Clown Loach gill issue, help please:(

[Aquamancer]

My loach has been getting progressively redder gills over the past 2 months or so. It started out w/ me getting 3 loaches for my 29g (yeah I know, but I was/am planning for a 55g soon), one died of internal parasites, another one died of some gill disease, a month ago, because I did something stupid, which resulted in a ph spike.

Now my last one isleft, and he's been getting worse all this time. His gills are red constantly, and he usually spends some time either swimming in midlevel or gulping air. He still eats fine and is pretty active though. I've tried treating this w/ potassium permanganate, not sure if it helped or hurt though.

I'm treating him now in a 10g hospital tank, w/ salt (working up to 2.75 teaspoons/gallon concentration over 3 days, this is second day), and maracyn 2 (minocycline). He's not doing better, yet. Can anybody suggest anything else that I should try?

It's kind of strange because my sister, who got some clown loaches a month ago for her 55, is having the same thing w/ her smallest loach. I've yet to read anything about loaches being succeptible to any gill problems.

Ammonia/nitrites 0
pH 7.5

Thanks all

 

[wetwetwet]

First hi and welcome Aquamancer

Sorry to hear about your problems,

Gills should have a reddish tinge to them - often more noticable in younger fish...

.....or are they actually inflamed??

 

[ostrow]

I've lost a horde of clown loaches myself, mostly to internal parasits and/or ich and/or velvet. Continuing as I type. The gills on mine look reddish, but I haven't looked too closely before to know if this is abnormal or not.

Just curious ... where do you live?

Also, a 29G should easily handle 3, presuming you take care of the water which it sounds you do.

 

[Aquamancer]

Thanks all for your replies

I've seen pics of small loaches with red gills and was thinking that that might be it, but is it normal for a loach (granted he's alone now so he might be lonely, but he sort of did the same thing when I had more hten 1), to swim up and down the side of tank?

I don't know if they're actually swolen, they don't appear to bleed or anything like that, or stick out. But they are quite red. He does spend a lot of time in midwaters, or just sort of hanging near a tank wall in mid level, as if he were trying to lean on it, staying in 1 place.

Am I just overreacting?

I live in Pennsylvania, 2 hrs away from New York. Good thing I don't have to worry about chlorine though, or anything like that, because our water comes from a well.

I'd get more loaches, but I have 3 angels, and considering to get at least 1 more (mine are fighting constantly, if I get more I think it might help, or not?), so I think together it might be overcrowding.

I think I might give him to my sister, so he can live w/ other loaches, but they're such awesome fish

 

[catman]

If he was about during the ph spike, it could be he's got damaged gills..

Either way, i would suggest putting him back in the main tank and treating with melafix.. (all the fish will enjoy this!!)

It can take months for injuries like these to heal (and in some cases they may never) but if he's ok, then let him be..

My loaches are always doing strange things!! They too both have reddish gills....

 

[ostrow]

This may be a parasite or bacterial infection but I'm not sure. I now see it on one of my 2 remaining clown loaches, bright red spot at the gill. Both have ick and/or velvet on them still, or it is somehting else altogether.

Anyone who has any idea would be much appreciated. I'm going to start melafix though I'm considering Maracyn 2.