Loaches Online Forum

One of my small clown loaches is not growing at all, and is now starting to look emaciated. It seems to eat all the time, but obviously can't make use of the food for some reason. The other three bought at the same time are growing nicely. Any ideas? Internal parasites? Possible remedies?

bslindgren wrote:One of my small clown loaches is not growing at all, and is now starting to look emaciated. It seems to eat all the time, but obviously can't make use of the food for some reason. The other three bought at the same time are growing nicely. Any ideas? Internal parasites? Possible remedies?

It'll be worth treating it with Metronidazole. If it doesn't work, levamisole probably might.

bslindgren wrote:One of my small clown loaches is not growing at all, and is now starting to look emaciated. It seems to eat all the time, but obviously can't make use of the food for some reason. The other three bought at the same time are growing nicely. Any ideas? Internal parasites? Possible remedies?

Parasites are quite likely, I've had this with Clowns, Yoyo, and Kubs.
Remedies: Levamisole (possibly difficult to obtain in Canada), UltraCarePX (search the forum for my old post; will not work if the loach is not eating), Praziquental, etc.

Metronizadole not really effective against internals.

The best approach is to deworm the moment you get any loach. [Here: any fish, no exceptions.] One less thing to worry about.

hth

You can get levamisole from most vets in Canada, LOTL. It's generally sold as a sheep de-wormer, but if you talk to your vet, you should be able to procure very small amounts needed to treat fish.

Some good jumping off points here:

http://www.loaches.com/Members/shari2/l ... levamisole

Thanks for all the tips. I assume you usually treat in a separate tank, rather than treat the whole thing?

Optimum is to treat new fish while they are still in quarantine. Once they are in the main tank and have infected it, you might be better treating in the main tank so all the fish get treated. Otherwise, pulling the sick fish out and treating separately leaves the main tank infested.

UPDATE: Well, I tried levamisole (two treatments) but the poor guy didn't make it. May he/she RIP. The rest of the babies I bough (much too small in retrospect) are doing great, thankfully. The levamisole came in handy for treating my new striatas and kubos in quarantine. Pictures to come.

Sorry you lost the clown. Levamisole may be a better prophylactic treatment for loaches in quarantine than it is as a treatment once symptoms occur.

I'm sorry you lost your loach.

I'm sorry you lost your loach, too. The one in your avatar picture is stunning, by the way.

Thanks loachmom and Mark. I have the avatar one (about 4 inches long now) that is a bit neurotic after living too long alone. I also have three small ones 1.5-2" now) that are doing very well, and the bigger one is finally starting to interact with them after 6 months. You do grow attached to them, don't you!

As Bob Darnell posted earlier, with his Basil, yes you do get attached to them. Lovely fish - and they come with their own longevity if you take care of them.

I hope you have only happy fish, BSL.