Loaches Online Forum

I have 4 pictus cats in a 50 gallon. They're only about 2 inches right now. They currently live with a school of 8 small ruby barbs, 1 small rainbow shark, 1 L-114 and 4 Green Tiger loaches. All fish are small and I'm just housing these guys in this tank until I can add them to my 320.

All of the fish in this tank have resided together for the last 6 mths- 1yr. The only new addition were the loaches, which I moved from a 10 gallon quarantine tank after a mth & a half.

The first Pictus died about 3 wks ago. I noticed that he was swimming around in a crazy way (not the usual pictus way) he was twisting upside down at times and would sometimes bump into things. The best way I could describe it is that he sort of looked like he was being electrocuted. I was worried, and after two days of this he died I tested the water and everything was normal and all of the other fish were fine.

On Sunday I noticed another pictus doing this and yesterday he died.

Any idea what could be causing this? I really like my Pictus cats...

Have you checked for electrical problems, perhaps an old heater?
Are the water tests showing anything different? All good?

All the water tests are normal, and all the electrical seems to be good.

If it was an electrical problem, wouldn't the other fish be experiencing the same sort of thing?

The Cats would be more sensitive to the electricity.
especially pictus, with their long delicate WHISKERS

Only Asian Carp jump out of the Illinois River when its shocked,
they have different senses too.