Loaches Online Forum

I just got three dojos a few days ago and one of them was skinny and pale from the get go. I know I shouldnt have bought a sickly fish but the plan was to buy two and when the fish store guy saw this one he said he'd through another one in for free since he didnt look so good. Now I dont want to be scorned for buying a sick fish so please if you dont have anything helpful to say dont. He just seems underweight and paler than the other two. He doesnt swim around nearly as much as the other ones. I can get him to eat but its hard to get a decent amount of food to him with the other 2 loaches and 6 mollies. Tommorow I am getting a separate tank and I'm wondering if I should move him into it and use water from my current tank or cycle it with some of the mollies? Also some of my Mollies stool seems to be clear and long. This makes me think worms of some sort. I have been reading about Levamisole and Maracyn and am still a little lost. Any suggestions?

Ji jlorenzo, welcome to Loaches

It is very common for bottom fish (Loaches, Cats) to have internal parasites. Probably the healthy ones have a few too. I would treat the whole tank.

Levamisol (if you can find it) is a good product, because it kills a pretty good list of worms, and also boosts the immunity of the fish. It is (was) available as a wormer for farm animals (pigs, sheep)

Maracyn is an antibiotic that treats Gram-positive bacteria.
Maracyn II treats Gram negative bacteria.
These products were designed to be used together. Many fish diseases are caused by Gram-negative bacteria, but a stressed fish could get infected with the other sort, so treating with the combined meds is a good idea.

Here is how I have treated:
1) Water change especially gravel vac. (remove any worms, eggs or whatever that have fallen to the bottom)
2) Levamisol (directions are here at Loaches, I will see if I can find them)
3) Clear the Levamisol, including gravel vac.
4) Maracyn + Maracyn II per label directions.
5) Clear the antibiotics.
6) EITHER repeat the Levamisol OR use Prazi-Pro, a different wormer.

I am concerned that you are keeping these two species in the same tank. Mollies cannot tolerate the cold. They can get shimmys and are generally stressed by the cold. Dojo Loaches are a cold water fish, thriving in tanks that are in the lowest 70sF (low 20sC) and cooler. The optimum range for these two species does not overlap.

http://www.loaches.com/Members/shari2/l ... chloride-1

Here is the link to the article here at Loaches about Levamisol.

Well I lost the loach. Found him this morning. What can I do to ensure that the other fish are not contaminated?
As for the Tempurature I have it a 73f this isnt tollerable with mollies?
I have called all the local vets and farm supply store to try and find levamisole without sucess. They have the Maracyn and the pet store down the street though.

have found a anti internal parasite medicated food from jungle that has levimasole as one the active ingredients but its only .4%