Loaches Online Forum

Hi, I am a new user of this site and would like some help please!

I have 5 yoyo/pakistani loaches. I bought them in two lots of three from two different shops. From the first lot of 3 I had one die the day after i got him, one is growing excellently and is always active, searching for food and socialising with my tiger barbs, mollies and columbian tetras. But the third is very lazy, hardly ever eats, has barely grown at all in the 3 months i've had him and is always just lying in the corner, or on a log or sometimes i can't find him at all.

From the second lot, they are all identical and are impossible to tell apart because they are all active and growing on their way to becoming like the active guy from the first lot. All three from the second lot are now bigger than the lazy guy and i got them about 6 weeks after the first lot.

Does anyone else have a lazy loach like this? how can i help him grow?

If you're really concerned then you could try separating the fish into a quarantine tank, once in a tank of it's own you can target feed using live foods. Live bloodworm and live brineshrimp will nearly always get a finicky feeder started. Once the fish has started eating regularly is bulking up, then you can start weaning onto frozen and prepared foods. As you are in Australia you should be able to get a hold of live Australian Blackworms, these are high protein and should make a welcome addition to the fishes diet. If the fish starts to eat regularly and still does not put on weight then you will have to consider a parasite problem, and treat accordingly.

Make sure the quarantine tank has plenty of hiding places and good filtration, use mature filter media from your existing tank to seed your quarantine tank filter.

I would say that there is a good chance that your loach has parasites. You should put it in a quarantine tank and treat it. On the Fish, Health, and Treatment forum there is a sticky on treating with Levamisole. It is hard to get now, but there are other good products available. Search this forum for parasites or Levamisole to find more information.

thanks a heap!

i will definitly try these suggestions

Thanks!