Sick Clown Loach

Dave Watkins

I have a sick clown loach, his symptoms are he is skinny in front of his dorsal fin and he doesn’t seem to be eating anything. He spends a lot of the time at the top of the tank near the surface as if he can’t breathe, at other times however he swims around like there isnt anything wrong.

I did some research and it appears that my clown loach has skinny disease; it appears that he has worms. I understand that this can be common with farm bred loaches. I have the normal medications melafix and pimafix but I wonder whether that this is enough. I have dosed my tank with both medications and there doesn’t seem to be any improvement.

I don’t want to lose him; I have a photos what he looks like, although it isnt my actual fish just an example of him. I wonder whether a different type of medication may be in order.

Any suggestions?

Mooo

It's got skinny disease as I call it, Quarantine it and use Kusuri Plus discus wormer to help it, It doesn't sound good tho Your others seem ok? Use the wormer on the original tank also ..Good Luck.. I don't think many come back from it when that far gone as the photo

Dave Watkins

Thanks Mooo. The other clown loach seems okay and doesn’t seem to be affected. I'll need to set up a quarantine tank for him, I have a tank just nothing setup. I originally got 3 of them for snail patrol, one jumped out, silly fish "no snails outside tank!" one loach in the four foot and one in the new tank.

I wanted and got good advice, I haven’t come across this problem before.

Another aquarium told me that he was only like that because he was hungry. They suggested some medicines to buy but I wanted a second opinion first

Fingers crossed

Heintz.G

Yep Mooo is spot on with her diagnosis, in my experience with clown loaches (which is not very much) it's skinny disease and becoming more common these days.

Next time you go and buy some or any fish for that matter spend some time looking at the fish you intend to buy, even if it takes up to 15mins and pick the ones that looks healthy DO NOT buy from any tank that looks suss. This practice should be done by every hobbyist!!!!

The fish in the photo IMO should be put down, it will only get worse and will only suffer.

Mooo

Clown loaches also prefer to be in a school of at least three, their antics are hilarious when they have pals to play with, oh and don't be too alarmed if you come out one day and find it on its back looking rather dead, they sleep in the most obscure positions lol
re the other aquarium you got advise from Ditch them, bad advice that was

Dave Watkins

Deaded this afternoon.

Frayk

RIP Mr Loach.

Mooo