Loaches Online Forum

I have a Clown loach with an eye that has some sort of bubble on it. I've tried taking a picture of it, but he moves too fast for my camera. It's not pop-eye, but there is definately something on his left eye. I'm sorry this is very little information... Is a swollen eye a common problem in loaches or something? This loach is about 6'' in my 130G.

Thanks for the help.

Hi there,

Does the eye have a white spot in it, or on it? Or is it still black, with just the bubble?

It has a white spot in the center, like a small bubble of water is attached to it or something.

I recently experienced something similar with a loach of mine. Unfortunately it occurred during a mess of an ich outbreak and so I didn't have time to look into it or treat it on its own.

I described it almost like a raised bubble with a white spot in the center. Looked kinda like a pimple to me. Page 3 of this thread: http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php ... sc&start=0

I thought it might be an ich spot on the eye - but I am not sure that was it at all. My fish were so stressed and weak from the outbreak and meds that it could have been any sort of secondary infection or other problem that manifested itself like that.

I threw so many treatments at this tank in an attempt to save it that I don't think anything useful can be pulled from my experience, but just in case....

June 4th: I noticed the eye. (this was weeks into a Rid Ich treatement)

June 5th: I stop Rid Ich, Switch to organic Ich Attack

June 6th: I start running a UV sterilizer

June 8th: I start feeding medicated food (tetracycline) to combat what looks like a secondary infection on one fish

June 10th: Eye starts to look better, I run carbon in filter

June 11th: I start salt treatment

June 12th: Eye completely back to normal


I'm not sure what it was, and I do not suggest you follow the time-line above to address it specifically, but maybe my experience - combined with whatever else you find out - will give you some clues.

That definately helps, and yeah, that's what it is. What should I do, guys? Do you suggest aquarium salt for treatment? Thanks a lot.

I hate to recommend using salt because I know nothing about the tank, fish, or the water parameters. Salt treatments are usually a last resort when all else fails.

Can you please answer the following questions? (These are posted in the announcement sticky at the top of the forum)

* Type of fish that are affected (common name and latin name if possible - common names vary worldwide, latin names don't!).
* How long has the tank been set up for?
* Size of tank (dimensions and volume).
* How is the tank being filtered?
* Water temperature.
* Your maintenance regime (e.g. how often water changes are carried out, what percentage of the water is changed each time, how often you clean your filter/s and how do you do this?)
* Has anything new been added to the tank recently? (fish, plants, live food, decor etc).
* What other fish are in the tank?
* As detailed a description as possible of the symptoms the fish are exhibiting (remember a photograph can speak a thousand words).
* How long ago the affected fish were added to the tank, and how long the fish have been displaying symptoms.
* Your current water parameters - ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH (please don't say 'my water is fine, the levels are ok', we would like actual numbers from the test results).

Also the KH, GH, TDS, and pH of your tap water and tank water.

Fish affected: 1 clown loach
Set up for a couple months
130 Gallon 6 feet by 2 feet high by 18 inches wide (i'm not sure on the width)
2 HOB filters
80 degreed farenheit
40% ish WCs every 3 weeks or so; I change the filter cartridges about once every two months (not all at once obviously)
I just added about 120 lbs of sand and two cinder blocks to the tank about three weeks ago
Stock List:
1 Pink Convict
1 Senegal Bichir
3 Bala Sharks
3 Frontosas
1 Banded Leporinus
7 Clown Loaches
1 Fire Eel

The symptoms have already been described
I added this loach about 6 months ago to my 100G and moved all my fish over to the 130G to make way for my fahaka. It's been looking like this for about a week.

I don't know the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, or pH levels, and have no clue what KH, GH, and TDS are. I don't test my water.

groovitudedude wrote:Fish affected: 1 clown loach
Set up for a couple months
130 Gallon 6 feet by 2 feet high by 18 inches wide (i'm not sure on the width)
2 HOB filters
80 degreed farenheit
40% ish WCs every 3 weeks or so; I change the filter cartridges about once every two months (not all at once obviously)
I just added about 120 lbs of sand and two cinder blocks to the tank about three weeks ago
Stock List:
1 Pink Convict
1 Senegal Bichir
3 Bala Sharks
3 Frontosas
1 Banded Leporinus
7 Clown Loaches
1 Fire Eel

The symptoms have already been described
I added this loach about 6 months ago to my 100G and moved all my fish over to the 130G to make way for my fahaka. It's been looking like this for about a week.

I don't know the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, or pH levels, and have no clue what KH, GH, and TDS are. I don't test my water.

if it is ich you need it at 82 degrees
do weekly water changes of 25% to 40% i personaly do 50-60

and if you want to see very activive balas add three more i have 6 and now theire amazing

also cls are schooling fish so your gonna need about 5 of them i like 6 for all schooling fishs

groovitudedude wrote:Fish affected: 1 clown loach
Set up for a couple months
130 Gallon 6 feet by 2 feet high by 18 inches wide (i'm not sure on the width)
2 HOB filters
80 degreed farenheit
40% ish WCs every 3 weeks or so; I change the filter cartridges about once every two months (not all at once obviously)
I just added about 120 lbs of sand and two cinder blocks to the tank about three weeks ago
Stock List:
1 Pink Convict
1 Senegal Bichir
3 Bala Sharks
3 Frontosas
1 Banded Leporinus
7 Clown Loaches
1 Fire Eel

The symptoms have already been described
I added this loach about 6 months ago to my 100G and moved all my fish over to the 130G to make way for my fahaka. It's been looking like this for about a week.

I don't know the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, or pH levels, and have no clue what KH, GH, and TDS are. I don't test my water.

Hey Groove,

I think - if only for the purposes of diagnosing this - you will want to grab a test kit and get an idea of where your water parameters sit. Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH at the very least. That will help eliminate some possibilities. You can get test kits at any pet store that sells fish supplies.

I'm not sure I'd recommend any treatment until you know you can eliminate basic water quality issues as a possibility. Others with more experience can chime in on that though.

nes999 wrote: if it is ich you need it at 82 degrees
do weekly water changes of 25% to 40% i personaly do 50-60

and if you want to see very activive balas add three more i have 6 and now theire amazing

also cls are schooling fish so your gonna need about 5 of them i like 6 for all schooling fishs

It's not ich or all my loaches would have spots. This is just one mark on one loach's eye.

My tank does not have room for three more balas, they are fine. How big is your tank?

I have seven loaches...

This might just be that the fish bumped into something. Concrete blocks are rough, this is a new home for these fish, and some things are changing.

There may be some bacteria or fungus trying to get started in the injured area.

Do enough water changes, frequency and volume to keep the nitrate under 10 ppm while the fish is healing. If there are still ammonia and nitrite showing this suggests the tank is still cycling, so you want to do enough water changes to keep the ammonia under .25 ppm and the nitrite under 1 ppm.

If you are somewhere that test kits are not available then I would do 25% daily or every other day water changes that emphasize gravel vacs. Organic debris will build up in the sand or gravel and can foster the growth of some bacteria and fungi, and can interfere with the action of many medicines, it you need to medicate.

Concrete blocks add minerals and raise the pH, GH and KH of the water. The fish you list do not like this. I highly recommend you swap the blocks out for some chemically neutral rocks or driftwood.

I 2nd that, Cinder blocks are not good for reasons Diana mentioned.