Loaches Online Forum

Hi, My wife and I inherited 2 clown loaches (2.5 inches each) and a tiger barb in a 10 gallon tank when our roomate moved out. We have really gotten attached to them in the last 5 months, but one of the loaches has gotten pretty thin compared to the other. I have seen a few postings about cronic wasting disease and I would like to treat the loach, but I am not sure what medicine is best, and if this is a bacterial infection or a parasitic one. The skinny loach (Rory) is still very active and eats like the others. Is medicated food the best option, and should we try to treat the loach by itself, or is that too much stress and would it be better to treat the whole tank?

Hi and welcome to Loaches Online.

If you haven't already done so, you should have a read of Shari's excellent article on Levamisole hydrochloride, the recommended course of treatment for Chronic Wasting Syndrome: http://www.loaches.com/Members/shari2/l ... chloride-1

Also, you need to urgently upgrade your clown loaches to a much bigger aquarium, 10 gallons is far too small for them. Our profile on the species outlines their requirements: http://www.loaches.com/species-index/cl ... cracanthus As well as much more space, they need the company of more of their own kind, as does the tiger barb that you also inherited.

Emma