Help my Clown Loach!

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Captain Canuck

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Calgary, Alberta, CANADA
Help, something is wrong with one of my clowns. I though he had been hiding for about a week now, but I saw him hiding in one of his tunnels tonight when I got home. Then I noticed something weird on him. I netted him and took these photos.
It looks like raised white lines shooting in a network across his body. Does anybody recognize this as something?
My other three clowns appear fine for now. I am going to go do some water tests and try to get a better picture if I can.
 

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Do the white things appear to move or shift? Maybe some kind of external parasite, like a worm? Maybe a fungus?

What other fish are in the tank?

Did anything occur prior to this happening, like new fish additions, chemicals, etc.?
 
Did you put that loach in a bottle or something??, I've never saw that on a clown loach before may it's some kind of fungus, you could use melafix or something, but if that clown is in a bottle with no filter or heater then say bye bye to himm....
 
I think that's a fish bag, sharky. I assume he put it in there to get the best pic he could.

Sorry Captain, I don't know what is wrong with your Clown Loach. Do you have a hospital tank? You might want to isolate him, lest whatever that is spreads to the others more easily.
 
Do the white things appear to move or shift? Maybe some kind of external parasite, like a worm? Maybe a fungus?

What other fish are in the tank?

Did anything occur prior to this happening, like new fish additions, chemicals, etc.?
No, it doesn't move. Under different lighting it almost looks like cracked dried skin (except that is a little difficult in a water environment) or as if his outer layer is wearing away along those lines.

Tank occupants are as follows:
4 clown loaches
3 polka-dot loaches (botia kubotai)
1 bristlenose pl*co
6 glowlight tetras
3 zebra danios

There have been no additions to the tank since early January.

Did you put that loach in a bottle or something??, I've never saw that on a clown loach before may it's some kind of fungus, you could use melafix or something, but if that clown is in a bottle with no filter or heater then say bye bye to himm....

He was in a glass beaker that I sometimes use for moving fish, I did it so I could get the pictures. He is back in the tank now and I am treating the whole thing with melafix since everyone has been exposed to him.

Do you have a hospital tank? You might want to isolate him, lest whatever that is spreads to the others more easily.
I do have one, but it is occupied by a couple of new fish for my 20 gallon.
 
I have never seen a fish like that before, however, if it is a fungus or something, it is probably not going to survive as scaless fish are harder to cure.
 
i have never seen anything like that either...it is odd, PM Ryan, he knows quite a bit about loaches, and has quite a collection

Good luck with it
 
I've had this exact same thing in my aquarium... I lost like 20 fish from it (mostly guppies).
1. Take the affected fish(s) out and put them in a hospital tank or if you don't have one treat the tank it's in
2. Treat the hospital tank with an anti fungus treatment with malachite green in it(make sure it's the scaleless fish type dose), Maracyn and stress coat helps too, but maracyn clouds the water for a while. Make sure the tank has not been treated with medication that gets rid of Malachite Green.
The fungus should just slough off... my dojos totally recovered from looking death in the face... Had to drain the whole 55 gallon tank!!!! Not to mention I had like 30 fish in a 3 gallon tank. ughhh. :S But now eveyone is fine and my tank is flourishing!!!
Hope I helped!!!
~Robin
 
Thanks Guppygirl, :cool:

I have started treatment with a combination of melafix and pimafix, in the hopes that I won't have to resort to anything else.
On a positive note, after 24 hours treatment, the clown has made several short appearances with his friends. While his skin doesn't look any better, his colour has returned and he was eating.

How long did you have to treat your fish?
 
Hi,these marks look like scars to me.My clowns are flicking at the moment and they have developed scars like this.(From bouncing off rocks etc)
 

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