Loaches Online Forum

I bought about 10 pcs weather loaches about a monht ago, noticed that 1 of them is really skinny, should i be worried? This one also likes to swim up and seems to be looking for food at the surface of the water?

currently they are with my goldfish, i make sure they get food, they are currently fed with earthworm flakes, tetra bits.







Any advice?

Most fish that feed from the bottom of the river, lake, or even the bottom of the aquarium can easily pick up intestinal parasites. I would be concerned about a fish that is so skinny.

These fish like to burrow and hide under the substrate. Can you add some sand or very fine, rounded gravel for them?

thanks Diana, Noticed this fish seems to be getting more skiiny also it seems there's a lump under its belly? the other 9 lochaes are getting fatter, and bigger, only this one seems to be getting skiiny? any treatment i can do for this?

Search at this site for 'Skinny Disease' and 'Levamisole'. Shari wrote a great article about treating Loaches with this problem. Levamisole is a medicine sold for worming farm animals (sheep, pigs) and is sold in several forms. If you are out in the farming areas you might have find a large animal veterinarian to get you some, though here (USA) it is available in feed stores.

The fish have been together so long now in your tank that if the one has parasites, they could all be infested by now. Treat the whole tank.

A tank with no substrate might be a benefit now, you can vacuum the tank, being especially careful to remove everything from the bottom daily. Feed food that does not sink very fast, encourage the fish to eat from higher up in the tank.

Diana wrote:Search at this site for 'Skinny Disease' and 'Levamisole'. Shari wrote a great article about treating Loaches with this problem. Levamisole is a medicine sold for worming farm animals (sheep, pigs) and is sold in several forms. If you are out in the farming areas you might have find a large animal veterinarian to get you some, though here (USA) it is available in feed stores.

The fish have been together so long now in your tank that if the one has parasites, they could all be infested by now. Treat the whole tank.

A tank with no substrate might be a benefit now, you can vacuum the tank, being especially careful to remove everything from the bottom daily. Feed food that does not sink very fast, encourage the fish to eat from higher up in the tank.

thanks Diana will try to look for levamisole, So weather loach are also susceptible to skinny loach disease thught it was only applicable to clown loaches lol, since i had a clownloach before which was also skinny