Ethical dilema

F

flickted

AC Members
Nov 19, 2006
12
0
0
One of my clown loaches has been very sick for the past few days.

Saturday night when i came home from work I always check my fish first. I noticed the two bigger ones in front as always waiting to greet me (mine are not shy) but the one was missing. I looked and looked then i seen him resting the suction cup bracket of the heater lying thier on his side (i know side sleeping is the norm). so i left him for a few hours and checked again he was still on it. I lightly nuged him off but he would swim sort of sideways back up. I left him for a moment and did the same, he returned. hours later i checked and he went back to the cave where they rest with the rainbow shark and pleco.

I woke up Sunday morning and he was back on the heater again. I let him stay i do not notice anything on the outside of him. All other fish are doing fine and eating. At times i would see him run down along the heater as if he were eating. this went on all day from time to time he would go back to cave.

So tonight i came home from work and went straight to the tank to check on him/her. When i looked the poor thing was back in the right corner on its side. Like always the other two greeted me by swimming to the front swimming mid level. The sick one kept trying to move and would swim sideways a short distance and stop and with a burst made it to the front of the tank. It just stopped thier and looked as if it were trying to eat off the the gravel but could not move.

I dont mean to draw this out but it saddens me a little that the guy is this sick and still tries to greet me. he has been moving little at a time and was around the cave again still on his side.

He is breathing hard and not moving much.

The big thing i am having trouble with should i put him down or let nature run its course?

ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 10
Ph:7.2
temp: 77
 
I have had them about a month now.

Its a 55g hex with 5platys, blue Grom, rainbow shark, pleco.
 
What is a blue grom? FYI a 55 hex is not suitable for clown loaches. There is not enough room for them to swim around and too much light for them to feel secure. It could be really scared. Do they have places to hide were they cannot be seen at all. Do you have a picture of the aquarium. What kind of filter/s are on it?

Edit: Nevermind found a picture.
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure what is wrong with your loach, but this is tank is not set up for loach survival. Loaches like warmer water, low lighting, plenty of hiding spots, and lots of current. Your loach may have just been stressed out to the point of exhaustion it is hard to tell if it will make it, but I would not give up on it. Try and give it a better hiding spot one where is completely hidden. If you think your other fish will be OK I would raise the temp up to 80 as well.
 
blue gourami

I know tank is not no big enough as they are small. I was given ill advice and plan on upgrading tank. Trust me when i say they are the least bit scared, like I said I have had them for a month and they dont care. No other fish bothers them as a matter of fact the rainbow i put in the same time is very watchfull over them.

Filter is a biowheel 200b
 
flickted said:
Trust me when i say they are the least bit scared, like I said I have had them for a month and they dont care. No other fish bothers them as a matter of fact the rainbow i put in the same time is very watchfull over them.
Filter is a biowheel 200b
Click to expand...
This may be, however clown loaches behave very differently from other fish. Mine spend most of their day hiding. There is not much more I can tell you. I would definitely consider getting a bigger filter and adding some more hiding spots. I hope your clown makes it. If you see any other visible signs of stress make sure you post it.
 
I agree with H3D, loaches like higher temps (around 80 degrees) and are normally active at dawn and twilight when light levels are low and soft. Need plenty of hiding places where they can hide completely. Clown Loaches grow very slowly so they will be fine in the 55 for a little while. Plan on getting a larger tank soon.
I hope he pulls through. I have 3, and they grow on you. :)
Good Luck
 
flickted said:
blue gourami

I know tank is not no big enough as they are small. I was given ill advice and plan on upgrading tank. Trust me when i say they are the least bit scared, like I said I have had them for a month and they dont care. No other fish bothers them as a matter of fact the rainbow i put in the same time is very watchfull over them.

Filter is a biowheel 200b
Click to expand...


I also agree with HD3 and with everyone else so far. The tank is not the best and while they do grow very, very slow, if you are planning to upgrade tanks so that you can keep them until maturity, then you need a big one since they grow to over a foot. Some cultures actually eat them as a delicasy so they get big enough for that! (Yes, I know that is not helping your situation, but it is a good way of describing their size).

Scared looking or not, you are not truely going to know what they are thinking. I believe that any fish that tends to stay out of a group or away from its natural 'place' in a tank is a fish that has some compatability issues of some sort. I really suggest that you at least try to give it some more hiding places just to see if it helps. If not, you can change back easily and in reality, this is probrably the easiest 'test' for both you and the fish to go through.

Your stocking could also be an issue, but hear me out before you think I am completely crazy here. First point, rainbow sharks are territorial, especially to their own kind, but in a tank with such a small footprint as a 55 gallon, I would not be surprised if the rainbow was a bully. (They too get pretty big. I have one right now that is at least eight inches long). Platties are not always saints either and I know male platties can have an attitude problem from time to time. It is not normally pointed out, but some 'nice' fish species are going to have one or two who do not always fit the profile.

Getting back to the footprint issue, and while I realize that your tank in gallons is big enough to fit a lot of fish, but the real determining factor should be tank dimensions. For example, my 55 gallon long could easily fit all your fish in it but in many ways be better since the fish can swim as they please, back and forth without having to turn around. In my opinion, hex tanks are better for fish that grow taller, rather than longer, like an angel.

Lastly, clown loaches do much better in bigger groups and yours could just be the 'third wheel' in your tank. I would consider getting more and upgrading to a 55 long later on (or bigger, of course) or scrapping the whole loach idea entirely. I know that is not an easy solution or decision, but I am willing to bet that your loach is pretty dull in color and has few places to hide at the bottom of the tank and so it is finding shelter by your heater.

You should also never use salt with them in the tank, or just a very very little bit and these scaleless fish are going to be harder to treat for Ich, so it is in both of your best interests to try to keep it as unstressed as possible.
 
To add to Tommy Gun's argument I would say each fish tends to have its own personality. In clown loaches it is even more pronounced. While the other clown may not be stressed out because they have buddied up. The other loach may be. I think that raising the heat up to 80 degrees and adding a 300 gph power head for more circulation would help them out in general. As previously suggested some better hiding spots would make them feel more comfortable. I do not think there tank mates will pose a problem to them, but keep an eye out just to be sure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom