Unknown Ailment

[Kaidonni]

The problem is I need to treat for the fin rot right now, or I am thinking that I need to. Mixing meds is risky, and I've already dosed with the levacide. I've received advice that there should be no deleterious effects using the eSHa 2000 alongside levacide, especially considering the small dose I used (~1.3ml to give me just over 2mg/l levamisole hydrochloride). If the eSHa 2000 helps at all, I may move on to JBL.

 

[star4]

Sorry I did say I am at capacity with rescues at the moment and I just really cannot take on anything else, yours are not the only fish I have had to turn down and it breaks my heart. I am in the process of trying to sort out more space, but in a 2 bed terrace with 13 tanks running it is proving to be almost impossible. To make matters worse one of my large tanks has a small leak and I am having to sell my beloved True Parrots, just because I cannot move them anywhere to replace their tank. For these reasons I put you in touch with SWFR.
 
Fish in stressful conditions will get ill, 14 months ago I rescued a tank full of fish with various illness's some I couldnt identify, but over time in the right conditions 90% of them have pulled through and are now fine.
 
To be blunt you are trying to fight an uphill battle, 2 off 5" clown loach in a 50l tank will be under stress and stress = illness. Constant water changes will help much more than medication. You already said they liven up after a water change, clean water = happy fish. A bigger tank is an absolute must for these fish to stand any chance. I am keeping my ears and eyes open for anyone that could take them, I am just sorry I do not have the space.

 

[Kaidonni]

The water changes have ceased to perk up the ill Clown Loach now, he's always got clamped fins and is shimmying a lot. Definitely signs of fin rot, no doubt about that at all now (obviously before the signs were either too difficult to notice/too early stage, or they weren't actually there - probably weren't there). I've put some carbon into the filter (middle pad, the replaceable one, not one of the two main pads) for the next 36 hours or so and done a water change to remove the levacide (it had ~24 hours to do something, and I'm averse to mixing medications), will be using eSHa 2000 on Tuesday after swapping to a standard polyester pad (I know not to use the carbon when medicating). Not sure if I should try levacide again, camallanus worms seem unlikely (wished I'd never dosed with it now, I could have gone right to the eSHa 2000).
 
I didn't expect re-homing just yet, was quietly hoping something worked out a little later on. I appreciate what you've done for me in this situation, and I have no issue re-homing with someone else.

 

[Kaidonni]

I replaced the active carbon with normal filter wool after ~42 hours and then dosed with the eSHa 2000 yesterday, 11 drops. The fish did get a little panicky, but the large Clown Loach is now remaining within the castle and acting extremely lethargic (I haven't seen him come out, the last time I saw him was Monday evening shimmying). The other Clown Loach also got rather panicky, swimming up and down the side of the tank - especially when I was nearby - but he seemed to calm down. This morning he was quite a bit more frantic, trying to jump out of the tank, although he has appeared to calm down a little again (I haven't added the second day dose yet - scheduled for 12:30pm). I'm not sure what to do in light of this behaviour, as I did replace many plants on Saturday in anticipation of dosing with eSHa (it apparently kills elodea, and I normally have two bushy elodea plants either side of the castle), so he's a little more on edge than normal anyway.

 

[star4]

Clown loach are very sensitive to medication, hopefully today's dose should not affect them as much as its half dose day 2 & 3 if I remember correctly with Esha 2000

 

[Kaidonni]

Unfortunately, the present volume of the tank is either just under or just over 43 litres when taking into account plants, the castle, the filter housing, the heater and the airstone, as well as the fish. The dosing instructions have a band split at 43 litres, with 5 drops below and 6 drops above as the recommended dosage...I dosed 6 (5 at first, then probably about 30 minutes later a sixth drop). I can always dose just 5 tomorrow. This other Clown Loach seems to do most of his swimming up and down the side of the tank when I'm around, and calms down otherwise. The ill Clown Loach remains within the castle, and there is next to no fighting - the healthy Clown Loach leaves him alone now and comes out quite a bit.

 

[Kaidonni]

I added the final dose today, 6 drops. The ill Clown Loach's dorsal fin has definitely suffered deterioration, eaten away in the middle as best I can tell (he's been hiding in the castle all week, a little more active today moving about inside). Managed to get a good look at the dorsal fin by shining a small torch into the castle for a short time. Still some white along the fin rays that have been eaten away, so do I need to treat again? The white might be necrotic tissue, or it might be the fin rot continuing.
 
I'm not entirely sure what to do next, although a water change on the weekend is ideal (Sunday possibly, leaving the eSHa in for as long as possible without compromising on water quality). I have been advised on Virkon Aquatic to assist with external bacterial infections. I don't know if the levacide will have much of an impact, nor do I know if the JBL Spirohexol will be any good, although the latter may be more applicable due to the similarity of the primary infection with the description of Skinny Disease. Phoning around rather than jumping on the internet to order things is my first priority, no point in sitting around waiting for days for something to be posted to me when I might be a mere 20-30 minutes away from a place that actually sells it.

 

[Kaidonni]

As an addendum, just caught sight of the caudal fin, it's frayed all over. Looks like I made the right call using the eSHa, but I don't know if it's going to make much difference.

 

[star4]

Esha 2000 is a pretty good general med and you can use it for longer if needed.

 

[WILDER]

UK bacterial medications are only really good on mild bacteria infections.
Once the bacteria infections takes hold of a fish your only chance is antibiotics. Which should
only be used in a hospital tank.
 
Internal parasites cause a of internal damage. once a fish is infested there little hope of saving the
fish as the damage has already been done. 
 
Hope this helps.

 

[Kaidonni]

Sadly, the ill Clown Loach passed away some time in the night. After the eSHa treatment, with an additional 6 drops yesterday, he came out of the castle and moved about more, but his caudal and dorsal fins were badly damaged from the fin rot. I'm seeing if I can request an autopsy from the aquatic specialist I've been in contact with so I can verify whether or not fish Tb was a factor, or if a particular type of parasite caused the primary infection. At this point, Star4, it may be wise for me to pop over to SWF just to put up an update, the other Clown Loach ideally needs re-homing as soon as possible with a suitable home. He so far hasn't shown any signs of wasting or anything else *touch wood*.
 
I removed the body of the dead Clown Loach and siphoned about 6L out of the tank immediately, sucking the gravel from where he died and where the castle stood. Also removed some of the plants around where he passed away, will replace them later today after a further 4L water removal and filter clean/filter wool replacement. Also sourcing some Virkon Aquatic as it's safe to use with fish and biological filtration, and breaks down very quickly - it deals with bacterial problems.

 

[WILDER]

Bless Him
Sorry for your loss.
R.I.P.
 
Thanks for the update. 
Good Luck.

 

[star4]

so sorry I was hoping he would pull through. Fingers crossed SWFR can find the other one a home quickly for you.

 

[Kaidonni]

The main problem (apart from my idiocy years ago when I first got these Clown Loaches) was that the primary symptom was wasting. That isn't a lot to go on at all, considering the numerous parasites and bacterial infections that list loss of weight as a symptom. Same with shimmying (and when he'd lost a chunk out of his fin, that really confuses since the shimmying could have been only for that, covering up the main issue, or it could have been for both). Just about the only thing I could identify with any certainty was the fin rot, but as a secondary infection it didn't really do me any good.
 
Thank you for all the assistance and support. I certainly want the other one to find a new home, he can't stay all alone.

 

[star4]

Shimmying can be a sign of a bacterial infection when it hits the nervous system. The curviceps I have just lost to a freak accident started doing it also.  I think the first clown with the wasting problem was just so unhappy that he gave up and sucummed to any little thing. It is really difficult sometimes to treat a sick fish, it is something I do alot when fish end up on my doorstep in poor conditions. Sometimes no matter what you do they give up, others that I have looked at thinking no way they will make it have pulled through. You did everything you possibly could in the circumstances.