Loaches Online Forum

Hi all,

Newbie here in need of information and advice.

I have an 87 litre tank which contains 4 medium angels, 2 cory cats, 3 misc tetras, 3 clown loaches, 2 gouramis and 1 gibby (just added the gouramis and the gibby last week - all others have been in the tank for almost 2 months now) .

I do a weekly 1/3 water change. Water parameters are as follows and have remained the same since the second week after I bought the tank -

KH - 4
GH - 9
PH - 6.8-7
Ammonia - between 0 and 0.25
Nitrate - between 0 and 5
Nitrite - between 0 and 0.25
Temp is 28C.


Yesterday I noticed 2 of my tetras had fungus on them and 1 of my CL's were lying on their side breathing heavily. Through process of elimination it was suggested on another forum that they could be suffering from skinny disease as the photos I have seen here are similar to the current appearance of 2 of my CL's. I began treatment of my tank with a half dose of melafix last night and added another half dose this morning.

My OH went to the LFS this morning to pick up some Pimafix which I will add this evening when I get home from work. While discussing the problem with my LFS owner it was suggested that I could be starving my CL's as they are eating the algae wafers I add to the tank. Could this be the case? My angels do eat all the flake I add to the tank like its their very last meal and I am uncertain just how much makes it to the bottom of the tank.

Sorry for such a long winded first post - Any suggestions and help would be much appreciated.

Jean

Welcome Jean,
Skinny is when your loaches look like a homeless dog,ribs showing and all .Fungus is a water quality problem,I suspect your gravel or filter bed needs cleaning.Is your tank surface aggitated,could be an O2 problem as well. Can you post some photo's so everybody can see your problem and have enough info to help?

If you suspect that one fish is hogging all the food you can try a few things that might help.

Feed more of a variety, including sinking pellets such as the Spectrum foods, or Omega One Shrimp Pellets. Feed the Angels their floating food, and toss in the sinking pellets while the Angels are distracted. Loaches and Cories enjoy the meatier sinking foods.

Hold the flakes in your fingers under water until they are wet and will sink, then, before you release them add a little more that will float for the Angels.

The test results suggest lingering amounts of Ammonia and Nitrite. Is this simply a range, and the tests are really showing 0 ppm? Or could there be a trace of either of these?

2 months is not very long for an aquarium to be established, and small blips in the levels are not unknown. These can be stressful to the fish.

Melafix is not a good idea with Anabantoid fish, (Bettas especially, but Gouramis are related).

Overall I see that this is a pretty small tank for that large a fish load. Ultimately I would look into a couple of tank, one with a faster water flow for the Clowns and the Gibby, the other with a slower water flow for the Angels, Gouramis, and Tetras.

As of this morning - all 3 tetra's are gone - got home last night to find the black neon with more fungus, the hockey stick with the start of fungus on his fins and the black widow tetra covered.

All three were removed from the tank and humanely disposed of.

Also 2 of the CL's have since passed. The remaining one does look like a stray dog.

I think I have found the source of the fungus as the female gourami is coated with fungus. The 2 gouramis and the gibby were the latest additions to the tank. The gibby still remains clear.

Regarding water quality - both ammonia and nitrite readings as the LFS have always been 0. Most people dont believe me when I tell them that so I put the range in. My tank was cycled using filter media, gravel and water from an already established and healthy tank hence the quick cycle time.

I have a bubbler in the tank which I have just turned up to full due to the treatment with melafix and pimafix to ensure enough O2.

As for photos the ones I do have arent that clear.