What Have I Done Wrong? Clown Loach Needs Help Asap

Hi advice desperately needed please

I have a 60L tetra art aqua tank which has been established for 18months with little problems until now.

Readings:
Nitrate: 15
Nitrite 0.25
PH 6.5 - 7.00
GH & KH - forgot to write down readings but know these where at the maximum on the tetra 6 in 1 kit.

I have:
4 cherry tetras
2 platties
4 guppies
1 much loved but poorly clown loach

When it started to go wrong:

Last Sunday (8th Feb) Decided to get a new filter system as in my opinion the one that came with the tank never generated enough movement in the water so went and bought a Fluval plus 1 filter. Took out old filter and fitted new was really pleased with the power of this - didn't do a water change as wanted to keep as much of the good bacteria in as possible and wasn't possible to put old filter pads into new filter. Went to bed a happy bunny.
Woke Monday morning to find that my heater had packed up - could see the element inside it burning bright orange so removed straight away. Went to work and at lunchtime popped back home to put in newly purchased new heater. Decided that as water temp had dropped that I would put heater up to 29 deg to get temp back up quickly and yes I have since learnt that that was not a good idea! still it was done.

Last Tuesday Clown loach started swiming erratically and very unbalanced swimming sideways and laying on its side alot. Was still in good spirits though and was having a good go at eating even though he coudlnt swim properly. I assumed he was suffering from swimbladder and dosed 5ml interpet swimbladder treatment on tuesday then again on friday. He went downhill even more and even though he has regained his balance and when he chooses to swim can swim perfectly well now the problem is he does not want to move, swim or eat. He just lays either at the back of the tank proped up against his favourite ornament or at the very front of the tank laying up against the glass he doesn't move unless you prod him.

Outwardly to look at he seems great his colour had faded but is now back to its vibrant colour no lessions white spots or damage no bloating, eyes clear he looks great but by his very unusually subdued behaviour is not, that and the complete lack of appetite even his favourite bloodworm can't interest him.

I have done a 25 percent water change on Monday and put 5ml of Interpet anti bacterial med in last night as I do not know what else to do I also added 3 tablespoons of aquarium salt yesterday as was told by lfs that this would help medication more effective.

Am now at total loss as to what to do, is it stress due to new filter and sudden temperature changes or an illness? Am really feeling for him he is my favourite fish and I can't bear to see him this ill its been 8 days now and no improvement.

Sorry if i waffled on a bit but I guessed the more detail and more honest I was about what I have done would give you guys a greater chance of helping me help him.

All other fish are swimming and behaving fine I would say there appetite is sligthly lower but they are all still eating.

Thanks

Couple of questions.

1. How far did the temp drop before you replaced the broken heater?
2. You have nitrite so my guess is you have ammonia too. Can you test for ammonia?

The tank water does not have much bacteria. IT sounds like by changing the filter you basically started a "fish-in-cycle". You should have run both filters for a while or at least figured out a way to fit some of the old filter material into your new one.

My reccomendation is to test ammonia, do water changes to keep it below .25 and stop all of the medication and no more salt.

Also your clown loach will get too big for a 60L tank.

The problems have all stemmed from the filter change, The vast majority of you bacteria in the tank is in the filter pads, (a small amount is in the gravel and virtually none in the water)
by removing the pads, you have removed the one thing that is in essence keeping the fish alive in the tank.

It is pointless adding treatments atm, as it is the poor water quality that is harming the fish and which will only get worse by the hour unless you can keep on top of water changes until the filter can mature.

Not something that you want to hear but the test strips are more or less useless as they are so vague you don't really know any better, Liquid tests is the only way to go i'm afraid.

However atm I realise that may be all you have so my advice is to keep the nitrite level at 0, although saying that you really need to know the ammonia level which IME will also be high

And lastly as said above, the clown loach should be kept in a much bigger tank but also they are such sociable fish that they should never be kept on their own.

hi thanks for replying. I won't be able to get a liquid test kit till tomorrow now. And I know your right about the filter I just thought by not doing the water changes and leaving the gravel alone that it woud keep the good bacteria I never thought to let them both run at the same time I have learnt the hard way now.

The temp had dropped to 17 deg. I have bought a new floating thermometer and this now says my water temp is at 23 deg even though the heaters thermometer says it is at 27 deg.

Should I increase the temp on the heater some more or leave well alone? Also how much and how often should I do water changes at the moment?

I never realised untill reading the other threads on here about clown loaches growing big or needing company the lfs never said anything when I bought him. I have had him about a year now and he is about 4 " long the same as when I bought him.

23C is a safe temperature so i would that the heater is just getting the temp back up to what it is set at,
I would do a 50% precautionary water change just to lower any rising stats, - any nitrite reading (or ammonia) is bad

o.k. will do a 50% change tonight. My dad has a well established tank would it be a good idea to get some filter material from him and place into my filter? Or is it too late for that now. should I leave clown loach alone and see if he can recover or is it kinder to put him out of his misery? I don't know what his chances are of surviving

IF you have access to mature filter media that would be an excellent way to speed the cycle in your tank. Someon else could tell you the exact procedure but it may be as easy as grabbing some biomedia from your father's tank and putting it in your filter. Also may be able to lightly squeeze the mature filter material and allow it to soak into your filter media.

Better water quality might be enough to revive your fish. It also might save your others from a similar fate.

o.k. excuse my ignorance here people as never done this before by biomedia do you mean in laymans terms scraping the gunk from the other filter sponge into my filter?
And by squeezing mature filter pad do you mean directly into the water or into the filter?

I am confused anywhere tell me how to do this succesfully as my haphazard ways have allready got me into trouble!

My dad has exactly the same filter as me if that helps just the next size up (Fluval plus2)

Thanks

You can always cut a small piece off of your dad's filter sponge and put it into your filter - if it won't fit just cut a bit of the new filter sponge off to make some room for it.

Athena

A fluval 2 has (if i remember correctly) 2 pads inside so simply swap one of your pads with one of your dads

Forgive me if someone has mentioned it,

just because you have the heater set to 27 degrees it does not mean it will terminate at that temperature the temp reading on the top does not or rarely does correspond with the temperature it cuts out at i.e keeps the water temperature at, unless you have a digital one I am told they are quite accurate.

The reading on the top is just an approximation and you should set your heater using a reading from your thermometer in your tank

Just trying to help

As for your loach I really hope he improves soon clown loaches are fantastic fish

o.k. people thanks for your advice I am totally in love with my clown loach and if he survives I am definately going to invest in a larger tank and some mates for him.

I have an update I have come home and found him swimming about freely like nothings ever been wrong - even tried to suckle my fingers!

The BAD news is I borowed a liquid amonia testing kit and the reading is .025 so you where right about that.
The WORSE news is even though Fred sorry clown loach swimming around like nothing wrong now he has developed a white boil like spot on the tip of his nose.

I have attached some pics in the hope that your going to say he has just grazed it and that I havn't now developed white spot in the tank

I also lost a plattie while at work funnily enough he didn't show any symptoms of distress just seems to died instantly

I have done a 50% water change and put some amno lock in.
Should I stop feeding them for a few days and see what happens?

lost said:

o.k. people thanks for your advice I am totally in love with my clown loach and if he survives I am definately going to invest in a larger tank and some mates for him.

I have an update I have come home and found him swimming about freely like nothings ever been wrong - even tried to suckle my fingers!

The BAD news is I borowed a liquid amonia testing kit and the reading is .025 so you where right about that.
The WORSE news is even though Fred sorry clown loach swimming around like nothing wrong now he has developed a white boil like spot on the tip of his nose.

I have attached some pics in the hope that your going to say he has just grazed it and that I havn't now developed white spot in the tank

I also lost a plattie while at work funnily enough he didn't show any symptoms of distress just seems to died instantly

I have done a 50% water change and put some amno lock in.
Should I stop feeding them for a few days and see what happens?

Click to expand...

Yes it does look like a bump around its mouth, which should clear once the water conditions improve.
Its gills look a bit iffy though which is most likely from the ammonia content in the water.

Yes I would stop feeding for a few days and test the water daily until everything settles,
if you notice a nitrite or ammonia reading simply do a 50% water change

o.k. thanks everyone. I will monitor amonia readings and stop feeding for a few days just so glad that 'touch wood' he seems to be on the mend so nice to see him swimming around again.
I will also swap over a filter sponge from my dads tank to speed things up a bit.

Will keep you posted.
Fingers crossed.

lost said:

o.k. thanks everyone. I will monitor amonia readings and stop feeding for a few days just so glad that 'touch wood' he seems to be on the mend so nice to see him swimming around again.
I will also swap over a filter sponge from my dads tank to speed things up a bit.

Will keep you posted.
Fingers crossed.

Click to expand...

Clown Loache's should be kept in groups of 5 or more, any less and they can be restless and unhappy.