Injured dojo going downhill
Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 10:45 am
Good morning,
About two weeks ago, my biggest dojo loach (6+ inches, and as thick as my finger, friendly, boisterous, and too curious for her own good) decided to find out where the gravel vaccuum went while I was cleaning the tank. I didn't get it away from her fast enough and she got her head stuck in the hose. I disassembled it, she got herself out, got a few scratches, but seemed otherwise fine. She now avoids the gravel vac like the plague, and I remove it if anyone gets close to the mouth.
I've been observing her closely. The scratches healed up, she got a really thick slime coat and then blew it off. Two days ago she was active and hogging all the tetras' flake food, and last night, she refused to eat and hid. I also saw a small red sore where one of the scratches had been. I caught and quarantined her, and she barely even fussed about being netted.
This morning, one of the Malaysian trumpet snails in the QT was crawling on her, and she didn't even care enough to shake it off (or eat it.)
What I'd like to know is this: What medication can I use on a sensitive loach, that will also not cause snailmageddon in my QT? I can sift the sand for snails and put them in a bucket, but I know I'll miss a bunch of MTS babies.
Thanks,
Quarantine:
5.5 gallons (pitiful, I know)
NH3 0 NO3-0 NO2- 5-10, ridiculously hard water, pH 7.2
AC10 filter w/ sponge prefilter
Sand, caves
Fake plants
Clump of hornwort
and oodles of snails.
Tank:
34 gallons
AC50 filter (cleaned weekly, else it clogs, looking to upgrade)
NH3 0 NO3-0 NO2- 5-10, ridiculously hard water, pH 7.2
Tankmates: smaller dojo, 2x small misc. Corydoras, 3x Lepidocephalichthys guntea, 6x Rummynose tetras.
Moderately planted, dosing Excel 3x MWF, water changes 20-25% weekly.
x-posted to WWM
About two weeks ago, my biggest dojo loach (6+ inches, and as thick as my finger, friendly, boisterous, and too curious for her own good) decided to find out where the gravel vaccuum went while I was cleaning the tank. I didn't get it away from her fast enough and she got her head stuck in the hose. I disassembled it, she got herself out, got a few scratches, but seemed otherwise fine. She now avoids the gravel vac like the plague, and I remove it if anyone gets close to the mouth.
I've been observing her closely. The scratches healed up, she got a really thick slime coat and then blew it off. Two days ago she was active and hogging all the tetras' flake food, and last night, she refused to eat and hid. I also saw a small red sore where one of the scratches had been. I caught and quarantined her, and she barely even fussed about being netted.
This morning, one of the Malaysian trumpet snails in the QT was crawling on her, and she didn't even care enough to shake it off (or eat it.)
What I'd like to know is this: What medication can I use on a sensitive loach, that will also not cause snailmageddon in my QT? I can sift the sand for snails and put them in a bucket, but I know I'll miss a bunch of MTS babies.
Thanks,
Quarantine:
5.5 gallons (pitiful, I know)
NH3 0 NO3-0 NO2- 5-10, ridiculously hard water, pH 7.2
AC10 filter w/ sponge prefilter
Sand, caves
Fake plants
Clump of hornwort
and oodles of snails.
Tank:
34 gallons
AC50 filter (cleaned weekly, else it clogs, looking to upgrade)
NH3 0 NO3-0 NO2- 5-10, ridiculously hard water, pH 7.2
Tankmates: smaller dojo, 2x small misc. Corydoras, 3x Lepidocephalichthys guntea, 6x Rummynose tetras.
Moderately planted, dosing Excel 3x MWF, water changes 20-25% weekly.
x-posted to WWM