My weather loach looks bloody

[SophieJaynne]

Please someone help! I have had a weather loach for about a month and he has been fine, really active character, until last night! I went to check on him (he is in a 40 litre tank with 2 small goldfish) and found him laying at the front of the tank looking really bloody! There are no signs of any external wounds, the 'blood' appears to be under the surface below his head to abput half way down his body, then a grey patch in the middle, then 'bloody' from there to the tip of his tale. This morning he was laid on his side. The water parameters are all fine, I keep up with regular water changes and I have sand in the tank. This appears to have just happened over 24hours! He is my sons so I am really anxious to get him well again as he is really a lovely fish!

[Diana]

This sounds pretty serious.
It does not sound like bruising or injuries as if the fish had been fighting, but more like an infection of some sort.

Ultimately this size tank is way too small for the fish you have, but lets deal with the Loach at the moment.
I would put this one in a separate tank and treat, but I do not know what to treat it with. Could this be bacterial??

In the mean time do a few extra water changes so the conditions are the best possible in the tank with the lowest possible nitrates. Do you have a test kit? What are the water parameters?
Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, temperature?

[SophieJaynne]

Thanks for getting back to me.

I realise the tank will need to be upgraded as he grows, I was told he would get 6" max when I got him, which I now know is absolute rubbish!

I have put him in a smaller tank with some bogwood (which I boiled for an hour beforehand) and treated it with a half dose of Myxazin (for bacterial infections). He seems to be trying to move onto his front now (without success) and the red on his tail end seems to be going, but he is still generally looking pretty awful.

I use sticks to test the water and the results are as follows:
Temp: 19.4 C
Nitrate: <10
Nitrite: 0
GH: >16
PH: 7.6
KH: 6 d

Any further advice will be greatly appreciated.

[SophieJaynne]

Unfortunately he seems to have gone to fishy heaven

Upon closer inspection it seems as though the red parts were peeling off. I have no idea what this was and it is such a shame he has died.

Thanks for your help though.