Loaches Online Forum

I bought 2 2-inch clown loaches from Petsmart (bad, I know, but no one else in town could get anything but the tiny >1inch loaches) and I've been keeping them in a 10 gallon quarantine tank to monitor for disease, especially skinny disease. They are thin but not emaciated and seem to be eating okay. I was wondering if preventative treating with medication would be prudent or would put too much unnecessary stress on the fish.

It's a personal choice for everyone to decide for their fish.

I think prevention is key. IMO, it's best to treat fish with medications when the fish are strong. I think medications can be too harsh on fish that are already weakened by stress and disease.

I think you should keep their water clean and stable and keep a close eye on their feeding. Keep it mixed and don't overfeed. Minimize stress to the fish and make sure they have somewhere out of the light to go if they want to. Make sure not to contaminate their Q-tank with any other fish or tank water.

You should be fine. Prophylactic medication of fish is complicated and easy to screw up. If you don't need to do it, steer clear, IMO.

They are in my hospital/quarentine tank which has a bare floor (no substrate), a log and some silk plants. They have a hiding area, and I've been doing weekly 25% water changes and using Melafix. They're the only fish in the Q tank. Sometimes it's hard to monitor how much they're eating because they grab mouthfuls and scurry into their hiding place to chew... How long should I watch them before introducing them to the main tank? They've been quarentined for almost a week. I really don't want my established loach community to get any diseases from them.

I have found preventative treatment for internal parasites to be very important for Clown Loaches. I would do a course of Levamisole while they are in quarantine.

I usually quarantine for a month after all medication has stopped.

I would q for at least a month, 25% water changes is not enough for loaches, especially in a 10 gallon tank. At least a 25% water change every other day would be better.
They require very clean water. Give a variety type of food. Mine prefer
veggie rounds and shrimp pellets(both sink). Be careful with medications since clown loaches are sensitive to medicnes. If loaches aren't eating well, try to encourage with fresh garlic. Also loaches are nocturnal so feeding at light out works out well. I use lunar lights so that I can watch and enjoy the clowns in the evening.They also prefer water movement and higher temps about 82 degrees. THe higher temps also help
preventing ich. MIne have a ghost house that they love, they just happen to squeze into it all the time even though they have plenty of other hiding places.
Good luck, and you'll have many years to enjoy your loaches.