I have a 7-8 inch Clown Loach I've had for 30 plus years and she seems to be egg bound. The tank is a 110 tropical that also has 2 male Clown Loaches that I've had that long. The female has gotten huge in her abdomen and the males are brushing against her ( not aggressive). I've taken pictures of her backside and when you zoom in it looks like eggs under the skin and I've seen her drop and egg. How can I help her progress? I've done small water changes I put fresh carbon in, I put Erythromycin in and I also add salt anything Else????
Egg Bound Clown Loach
- Thread starter ClownLoach1
- Start date
Welcome to the site and OH NO on your 30+ year old clown loach!! Never owned a tank large enough for them, but LOVE them. Hopefully one of our loach experts will chime in.
What size tank? Do you have a read in PPM for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? I'd keep nitrates as low as possible. I hate medicating the tank if I'm guessing. I wonder if an epsom salt bath would help this 'ol gal.
What size tank? Do you have a read in PPM for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? I'd keep nitrates as low as possible. I hate medicating the tank if I'm guessing. I wonder if an epsom salt bath would help this 'ol gal.
After all this time I wouldn't worry too much. She seems to expel eggs OK, so not egg bound. I wouldn't use salt or antibiotics without some sign of illness. Do you offer veggies like zucchini or romaine? My clowns were 6-7 inches after 5? years. I have a feeling that yours are slightly stunted but you've taken good care of them for a long time...30 YO is getting up there in even clown loach years. I would tend toward more water changes than treatments.
Is the tank 110 in litres or gallons? Either way you should have 150 gallons or more and about 5 clown loaches IMO but I may be wrong. 6-7” should not be after 30 years but sooner too. To anwer your Q, no, she is no egg bound so the treatment may harm them as they show no visible signs of sickness.
My tank is a 110gallon its just a tropical tank I wasn't intending on breeding the clown loaches. Some one gave me her 35 years ago and I already had the other 2 clown loaches. I get your purist but I logged on to this web site looking for help not so people could bash me. She is egg bound I saw an egg get expelled on Saturday one egg and there hasn't been any since. I have water changed every day and also changed my chemipures .
Thanks
Thanks
If you need to do something, maybe epsom salt (either as a dip or tank tx) would be a helpful & safe alternative. Clown loaches have only been bred without hormone injections a very very few times ever. Females of many loaches often become "gravid" with eggs without breeding or harm...the eggs can often be seen as a greenish dots in the abdomen. I've had botia-type loaches (& others) hold eggs for years safely without resorbing the eggs or spawning. We just don't know what may trigger successful spawning with clowns. (I "blame" males lack of readiness or lack of something...huge tanks? A water parameter? Something seasonal?)
Mark Duffill of FB loachfanatics has bred many loaches...but not clowns...
Mark Duffill of FB loachfanatics has bred many loaches...but not clowns...
I'm not sure what triggered this I haven't done anything different.I water change once a month I feed them cichlid food ,shrimp pellet, bottom feeder food
flake only because there's tiger barbs and rainbows in the tank, frozen brine and bloodworms. I know clowns don't breed in tanks so there's nothing to refers to.
She is huge like some one blew her up with air also it looks like there are dots on her behind and now because the males keep rubbing on her some hemorrhaging on 2 large lumps that look like hemorrhoids. She still very aware of her surrounding she looks at me when I look in the tank. The clown hasn't eaten for a week but she was quite large before this all started. I'm sorry if I snapped about being bashed but Ive had this fish for over 30 years I've had her longer than my kids I'm kind of attached to her or I should say them.
Thank you for help advice you can give
flake only because there's tiger barbs and rainbows in the tank, frozen brine and bloodworms. I know clowns don't breed in tanks so there's nothing to refers to.
She is huge like some one blew her up with air also it looks like there are dots on her behind and now because the males keep rubbing on her some hemorrhaging on 2 large lumps that look like hemorrhoids. She still very aware of her surrounding she looks at me when I look in the tank. The clown hasn't eaten for a week but she was quite large before this all started. I'm sorry if I snapped about being bashed but Ive had this fish for over 30 years I've had her longer than my kids I'm kind of attached to her or I should say them.
Thank you for help advice you can give
Red lumps don't sound good. Can you post a pic? Regular salt may irritate open sores...I would gradually remove it through water changes. Epsom salt may help with swollen tissue. An antibiotic may help keep infection from setting in if she doesn't actually have 1. Since you've started it already, I'd continue for a full treatment.
Fish can go a while without eating, I wouldn't worry about that right now.
Good luck & fingers crossed for her.
Fish can go a while without eating, I wouldn't worry about that right now.
Good luck & fingers crossed for her.
