Loaches Online Forum

Hi,

Currently my clown loach has been at the bottom of the tank for the last 4-5 days panting with rapid gill movement, there's no sign of whitespot on his body, the first day I noticed i checked all the water parameters (stated below), checked the oxygen levels (i have a wall bubbles at back of tank), I have completed 20% water changes every day since noticing the issue as advised by other forums. Not sure if what medication to use if needed, as he's not showing the relevent signs to whitespot or gill flukes. I've had this particular clown loach for about 4 1/2 years as it the only one that comes to the surface ready for me to feed it. There's no redness on the gills the clown loach colour is normal colour he is not pale, his fins aren't clamped, he does try to eat but dur to the panting is finding it difficult.The other fish in the tank aren't showing any signs of any illness, last time I added fish to the tank is over a year ago so no new introduction.

Has anybody got any info on what I could try before the loach gets too bad?

The only symptoms : at bottom of tank, panting\rapid gill movement

Clown Loach size: about 12cm
pH: between 6.5
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 20
tank temp:26.5C (on day 1 but has been increased to 28.5 since by day 2)

sorry to hear about your loach.
I wish I had something useful to offer ,but have only been doing this a couple of years. There are many experienced loachkeepers on this forum and hopefully one of them will respond to help you. Thankfully, I have been lucky and dealt mostly with ich, or easy to treat illness. Otherwise I use the "sledgehammer" approach: first cover Gram positives with maracyn, them gram negatives with maracyn two. This assumes a bacterial etiology, which may not be accurate. This would also be when there is no obvious clue as to what is going on that would suggest a specific disease (say, a fungus, or parasite by suggestive symptoms). They say you can use both together, but I have been too chicken to do that.
How is your loach doing?

oh, getting those nitrates down as low as possible is always a help.

Sounds like gill disease if all parametrs r good. Google Bacterial gill disease . saves me lots typing at 3 words a min.good luck hope he gets better