Bit of a Dilemna

[Glostik]

One of my 6" Clown Loaches seems to have come down with internal parasites.

Whenever I feed my loaches, its like a feeding frenzy, they fight over the algae wafers and shrimp pellets and theres clicking like mad, but this one loach just swims around them like nothing is going on.

He still has good color but looks a little thin. He doesnt have the classic signs like the sunken skin, but he seems to be displaying the other signs.

I have stepped up the water changes to 20% a week.

My problem is if I wanted to catch him to put him in the 10G QT, it would be a fight, and treating the whole 150 Gallon Tank might not be monetarily feasible. Last time i treated the tank it cost $50 US for one treatment of Mara 1 and 2.

I live in dallas, Texas and I havent ever seen Levamisole in the LFS around here.

I need some possible alternatives or recommendations.

My PH hovers around 7.1 - 7.2 , no ammonia, no nitrite and roughly 10ppm of nitrate.

I run 2 Eheim 2217's , an Emperor 400 and I have a 37G Sump on the tank.

[mikev]

1. Maracyns will do nothing for internal parasites. Having said this, loss of appetite does not imply internal parasites, it well may be bacterial.

2. Levimisole can be ordered from the internet, for about $15+S/H. One can should be about sufficient for two treatments.

3. Did you try bloodworms? One of my loaches refused to eat anything but bloodworms for two weeks after his parasite was eliminated.

hth, good luck

[Glostik]

Bloodworm trick might have worked, I finally saw him foraging on the ground once he smelled the worms in the vicinity.

[mikev]

Bloodworm trick might have worked, I finally saw him foraging on the ground once he smelled the worms in the vicinity.

It is strange, but the smell of bloodworms worked in my case too: after a two weeks of bloodworms-only diet, mine started eating flakes but only if I dropped some bloodworms too. Had to do it every feeding for another week or so.

Good luck.

[Glostik]

His color stays black no matter the situation , while the others go pale and dark depending on their mood.

Isnt this the symptom for something?