Yeah, I never buy sick looking fish or the fish in that tank/system. Treating any disease can be iffy, expensive & a lot of work. That's part of my hesitation buying by mail.
I appreciate Wet Spot calling & suggesting maybe to cancel. This second person said slightly different things than the 1 this am. She said they're newer & don't get them often; I said I got them there in 2016. The am 1 said they get 50 at a time "often" I think (maybe only in winter? That tends to be loach season for some wild caught fish).
I can understand why they're now "popular" loaches; pretty, medium sized, unusual, non-aggressive.
I was tempted by cute little pangio cuneovirgata but I don't have a suitable tank. Botia kubotai & histrionica & a few others I've either had or want. Plus some non-loaches too...of course I looked for sarawakensis rasboras, out of stock.