Loaches Online Forum

I bring home feeder guppies (silver females with clear fins and bright little males) and give them a good home. I have noticed that they will be super healthy for several years breeding multiple generations, then the entire population dies (over a short period of time -- maybe 3 months once I realize they are sick). This has happened three times in different tanks over a period of 7 years. Whatever kills the guppies does not affect the other fish or inverts in the tank.

I do not know what is wrong with them, but they will get white areas on their fins (no ick), the fins will tear and be clamped, they slow down and then they die. I have tried water changes as a treatment, but that isn't completely effective. I also move the sick ones to a Q tank. I lose the really sick ones and the ones who are not as sick sometimes survive. Even when I move the sick ones, the healthier ones eventually succomb to the problem. Every guppy will die. Then I will bring home a volunteer fry in a bag a year later, and a new generation grows happily for years and then dies.

Any idea what my problem is and what I can treat them with to make them feel better?

It might be a ciliate problem such as tetrahymena. Mollies and guppies seem to suffer badly from these.

Could you explain what that is and how I would treat it? I also ahve mollies, but they are in other tanks. I do seem to lose them all at once too on occasion.

Do we have another Florida member on Loaches now?

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa041
scroll down to read about that parasite.

Thank you.