Loaches Online Forum

Hi folks,
I rescued this por thing from my LFS 2 days ago. It was in the "Borneo suckermouth" tank with some new G. scitilus and some albino tiger barbs. One of the barbs was taking chunks out of him and when I told the workers they just shrugged? I couln't leave it there to die a slow painful death so I paid the 9. bucks and brought it home to see what I could do.
I thought the white specs were ich so I started dosing with Kordon rid-ich. They are much bigger than usual and now I'm wondering if it's not something else? It has some open wounds also from the barb bites. Having trouble getting a good pic and I don't want to torment it. Please have a look and tell me what you think. Any recommendations fro treatment welcome. Thanks!

I had a similar thing with two Gastros, but didn't medicate, just some liquid fish vitamins. Just added some hideouts to the quarantine and fed them. If it eats its a good sign. Mine made it.

It's a G. zebrinus (I think?) and they are one of my favorites, hope it makes it.

Aww the poor little thing, it's so lucky that there are people like you willing to rescue it.

Hope it survives, fingers crossed, even if it doesn't at least it will pass away in peace and not by being eaten alive.

I'm not sure what the white spots are. They look to large to be ich to me, but I couldn't be sure.
I have a similar species that developed ich in the Qtank. They survived, but it took a couple of long treatments to take care of it.
As for the wound, keeping the water very clean should help but you may want to try some sort of antibiotic if that doesn't work. I would wait until after the ich treatment though if it doesn't get worse.
I have also used Melafix on wounds before with great success but not sure how hillstreams would respond.
Be careful of mixing meds, though.
I hope Emma stops by and posts. She has, no doubt, had experience dealing with hillstreams that came in with wounds such as this.
Good luck and keep us posted.

Thank you for taking care of this guy and giving him some peace. Good luck and let us know what happens. Is he eating?

Thanks for the responses! I figured it was a G. zebrinus also Jan. Haven't seen him eat, but I rarely see any of my gastros eat other than grazing on algae.
I agree Jim, after I looked closer the spots didn't look like ich, too big and not wel defined,almost fuzzy. I think the spots are actually what the barbs were biting at. I added some melafix last night, a little hesitant to mix meds but he was looking bad so I tried it.. I just got home from work and he looks much better! Only one spot left and the wound looks like it's healing. Maybe it's some sort of fungus?? I'll keep you posted.

Sorry to report that the little guy didn't make it. He was looking good last night but this morning had a huge new eruption, looked like a boil, on half of his body. I don't know what he had but it was bad! I'm going to drain and sterilize the tank.
This experience has caused me to question my place in this hobby. I've been a critter keeper since I was a child and love keeping fish, but I've been contemplating the morality of it lately. That little fish was probably very happy in his stream in Borneo until someone scooped him up and shipped him half way around the world to be kept in a little glass box. I'm feeling a little down and responsible for it's death.

plaalye wrote: I'm feeling a little down and responsible for it's death.

Been there, when I got my Rosy loaches delivered and one was dead.

That's too bad.
I think we have all been there.