Loaches Skin?

[Lion007]

Hello all, sorry not been on for a while far too much on with work
Anywhoo as some of you may know i put 3 zebra loaches in to rid my snails, a week later 1 completely dissapeared - presumed dead.
Just went to feed them and i thought i saw its carcass under my bogwood - but then i saw a live loach in there too - and the other 2 are out! Grabbed a torch and there appear to be 2 skinns there, almost how a spider shells.
Is this normal? And is it known for 1 to hide? As ive never seen it out since that first week in.

Thanks

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Are there any shrimp in the tank or similar critters? Shrimp molt quite regularly as they grow, and the old shrimp exoskeletons they shed i suppose could look like a loaches skin once the feelers had fallen off etc.
The "skin" thing you found could also just be a decomposing aquarium plant leaf that has filled with air.

 

[Lion007]

No ive no shrimp
My stock to date is
1x BN Plec
2x Leapord Danios
1x Danios (unkown breed on this one)
6x White Cloud Mountain Minnows
3x Zebra Loaches

Whatever the skins off, it definately has stripes, and a fin

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Well i'm certain loaches don't shed their skins, nor do any of your other fish. Personally i would advise doing a re-count on your fish to make sure you haven't accidentally missed any.

 

[Matty P]

Loaches don't shed their skins

 

[murphyk32]

lol well thats wierd... umm... for them dissapearing, well I have READ that they will hide for weeks, specially if there new or uncomfortable. He may have been adjusting... iunno

Murph

 

[Lion007]

Cheers all - well its a complete mystery to me too lol. Atleast ive found out hes not dead anywhoo

 

[Rex740]

Well i'm certain loaches don't shed their skins, nor do any of your other fish. Personally i would advise doing a re-count on your fish to make sure you haven't accidentally missed any.

Actually Tokis, some species of loaches do shed there skin. One species is the dojo loach. I usually see skin floating in my tank from my dojos.

 

[murphyk32]

something new i nvr knew... nice

Murph

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Well i'm certain loaches don't shed their skins, nor do any of your other fish. Personally i would advise doing a re-count on your fish to make sure you haven't accidentally missed any.

Actually Tokis, some species of loaches do shed there skin. One species is the dojo loach. I usually see skin floating in my tank from my dojos.

You sure they aren't just producing an excess of slime coat because something is stressing them in the tank? Nothing is mentioned of them shedding their skins, even in the indepth part of the loaches.com article on dojo loaches;

http/www.loaches.com/articles/weather-report


I'm just kinda sceptical that this is normal if what you are seeing is slime coat from your dojo loaches, especially since i cannot find any sources that say this behaviour is normal in dojo loaches.
Crustaceons have to shed their exoskeletons on a regular basis because otherwise if they kept the same shell throughout life, they would not be able to grow. Fish on the other hand don't have this problem, their skeleton is on the inside and so allows the fishes flesh and organs to grow freely, so fish do not need to shed their skins like critters like shrimp and lobsters do etc.

 

[Rex740]

I read an article that they do shed skins. I only see one 2 inch piece every two or three months.

 

[afishdude]

I read an article that they do shed skins. I only see one 2 inch piece every two or three months.

are you sure you dont have a snake?

 

[syntax_error]

I read an article that they do shed skins. I only see one 2 inch piece every two or three months.

Can you show us some proof of this? It's rather hard to believe.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I read an article that they do shed skins. I only see one 2 inch piece every two or three months.

Can you share this article with us?

I'm just very reluctant to believe that this is normal for loaches like dojo to do this until i see some proper information recording this and explaining why it happens etc.

 

[Rex740]

Well i dont know where the article is cause i read loads of them when i found out about dojos. And i dont think i can take a picture of the skin. The skin is like a cloudy transparent. Its basically like the shedded skin of an african dwarf frog.