Kuhli Loach on the floor

[ALX]

I got a new Kuhli Loach today. I had him in a 2 gallon container that I was acclimatizing (sp) him in and that was sitting on another fish tank. I had placed a folder on top of it but it was obviously not a good enough lid and when I went to check on him I found he had jumped out. My cat told me he was under a recliner on the floor. I did not know weather the cat had actual touched him or not at that point. I am not sure how long he had been out.

I quickly put him back in the water. He was so awfully covered in hair. He must have been spiralling on the floor because the hair was twisted all around him and it was quite stuck.

I feel really bad that I let that happen to him and I was prepared to euthenize him so he wouldn't suffer. But then I thought I should give him a chance.

So I mildly sedated him with clove oil and then cut away the hair casing from his body. At that point I found no injuries from the cat. Then I revived him with fresh water and he is now in a 2 1/2 gal tank with a cycled corner filter, cave, and a glass lid.

He is a striped guy and on his lighter parts I can tell he is kind of red and he is breathing really fast.

If it were another kind of fish I would salt the water to help with stress but I don't know if that would make it worse since Khuli Loaches don't really like salt.

So does anyone have any suggestions to help him feel better? I sure hope he makes it.

-Alx

[helen nightingale]

sorry to hear about your little chap's accident. it sounds like you did a good job in helping him. i had a garra jump out a bucket when i acclimatised him. he went scuttling across the carpet, running on his fins. we scooped him up quickly, and he was none the worse for his adventure.

i dont have khulis, so i cant give any specific advice, but just make sure you keep a close eye on water quality, if he has suffered from escaping, poor water will not help him get better. make sure there is plenty of oxygen getting into the tank untill his breathing gets back to normal. lower the water level a bit to there is more water movement at the surface.

keep fingers crossed he is OK.

i am sure somebody else who knows more will give you better advice soon

[Diana]

If you know that the water he came from was harder (higher GH and KH) then I would increase the hardness of the water in his tank to match or be a little harder.
Use Epsom salt to raise the GH and baking soda to raise the KH.
Other than that, you are right that sodium chloride is not well tolerated, but increasing the TDS is beneficial to fish under stress. The Epsom salt and baking soda will do that. The pH is likely to also rise (baking soda), but this is the least important of the parameters we are talking about here.

[starsplitter7]

I had an Eel Kuhlie loach (similar to a Kuhlie) that jumped out while I was acclimating it. It wasn't out long, but it was completely fuzzy and dry. I was so distraught. I put it in a breeder on some Java moss, and put it directly under the flow of my filter in my Q-tank. I couldn't tell if it was alive -- the head is so small that I couldn't see the gills without a magnifying glass. But by the next day, it had crawled out of the breeder and was hanging out in the Q-tank. Now it has joined 4 others, and I don't know which one he was. I am amazed at his resilience.

[ALX]

Thanks for the responses guys. I just woke all the fish up for the day and the Kuhli is alive and breathing normally!

I am so glad I did not hastily euthenize him. He is quite beautiful and looks to be full grown already.

Diana if I remember correctly, the store has really hard water. And I think mine is the same.
I do not have KH and GH test

So how much epsom and baking soda would you suggest adding to 2 gallons to raise it slightly.


-Alx

[ALX]

I put a pinch of baking soda and a pinch of epsom salt in his water. I hope that will help. I have not fed him anything yet but I think I will now.
I can't wait to get QT over with so he can be with my other loaches.

[starsplitter7]

I am glad he's still with you.

Normally I do not have anything in my Q-tank, but maybe in the Kuhlie's case you could have something for him to hide in to make him feel better. I keep a small piece of PVC for my shy fish and keep it really clean. Some fish do not hide in it, but next to it. I keep the tank and the pipe really clean. Others may disagree with me.

I hope your Kuhlie continues to feel better.

[ALX]

he has a cave to hide in, so he is ok in there. I am not sure if he ate the flake food I gave him earlier. Thanks for the well wishes.

[starsplitter7]

Excellent. I am sure he appreciates the cave.

Mine really like shrimp pellets and will nibble algae wafers.

I am so happy your Kuhlie is doing well.