could disrupt your cycle in your main tank.

Is a hospital tank setup a possibility for you?

[KLKelly]

Never mind my previous post - I assumed the medication was a tank treatment and not food.

Have you tried dropping in a few pieces of it to see if he would even eat it?
If he doesn't eat it I have no idea what your other medication options are in NZ

[ghosty]

Unfortunately i can't set up a hospital tank. One of my 3 foot tanks leaked, so luckily the pond was set up so i moved the goldfish into the pond and fish to that tank (also a 3 foot) and fish are not doing too well. Not sure why. This loach is in a 3.5 foot tank and the only spare tank i have is yet another 3 foot. Too many tanks at one stage and fish have been doing so well i gave a small tank to a friends son, since all my fish were doing on so well (those were the days)

Currently the loach is in the breeding net so i can feed him easily. The food is laced with antibiotics. I will try to call the fish shop tonight to get the name for you. The loachy has a friend now too (found a danio in the filter last night..all manked up). The problem is that he is barely eating, so i dont think he is intaking enough medicine to help him.

[ghosty]

Thats not good news. He eats, but barely. i have to chase other fish away cause they eat the food through the net.

[shari2]

ghosty, I'm sorry to hear about your problems but from what you have described it's very hard to say what could be wrong with your fish.

The medication i was gives is actually one of the antibiotics, i think tricozone (not sure if i spelt it right). It's used for gill flukes in discus and general internal parazites.

Is the medicated food your feeding an antibiotic or an anthelmintic (anti-parasite) treatment?

How long has he/she been spitting out food?
Was he/she thin before?
What has changed in the tank? (and I mean any and everything that may have triggered the behavior change you noticed in the sick fish)
What else is in the tank besides the angelicus loaches?
Is the tank about 30gallons?
Did you feed anything different before you noticed this?

Sorry I'm not more help.

[ghosty]

Hi shari2,

To answer some of your questions..

The loach has not been thin previously, he was about the same size as the other two, just a tiny bit shorter. I noticed he was looking pretty thin about a week ago. I went to the fish shop and they gave me a human antibiotic which is used for treating parasites ( i will have to call and get the name for you, there are two different types they give out).

He's in the tank with another 2 of his kind, about 4 pearl gouramis, 2 gold and 3 blue, about 20ish danios, couple of mollies, few platties, about 20-30 neons, 2 syndontis, 2 upside down cats(babies) and a albino catfish. I have a feeling im missing out a fish or two but im not sure.

the tank is... about 3.5 feet long, i think 24 inches high and 20 inches wide... but im not sure. Its over 200litres of water (im sorry im not very good with inches and stuff, raised on the metric system).

Nothing has been changed. No new fish have been added for at least 6 months other then 5 danios and the cat i had in a previous tank for about 2 years. Food hasen't changed. He still looks happy, and doesn't act sick. Is never sulking, just breathing a bit heavy (fast) and spits most of the food out.
The antibiotic is mixed in with the frozen bloodworm and he manages to eat a tiny bit each day, but unfortunately not the recommended dose.

Im completely out of ideas. I can't find anything on the internet (yet) that is similar. Nothing has changed or been added to the tank. No other fish suffer (other than the danio that had a vacation in the filter for a while, and i only found him yesetrday). I can try and take a few photos if that will help.

Thanks for help, any advice is welcome

Oh, i think one of teh available antibiotics was erythromycin and another i think tricozone, but im not sure which one they gave me in the end.