Hong kong plec/hillstream loach

[fish_face]

Hi guys

I just changed round my little 34 litre tank to sand and when I put my hillstream loach back in he was breathing (flapping his gills) really fast and then I found him on his back. I turned him over and he stuck to the side again, but he was dead this morning

He didn't seem to be able to stick to the sides as he used to. Was it the sand? or was it the stress? He wasn't out of the tank (in a bag of tank water) for very long and i've taken him out like that to move stuff around before and he was fine. I'm puzzled

 

[Lateral Line]

Difficult to say. How did you change over to the sand? When you filled the tank again, did you use entirely fresh water or some of the original water?

It is certainly true that these fella's come from high energy environments where the streams are rock and coarse gravel, the sand gets washed away, but I would be suprised if that alone would kill him.

 

[fish_face]

i saved most of the tank water and put it back so just topped it up with fresh really. I think it must have been the stress, how gulty do I feel

 

[Lateral Line]

You are aware that they really are cold water fish aren't you? Cold water holds a lot more dissolved Oxygen then warm water, and their high energy environments have very high oxygenation.

In reorganising the tank, is it possible you reduced the O2 levels?

 

[fish_face]

I may have done, the water clouded up when I first put the sand in and it took a few hours to clear well at least I know now, thanks for the advice

 

[colegamby]

id say somethin happened to the 02