ok this has been bothering me for a while now.
i know that some fish will be bigger than others due to dominance and fighting over food but one of my weather loaches is still skinnier than the other. it was smaller when i got it but i thought it was just younger. over the past few months it has gotten a little longer but no fatter or broader like my other loach...i watch it eating and although i does eat, it usually gets interupted by the other fish...
is there something wrong with him/her? (still not sure) i was thinking of maybe moving it to my hospital tank and feeding it on its own to see if it puts on some weight but i worry that it might get depressed or something being all alone...
skinny issues
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skinny issues
moo
Have you treated the fish for parasites or other problems?
Yes, dominance issues will create what you are seeing, but internal parasites will also create similar problems:
The fish has lost its appetite because of the parasites.
The fish is not feeling up to competing to get more food. Feels better just to nibble a bit then leave when the more dominant fish comes along.
Whatever it does eat is not well digested, and some of the nutrition goes to feeding the parasites.
If you could set up a hospital tank next to the main tank then the smaller fish could choose to hang out where he can see the others, or away from them.
If you have not treated for parasites then any one fish that had them may have spread the pests to the other fish. Treat the whole tank.
Yes, dominance issues will create what you are seeing, but internal parasites will also create similar problems:
The fish has lost its appetite because of the parasites.
The fish is not feeling up to competing to get more food. Feels better just to nibble a bit then leave when the more dominant fish comes along.
Whatever it does eat is not well digested, and some of the nutrition goes to feeding the parasites.
If you could set up a hospital tank next to the main tank then the smaller fish could choose to hang out where he can see the others, or away from them.
If you have not treated for parasites then any one fish that had them may have spread the pests to the other fish. Treat the whole tank.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.
Happy fish keeping!
Happy fish keeping!
Any medication is a stress to the fish, but the continued low level stress of parasites can eventually kill the fish, so IMO it is better to treat them 'just in case' the skinny Dojo is indeed carrying some sort of internal parasite.
I have used these with no problems for the fish:
Prazi Pro (a fish-specific preparation)
Levamisol (sheep wormer- I think it is not very available any more)
Piperazine (available as a dog and cat wormer, I mixed it with home made food)
Jungle's Parasite food, but the older preparation, with 3 ingredients, including Levamisol. I think the new one has different ingredients.
I have used these with no problems for the fish:
Prazi Pro (a fish-specific preparation)
Levamisol (sheep wormer- I think it is not very available any more)
Piperazine (available as a dog and cat wormer, I mixed it with home made food)
Jungle's Parasite food, but the older preparation, with 3 ingredients, including Levamisol. I think the new one has different ingredients.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.
Happy fish keeping!
Happy fish keeping!
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Sharkscott2
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 3:43 pm
- Location: Maryland - USA
Emi-Chan,
I have a similar situation. I have 3 weather loaches. They were all comparable size when I bought them(about 3-3.5 inches) but they are now 3.5, 4.5, and 5 inches long. The smallest one has hardly grown in length since I bought him. I've treated for parasites, bacteria, and fungus. I've moved him to my 29 gallon where at the time there were no bottom feeders to compete with him, he ate but didn't grow. My small guy doesn't look skinny and does eat, although unlike the other two he doesn't swim to the surface for food, he'll only accept food from the bottom. I also don't think he's as social with the other two as they are with each other (all 3 loaches are male)
The two larger ones are a brownish color and the smaller one is gray. The larger ones also have a much larger girth in the area behind the dorsal fin and before the tail. Their body is just structured to be taller. There's an extra layer of fat or muscle or something along the top back half of the body. The smaller guy doesn't even hint at developing such an area. I suspect he may even be a different species which may not grow as large as the traditional weather loach. My smaller guy doesn't look underfed just smaller in build.
He's a beautiful fish, just different then the others.
Sorry I don't have any answers but thought you'd find my story interesting.
I have a similar situation. I have 3 weather loaches. They were all comparable size when I bought them(about 3-3.5 inches) but they are now 3.5, 4.5, and 5 inches long. The smallest one has hardly grown in length since I bought him. I've treated for parasites, bacteria, and fungus. I've moved him to my 29 gallon where at the time there were no bottom feeders to compete with him, he ate but didn't grow. My small guy doesn't look skinny and does eat, although unlike the other two he doesn't swim to the surface for food, he'll only accept food from the bottom. I also don't think he's as social with the other two as they are with each other (all 3 loaches are male)
The two larger ones are a brownish color and the smaller one is gray. The larger ones also have a much larger girth in the area behind the dorsal fin and before the tail. Their body is just structured to be taller. There's an extra layer of fat or muscle or something along the top back half of the body. The smaller guy doesn't even hint at developing such an area. I suspect he may even be a different species which may not grow as large as the traditional weather loach. My smaller guy doesn't look underfed just smaller in build.
He's a beautiful fish, just different then the others.
Sorry I don't have any answers but thought you'd find my story interesting.
that sounds exactly like my two loaches although my two seem to love each other and are usually together when relaxing. the smaller one wont swim to the surface for food just like you said (only darting to the surface if i accidently spook them)! and now that you mention it, there are some differences between them like colour and pattern (the bigger one has a spotty belly) theyre very different in behaviour...maybe its like you say and theyre slightly different variations from eachother...
moo
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Sharkscott2
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 3:43 pm
- Location: Maryland - USA
Oh, by the way,
A few weeks ago I was at chain petstore to pick up some melafix, and they had some weather loaches. They were brown but had the build of my smaller guy, very slender behind the dorsal fin.
This is my 4.5 inch guy, Neil. His body stays just as thick from head to tail. I wish I had a good picture of Pigpen my smallest one, but I don't but his body gets shorter after the dorsal fin and his tail fin is proportionally smaller.
A few weeks ago I was at chain petstore to pick up some melafix, and they had some weather loaches. They were brown but had the build of my smaller guy, very slender behind the dorsal fin.
This is my 4.5 inch guy, Neil. His body stays just as thick from head to tail. I wish I had a good picture of Pigpen my smallest one, but I don't but his body gets shorter after the dorsal fin and his tail fin is proportionally smaller.
at my local store the rest of the weather loaches were the same size as my biggest loach but now they have ones the same build as my small one.
i feel a more relaxed now except i noticed a white dot on my big guy yesterday...but after close inspection i concluded that its a small injury from a sharp edge on my bog wood (now taken care of!!!) almost gave me a heart attack!
i feel a more relaxed now except i noticed a white dot on my big guy yesterday...but after close inspection i concluded that its a small injury from a sharp edge on my bog wood (now taken care of!!!) almost gave me a heart attack!
moo
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