sick loaches

[bluekrissyspike]

so i went and got 5 yo-yos yesterday, and put them in my qt but there is one that is not looking so good. he is all greyed out and looks kinda skinny. he is not active like the others and i don't know if he's eating because he's always hiding his cave. he does not appear to have any infections, and has no apparent injuries. i can't return him cause my lps does not take returns or exchanges. i can't deworm him cause you can't get the deworming stuff in canada. i'm worried that he's going to spread whatever he has to the other loaches i got. of the other ones, the three smaller ones are very bright and the largest one has his pattern, but it's a bit faded. is there anything i can do about the sick one? the qt tank is cycled and everything so they should be okay in there. are there any options for how to treat him?

[fishorama]

In Canada people use flubendazole or fenbendazole to treat Chronic Wasting Syndrome, you may need to get it from a vet. Other things beside parasites can cause loaches to be skinny like bacteria infection or just plain underfeeding.

Give him some time to adjust & try offering thawed frozen bloodworms at lights out, most loaches can't resist them. Hikari carnivore pellets are very popular with my loaches but they like most any pellet, wafer or flake foods.

Loaches sometimes "gray out" during feeding aggression & dominance displays. They need to establish a pecking order hierarchy among the group. They don't really hurt each other.

Good luck!

[plaalye]

I agree with fishorama, I'd give them a week or so to settle in before deciding to treat them. Feed them well and be sure your water is clean and well oxygenated. I'm really careful about choosing fish at the fish shop, look them over well before you buy them.
Here's a link to an article about levamisole from loachesonline, there's also a small bit about flubendazole. You can search the forums at LOL and find many threads with more info. Praziquantil and metronizadole are other options depending on what parasite. Good luck!

http://www.loaches.com/Members/shari2/levamisole-hydrochloride-1

[bluekrissyspike]

well, he's out right now, and i can tell he's eaten by his belly. hopefully he starts to feel better.

[fishorama]

That's great!

[bluekrissyspike]

well, he is out this morning. he only seems to like shrimp pellets to eat, so that could explain why he is so skinny. i hope that was the problem anyway. he's still grewed out though, but a bit less

[bluekrissyspike]

hey, just an update. my loaches have now at least doubled in size. the one that seemed sick is now the second smallest but he has filled in nicely. he seems eat less than the others still but he is growing and eating well. i beleive i have 3 males because they have the red around their mouths. i can't beleive how big they are getting already.

[pinkertd]

Cool! That's great news! Post some pics up soon!

[fishorama]

Cool! Great to hear!

Keep an eye on the fussy eater, for me that was a sign of future problems with a clown. If you should need to treat them at some point you might look for Jungle Parasite Clear tank buddies fizzy tabs. At least in the US they have metro, prazi & levamisole & are in Petco, Petsmart & maybe even walmat. I've used them "just in case" without problems.

[bluekrissyspike]

Hey guys! i got my yo-yo's a 55g. (: they really seem to enjoy it. it is pretty well planted and they don't seem to disrupt most of the plants that much, they do dig up some of the stem plants though. i finally got around to getting a few pics before my batteries died on me. the one i thought was sickly is still thinner than the others but also still growing. they now range in size from 2 to 2 1/2 inches.

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/tattoogemini/HPIM2535-1.jpg

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/tattoogemini/HPIM2542-1.jpg

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/tattoogemini/HPIM2517-1.jpg

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/tattoogemini/HPIM2516.jpg?t=1240407083

[fishorama]

They look great! None look thin just a bit less chubby. Females can get extremely fat, but usually after the 4 inch mark I think. That 1 tummy balanced on the coconut shell/round round rock has a girly figure to me.

[bluekrissyspike]

yeah, lol. that's the fattest one. i also think it's a female from what i've read on loaches.com. she is also the second in command in their little family.

do you think it would be okay to add a couple more to the 55? or would that be overcrouding them? there are 5 now

[fishorama]

I have seen a couple very big yoyos, 6+ inches plus tail, closer to 8 in. total length with height to match. I think your other fish in that tank will be outcompeted for food sooner or later, yoyos are rowdy to semi-aggressive.

That said, is there a good chance you'll get at least a 75g in the next year or so for them? With some fast barbs or danios etc for tankmates?

Or can you move the little fish fairly soon or at least have a plan for them? Yoyos grow pretty fast to 4+ inches, 6 or 7 plus a group of dithers will be pushing it...

[bluekrissyspike]

the little fish will be moved to my 50g as soon as i see the yo-yos chasing them around. i also have 2 empty 20g i could move some to if needed. not too sure about the bigger tank but i am always checking the local classifieds for good deals on tanks, so if i find a good deal on one i'll be scooping it up.