Clown Loach

[vicbarry]

Hi gang. I have recently purchased 2 clown loaches, one who I see once a week. Who knows where it goes. But the 2 of them have what I believe to be whitespot. I upped the temp and gave half doses (as recommended on here) of whitespot treatment. The second half dose went in yesterday and there is still no sign of it clearing. None of the other fish in the tank have it, granted 3 neons had it but after the first half dose they cleared up. Becasue Im working in half doses does it take longer (theory says yes to me). Technically these 2 half doses are the first full dose, so will I give another 2 half doses (second full dose) in a few days time. The box says to give 1 full dose and then another full dose four days later. So thats four half doses Im reckoning. Anyways, Ive taken some pictures. Do ye think it is whitespot or have I mis diagnosed (I know the pics are poor). Other than that all fish are healthy and eating and carrying on like normal, including the 2 clowns

Appreciate any replies. Thanks

 

[@ombomb]

Yes it looks like white spot to me.

Clown Loaches are particularly prone to it, particularly when stressed.

Can you post your tank dimensions and water stats?

 

[vicbarry]

22 gallons (UK) and all water stats are normal. This only happened after I completed about a 25% water change!

 

[IMCL85]

I have 5xCL in a 25 g tank US they also have white spot right now. Make sure u have place for them hide and also that CL likes to school I bought my first 2 x one which is kind of stress when they comes home. But after I add another 3 they now r less stress and some time swim arround during day time. I also use stress guard atm for lowering stress in tank. Just make sure you continue do the treatment until white spot is clear. Usually should be gone in like a week or so. how many fish do u have in ur tank atm? and whats ur ammonia and nitrite lvl in ur tank?

 

[vicbarry]

Ill keep up the dosage so. Thanks! What if it doesnt clear. They have it since Friday and were treated on Friday. But the thing thats baffling me is none of the other fish have got it, bar the neons and they cleared up after 12 hours of treatment.

Would I be better adding another 2 or 3. I know the tank will be too small after some growth, the plan is to get a bigger tank by Xmas!

 

[IMCL85]

dont add any at the moment they will just get sick alone with ur sick loaches now they tend to stay together so ich will spread. The reason why neon get cure is probably they have larger number as I see in ur pict so the they dont get as much stress. I dont think it would be the problem with ur water altho it wouldn't hurt if u do a test and give us an answer. Causing white spot is either the water or stress from what I see here it would probably be stress. since ur others r fine. Try to lowering the stress by using some chamical I use stress guard when ever I have new fish to tank it a chamical that help fish get away from stress faster during transportation or changing water. Maybe in ur country it will be some other brand name but they all do the same thing it promote healing and - stress. Just read the info when u get any of this kind of brand from ur nearest fish store.

 

[vicbarry]

Cheers

 

[@ombomb]

I have new fish to tank it a chamical that help fish get away from stress

Unless you have some form of Aquarium Prozak, all those chemicals do are help the fish deal with the physical symptoms of stress, not the cause.

What do you mean by "normal" water stats?

Did you change anything in your water change outine?

Have you added anything new to the tank recently?

Have you got plenty of places for the Loaches to hide?

When you are medicating the tank, make sure you are using 50% doses at most, Clown Loaches are very sensitive to the problem AND the cure unfortunately. Make sure you have no carbon in your filter and increase the temp of the tank slowly to around 82F.

 

[vicbarry]

Some more pics!

Water stats once the tank have cycled have remained stable. The CLs only developed this after a water change. The new water was treated (with the same treatment as per many previous water changes) and the temperture remained constant.

The CLs were the last fish to be added to the tank. No other fish (neons, a pleco, corys and platys ) have this. Thats why Im wondering is it whitespot at all. To me at this stage it doesnt like look white spot. Hopefully someone can clarify with the above pics. The CLs have plenty of places to hide, rocks and logs. As a matter of fact, I never see the 2 for days at a time. 1 CL in particular dissapears completely.

Im am getting very worried at this stage. The next dose of treatment is for Sunday!

The temp has been at 82 since I discovered this, and Im using 50% of the dosage. I still have an inkling that this isnt whitespot. Surely it should have cleared up by now. I had once before and most of my fish got it and it cleared after about 3 days when treated.

 

[IMCL85]

Do u have air pump / power head? because if I were u I will incrase temperature more to 84. And also incrase the current inside the tank abit. But first do u use conditioner and salt when u do water change? Because where I came from this 2 is a must because I use tap water. And if you do too remember after u added conditioner and salt dont add water right away wait like 15 minutes and then add them. I would be probably doing water change now if thats the case because from ur picture I see they dont really do well as their fin is all clamped together as mine one isn't they still eat and just stress and wouldn't come out at day time. Ur one is very sick as white spot all over their body. So do a 25% water change, and see if u could find them I hope they r ok . And try to buy a testkite from ur local fish store or take some of ur water sample to them and have them check out for u. You could also go to this site for more info http/www.loaches.com/ offen I go there for help. Hope u fish get well.

 

[vicbarry]

I hope they get better too. It amazes me that none of the other fish have got whitespot after nearly a week. My water changes are always treated. The CLs are still very active and eating like horses, granted one is in hiding more than the other!

Anyone got any more suggestions?

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Not having kept loaches I'm not gonna be much help. If they are recent additions have you considered taking them back to your lfs and asking them? If the meds really aren't working then you either need something stronger or it's something else that looks similar and needs different treatment.
Might be worth quarantining them since they aren't right now so you can keep a better eye on them and avoid contaminating the other fish.
The only other thing that springs to mind is maybe it's not clearing because they are still stressed about something. Is it possible that one of the other tank residents is causing their stress? One of my tetras is notorious for the occassional boisterous moments, as is one of my harlequins (Quite a sight to see a tiny harlequin dashing after the larger tetras.) Maybe they're being picked on and this is why the problem isn't going away despite meds.
Hugs,
P.

 

[IMCL85]

there is 3 obtion u can use for ich cure as I have learn from monthly fish hobby magazine

#1 which is chemicals treatment that only work on the developmental period of ich parasite. If it was a more resistant variety parasite then it wouldn't work.

#2 Current treatment this require u to have 1x new parasite free quartine tank. Where ur sick fish will be transported to and this tank must have very strong current. Thereby preventing the parasite from settling and attacing(ich parasite must attach to something inorder to develop and release its infectious swarmers)

#3 Transfer treatment this require u to have 2x tank with parasite free(not including the one ur clown in right now and also it must be cleaned after ur fish transfer to another one read under for information on why). it doesn't have to be a large tank it just need to be a bare tank with nothing just a heater and a filter inside. And the reason why it call transfer method is because u will have to transfer ur fish between this two tank for 3 day once every 12-24 hours. And this prevents a fish from being re-infected. By the time the parasite has detached from the fish and released its infective swarmers, the fish is safe in a new tanks. With in 3 days treatment. Viturally all the parasite will drop off the fish. Since swarmers die with in 3 days in the absence of a fish host. Then the fish can be remove back to its original tank. This method amount all is the best way to treat resistanted variety parasite. But also can cause extream stress by moving fish arround. But it have been provent by alot others that it work.

 

[Angry_Platy]

I have 5xCL in a 25 g tank

Unless you are planning on getting a large tank soon your CLs are going to get very stressed. Do you realise they have the potential to grow to 12 inches long? So 5 clown loaches = potentially 60 inches of fish!!! That many loaches do not belong in a 25gal tank...perhaps you have allready been told this, but IMHO, it needs to be said again.

 

[IMCL85]

I have a 75g if its nessesary I toss them over. But atm they still small I just live them there for now as I dont have any place for them to hide on that tank its a bare tank with nothing but a drift wood and 4 discus. Beside it take very long for them to out grow this tank probably 1 years+.