Accordian Loach??

[MoonPye]

Against my better judgment I acquired a dojo loach from a small pet store that I spotted about 3 weeks ago. He's VERY tiny (but still bigger than a kuhli, definitely a dojo) so obviously a baby (maybe a little less than 2 inches). I was able to walk away from him once, but couldn't get him out of my head for an entire week, so I went back to get him.

He was in a bare tank with one little fish (I don't remember exactly but I think it was a guppy) and he just looked MISERABLE. He looked very underfed, very skinny. I didn't notice this right away, but once I got him home and under a good light, I saw he looks like he was *bent*, almost like an accordian! He does swim fine, though. He does not appear to be in pain at all.

Well, I've had him for a little more than a week now and he's actually improving. I figured, even if he died, at least he'd have a much better home for his last days, but surprise surprise, he's doing better! He's gained some weight and is coming out of hiding even in the daytime now. He's eating much better and I'll be darned if he doesn't actually seem *happy* now. He seems to really appreciate having some hiding spots and soft sand to dig around in.

So now I'm thinking I'm going to move him into my bigger loach tank that my husband is currently restoring for me (I'm so excited!!) when that's done and he'll have a permanent home for the rest of his life.. which I'm now thinking is going to be alot longer than a few days!!

But I'm curious, has anyone ever encountered this weird bent thing, or do you think maybe it was just because he was so skinny? Could his condition could have been brought on by depression.. meaning, because he was in such a strange environment for a loach, and lonely without other tankmates suitable for him, and no hiding spots? Could he have been injured in transit to the pet store? Since he doesn't seem to be in any pain, I really wonder what this could be.

I usually never take home anyone that isn't fat and healthy looking.. but I have such a soft spot in my heart for dojos, I just couldn't bear to leave him there to suffer.

[MoonPye]

Oh right, I forgot to mention, I've been trying to get a picture of him for the past week but he just refuses to sit still in the open long enough. I will keep trying and will post if I get one you can actually see him in.

[starsplitter7]

I am happy you helped out this little guy. I have never seen an accordian loach, and I am eager to find out what people say. I hope he's healthy, and I am sure he's happy.

I brought home a tiny gold zebra loach yesterday, because he was by himself and tiny. I have him in quarantine, and will add him to my other 3 GZL when he shows he's healthy. He's eating, so there's hope.

Tanja

[Emma Turner]

There have been a few reports of kinked Weather Loaches. Usually it is either a result of an injury - they can get spooked fairly easily, surge upwards and bang themselves on the coverslides quite harshly (this is one of the reasons why spacious tanks are better for these loaches) - or the other possibilty is that it was deformed at birth. Weather Loaches are considered a food fish in the far east and are bred very intensively, sometimes from limited broodstock. This can then lead to deformities, and although the fish may not be 'perfect', in the hands of someone who cares, many go on to live full happy lives.

One of the young Weather Loaches I have at home has got some sort of deformity on it's back, near the head. I am hoping that it's nothing that is actually dangerous for the fish, and it does not put me of wanting to give him/her a good home. Don't know if you ever saw this thread, I've had these 3 Weather Loaches since they were teeny weeny: http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php?t=6396

Emma

[MoonPye]

There have been a few reports of kinked Weather Loaches. Usually it is either a result of an injury - they can get spooked fairly easily, surge upwards and bang themselves on the coverslides quite harshly (this is one of the reasons why spacious tanks are better for these loaches) - or the other possibilty is that it was deformed at birth. Weather Loaches are considered a food fish in the far east and are bred very intensively, sometimes from limited broodstock. This can then lead to deformities, and although the fish may not be 'perfect', in the hands of someone who cares, many go on to live full happy lives.


Emma

Yes kinked, that is the perfect word to describe it. Poor little guy, whichever possibility it was!! I'm *glad* now that I took him home. I was just looking at him a few minutes ago, and there he was, happily rummaging around the sand looking for tasty bits.

Emma Yes I did see that thread, very exciting about babies.

[MoonPye]

I brought home a tiny gold zebra loach yesterday, because he was by himself and tiny. I have him in quarantine, and will add him to my other 3 GZL when he shows he's healthy. He's eating, so there's hope.

Tanja

Ha ha.. I'm glad I'm not the only one to act from the heart with our little fishy friends.

[crazy loaches]

One of my first loaches, a cherry fin sand loach, had a similar kink. I assumed it was a broken spine, which also seemed to fit because the back half of it never really moved, sort of just trailed behind the front half of the fish. But that was before I knew much about fish care and he passed away a few months later.

[mikev]

I would be a bit worried about a taking home a fish with a bent spine.
(Notice that I'm generally willing to take chances and did take home fish that was small, underfed, skinny or ichee, and will do so again.)

Bent spine, however, may indicate TB (Mycobacterium marinum). This is a different level of a problem, something that is difficult and perhaps impossible to treat. In a recent sad episode discussed on another forum, bent spine did turned out to be TB and ultimately led to a hillstream tank being mostly wiped out and ultimately euthanized.

At the very least, any fish with bent spine should be subjected to a long quarantine (even if specifically with dojo's bent spines seem to be common and mostly not connected to TB)...the risk is serious.

[loachmom]

Hi MoonPye,

I'm glad you bought the little guy. I also bought a bent loach a few months ago. S/he is a kuhli loach. I didn't realize that it was bent till I got it home. I'm happy to say that this loach is no longer bent, is very active when the other loaches are, and has gained a nice amount of weight. I think there may have been some deficiency that caused it to be bent.

I hope your little guy does well for you.

Here is a link to the thread I posted about my crooked kuhli.

Crooked Kuhli

[MoonPye]

Bent spine, however, may indicate TB (Mycobacterium marinum). This is a different level of a problem, something that is difficult and perhaps impossible to treat. In a recent sad episode discussed on another forum, bent spine did turned out to be TB and ultimately led to a hillstream tank being mostly wiped out and ultimately euthanized.

At the very least, any fish with bent spine should be subjected to a long quarantine (even if specifically with dojo's bent spines seem to be common and mostly not connected to TB)...the risk is serious.

Would a fish with TB display signs of improvement like eating and gaining weight?

[MoonPye]

Hi MoonPye,

I'm glad you bought the little guy. I also bought a bent loach a few months ago. S/he is a kuhli loach. I didn't realize that it was bent till I got it home. I'm happy to say that this loach is no longer bent, is very active when the other loaches are, and has gained a nice amount of weight. I think there may have been some deficiency that caused it to be bent.

I wondered about a deficiency.. like the equivalent of scurvy in humans.. he was very obviously underfed.

I'm going to go read your thread now. Thanks!

[MoonPye]

Here is a link to the thread I posted about my crooked kuhli.

Crooked Kuhli

I just viewed your pics.. that is EXACTLY what my guy's spine looks like!

So if this is some kind of deficiency.. which is what I'm *hoping*.. from what I could see on your thread it took a little over 2 weeks for him to show real good improvement, right? And my guy is looking better after a week.. he is still crooked, but definitely more active and eating very well.

I will keep rooting for this little one. I really hope he makes it into the big tank.

[MoonPye]

So if this is some kind of deficiency.. which is what I'm *hoping*.. from what I could see on your thread it took a little over 2 weeks for him to show real good improvement, right? And my guy is looking better after a week.. he is still crooked, but definitely more active and eating very well.

Ok so I have no conception of time.. LOL .. it took a month for yours to show good improvement from the dates on the posts..

[MoonPye]

http://www.moonpye.net/BentLoach.JPG

This is the best picture I could get of him. He gobbled up the blood worms I used to entice him out of hiding to try to get pics. LOL

I may be being optimistic, but he looks better today than even 2 days ago.

Can you see the bends in him?

[mikev]

Bent spine, however, may indicate TB (Mycobacterium marinum). This is a different level of a problem, something that is difficult and perhaps impossible to treat. In a recent sad episode discussed on another forum, bent spine did turned out to be TB and ultimately led to a hillstream tank being mostly wiped out and ultimately euthanized.

At the very least, any fish with bent spine should be subjected to a long quarantine (even if specifically with dojo's bent spines seem to be common and mostly not connected to TB)...the risk is serious.

Would a fish with TB display signs of improvement like eating and gaining weight?

"Gaining weight" -- quite unlikely, unless you also treat intensively, it seems to be possible to at least hold the disease with good antibiotics. Gaining weight is actually the best indicator that an animal is ok, the other is an increase in activity/appetite...not just eating.

I'd quarantine until you see positive signs...