Loaches Online Forum

Hey,

I just noticed that all of my Roselines have become extremely ill. Their scales are turning transparent and melting off and the eye lids seem to be turning transparent and look as though they are feeling off. The fish arent eating. WHAT DO I DO? I have been testing my CO2 levels and trying to push them up to the max, could this cause their scales to do this??? None of my other fish are experiencing this.

Water parameters are normal. Temp 78F

I was trying to get to my CO2 levels to the point where my fish are OK, but my levels are maxed. None of my other fish suffered any effects it was only the Rose Lines. It appeared to be sudden onset -- fine at 2pm then at 10pm i noticed they were in bad shape. However, i did add two more Roselines last Friday, but they were quarantined, so if an infection was going to break out i wouldn't expect it to be 3 days after introduction.

pH was about 6 with CO2. This is normal though, my CO2 would push the pH to about this everyday.

I have found Roselines to not handle changes too well. It may or may not be the actual pH, or the CO2 level, but the rate at which it changed.

I would do a couple of water changes with the goal of getting the water back the way it was. Let the fish recover.
Then raise the KH a bit so that when you start adding CO2 the pH change is less. Go slow. Make sure you are testing correctly. Drop checker is more accurate than the KH/pH chart.

At pH close to 6 the nitrifying bacteria have a very hard time, so watch the ammonia and nitrite like a hawk! Much better if you can avoid plunging it this low.