Clown Loach skin problems

[angiemike6]

In a sense this is not an emergency as I have been having this same problem with this particular clown loach for probably the last 5/6 years. The problem loach is one of four clown loaches who were purchased together and are now probably about 14 years old. As you can see from the photo its body is covered with nasty looking sores. The other side of him looks exactly the same. This photo was taken about 2 weeks ago, and his body has now repaired itself, although you can see where the sores used to be. As an example you can see the black area on one of the orange stripes around the body, which is where in the past he had a nasty sore. Probably in about a couple of months time it will all repeat itself, in that he will look like the photo again, and then within a couple or weeks it will repair itself. As I previously said this has now been going on regularly for probably the last 5/6 years. Apart from the way he looks, he does not appear to be distressed, and swims around and acts normally, even during the period when he has the sores. Most of the fish in my tank are more than 10 years old, and I never get any illness with my fish. I do 40% changes weekly, and only feed them 3 times a week. Water tests Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 30/40 ppm, PH 7.8, Hardness - GH 18 dH and KH 8dH. I have asked at several local aquatic stores, and they have no idea, other than thinking he might be attacked at night by my yoyo loach, or is getting stuck under my bridge, or in the cave. I have stopped worrying about him, but am still intrigued as to what is happening. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Colin_T]

I would remove anything that is sharp or has rough edges and see if it continues to happen. Maybe move the other species of loach out and see what happens too. It has to be stressful to the fish whatever is causing it.

You need to get the nitrates down to as close to 0ppm as possible and under 20ppm at all times. A bigger (75%) water change would help with this.

 

[angiemike6]

Hi Colin_T. Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately I am unable to move out the Yoyo loach, but could try moving out the bridge, although I do not see him trying to get under it. With regards to the nitrates, doing bigger water changes will not help, as the water supplied by my water company has nitrates measured at source at 37-45ppm, which means its probably higher when it reaches my tap. In the UK it is not illegal to supply water until nitrates reach 50 ppm. I cannot afford RO water. I have been keeping tropical fish for 30 years, with most of my current fish more than 10 years of age, and they are coping with the high nitrates.

 

[Colin_T]

Floating plants might help reduce the nitrates.

 

[fishorama]

This can be normal as clown loaches age. The black stripes can "split" with a whitish area in between. You've had them quite a long time so I think this could be it. No reason to worry yet, they look pretty normal to me. Look at pics of large clown loaches & you'll see what I mean.

 

[Colin_T]

This can be normal as clown loaches age. The black stripes can "split" with a whitish area in between. You've had them quite a long time so I think this could be it. No reason to worry yet, they look pretty normal to me. Look at pics of large clown loaches & you'll see what I mean.

Look at the clown loach at the front of the picture. It is covered in red sores. That isn't normal or from old age.

 

[fishorama]

OMG, you're right Colin, I didn't enlarge the pic. He does look bad! I'm so sorry I didn't look closer. That's what happens when reading posts while doing dinner.

That is not just from high nitrate, although I'm sure it's not helping.

It may be time for an antibiotic but I don't know which to suggest or what might be available. Lots of water changes are my first thought but he needs more help than that.

 

[Gamegurl564]

I would spy on them at night and try to figure out who the culprit is.
That poor little guy..

 

[angiemike6]

He has now almost completely recovered with no intervention from myself. He will be okay for another 2/3 months, and then the whole cycle will repeat itself. The other clown loaches and other fish are always fine. Even looking as bad as he did, it did not seem to worry him, and if you ignore how he looks, you will have thought he was perfectly fine, swimming around normally and acting like the other clown loaches. He also interacts with the other clown loaches normally. I do not think it is the yoyo loach or any other fish because the problem is not there all the time, just periodically every 2/3 months. It is a complete mystery. I also do not think that lots of water changes will help, as the nitrates are high in my tap water anyway, and I now do 40% changes every week, including washing the filter sponges in the tank water that I have taken out.

 

[Colin_T]

It reminds me of the herpes virus. When people are stressed it breaks out. This could be something similar. There is a Koi herpes virus but it produces different symptoms to what the loach is showing. The Gourami Iridovirus produces different symptoms again. This might be a new fish virus or a virus that infected this fish from another animal (jumped species) and is causing the symptoms.

I would find a fish vet and take it to them the next time there is an outbreak. Get them to take a swab of the wounds and check it under a microscope and maybe culture some in a petri dish. See if something new pops up.