A continuing problem with sick dojo loach, and now my emerald green Cory cat has the same illness 9/22/09 Hello, I am still struggling with the problem Neale responded to in August. <Oh dear.> The latest news is one of my balloon belly mollies died last week, the one that gave birth a few weeks earlier. <Too bad.> I noticed that she was stuck to the filter and assumed she was dead, but when I unplugged it she swam away. Then shortly after I noticed she was swimming oddly, a little crooked. <Physical damage, to the fins at least, perhaps more serious. Balloon Mollies are deformed right from the get-go, with a crooked spine and deformed swim bladder. They swim poorly even in the best of health, and Mollies generally are prone to poor health in freshwater tanks. A deformed, sensitive species...? No thanks -- I recommend against them.> She would stay close to the bottom but swam up eagerly whenever it was feeding time. She got stuck on the filter a couple more times throughout a few days and then died. I wasn't sure this odd swimming was due to the filter mis-hap or if she was sick and weak before the first filter incident. <Healthy fish don't get sucked into filters, so if you see a dead fish in a filter, it was moribund/dead before it got there.> And four days ago my Cory cat (the only one) showed the same signs of illness as my dojo loach - red around the gill area and at the base of his fins. He was also swimming insanely and I saw rapid gill movement. <Interesting that these are both bottom feeders. I wonder if there's something wrong with your substrate and/or water circulation. If this was me, I'd replace the substrate (or at least thoroughly clean in outside the tank, e.g., in a bucket using a garden hose) and then check the filter was shifting water along the bottom of the tank properly.> I put him in the quarantine tank with the dojo loach and started Maracyn-2. They have had four days of treatment now. The Cory cat developed mouth rot too, just like the dojo did. And yesterday I noticed a whitish lump on his underside. I'm going to try to attach a picture at the bottom of this e-mail somehow (I have not been successful ever at resizing pictures). <Again, the mouth and the belly (and the whiskers, so check those) are in contact with the substrate. A dirty substrate promotes (though doesn't cause) bacterial infections by producing the conditions those bacteria prefer. One reason I like sand rather than gravel is that it's less likely to get dirty, and also less likely to physically abrade sore or sensitive tissues. The addition of Malayan Livebearing Snails to tanks with a sandy substrate is a good way to keep the sand clean and well oxygenated.> I figured that since the dojo loach, although healed from mouth rot, was still looking a little pinkish all this time, that this bacterial infection was still lingering (or incurable and I should pick up some clove oil soon as you had suggested in the first place) and it couldn't hurt to do another treatment. The hole in his head hasn't gotten any bigger and looks like it is either just staying put or healing at a slow rate. And here is all of the info about my tank: (this is from my records from starting it up, figured I'd give you all the info - sorry if it's way too much) 55 gallons first set up February 28th 2009 - I tried to do a fishless cycle and thought I was successful, though now I wonder. on this set-up day I filled the tank, used Prime, poured some of my established 10 gallon tank water into the new tank, added purchased bacteria, added a tank decoration from the 10 gallon tank. Day 6, I tested the water GH 180 KH 120 PH 7.5 <Fine.> Day 7 added water softener pouch for 7 hours and tested: GH 120 (test strips hard to read, but wasn't the solid 180 color it was on Day 6) KH 120/180 (test strips hard to read) PH 6.5 <Why the water softener? Why are you lowering the pH? Let's be clear: a pH of 7.5 is ideal for most aquarium fish. Multiple reasons, but the important ones are [a] the filter bacteria prefer a basic pH, and [b] hard, alkaline water is less likely to experience pH variation than soft, acid water. Unless you're breeding fish that specifically need soft water, it's best to leave hard, alkaline water as it is.> Added the established 10 gallon tank filter, plus another tank decoration (from the 10gallon tank) added two of my zebra Danios added more purchased bacteria <The bacteria are in the system; adding more largely pointless. I'd sooner add a big clump of floating plants such as Indian Ferns. These carry lots of helpful bacteria on their roots, so help cycle tanks, and more importantly, suck up ammonia and nitrite as they grow.> Day 8 tested water: GH 120 ? (test strips hard to read) KH 40 ? (test strips hard to read) PH 6 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0 <Again, we have this dropping pH, likely because your carbonate hardness (KH) is FAR TOO LOW for a freshwater community. Remember, Mollies MUST have hard, basic water, at least 15 degrees dH (~250 mg/l calcium carbonate equivalent), and ideally much more. There are VERY few community fish that actually demand soft water, and you certainly wouldn't keep them with Mollies. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/fwh2oquality.htm > Day 11 ammonia read > .25 <No surprise. When pH gets below 7, biological filters start to work significantly less efficiently, and below pH 6, the bacteria don't work at all.> Day 13 ammonia read .25 or less GH 30 KH 40 PH 6 Nitrite 0 Nitrate the test strip was faintly pink, but basically zero <Hmm...> Day 15 ammonia .25 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0 PH 6.5 KH 180 GH 120 did 8 gallon water change, added 55 mL bacteria <Still got ammonia; the pH is low, the filter crashed, and that's likely one key factor here.> Day 17 ammonia .25 <Again...> Day 20 ammonia <.25 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0 PH 8 KK 40 GH 120 added three red serpae tetras (from my 10 gallon tank) <Why adding fish?> Day 23 and Day 24 ammonia 0 Day 25 had water tested at store, tested fine. purchased 3 dwarf gouramis/added to tank <Wouldn't touch these fish with a bargepole, and in an unstable tank, their lifespan isn't likely very high. Golden rule: don't add fish while you're still trying to keep others alive.> added 55 mL bacteria Day 27 ammonia 0 Day 36 Nitrite and Nitrate both at 0 Day 38 added 3 Rasbora tetras, changed Right filter Day 42 8 gallon water change Day 61 8 gallon water change Day 67 8 gallon water change, changed Left filter this is about where I stopped recording. I tested during this time and everything was at zero. I Figured the tank was cycled. <Maybe.> My tests today read: PH 7 Nitrate 0 Nitrite 0 Ammonia 0 ALK KH 180 Hardness GH 150 <Better. But still, let's get the pH to 7.5, if necessary by adding suitable amounts of Rift Valley cichlid salt mix; I'd say about 1/4th to 1/3rd the dose recommended for Rift Valley tanks should be fine. Don't alter the pH directly; just change the carbonate hardness, and the pH will follow, and in a stable way.> I use an AquaTech filter - I had made my own filter cartridges for a few times, using the white fluffy filter material (it was the only kind the pest store sold) and charcoal, using one of the plastic pieces from inside a store-bought filter on the inside. I stopped doing this in case this is why the fish are getting sick. I feed with: TetraMin Tropical Tablets, "the rich mix for bottom feeders" Omega One Natural Protein Formula shrimp pellets Omega One Super Color Flakes (natural protein formula) Tetra Min Tropical Flakes I use Seachem Prime with every water change, adding it to the buckets before pouring into the tank temp 76-78 F I currently have in there: 4 Rasboras 2 black neon tetras 3 cardinal tetras 1 balloon molly 1 Pleco all seem fine, except the Pleco goes a little pale in patches once in a while, but this was happening from the beginning and I thought it might be normal for them when they were resting (I had never had one before). <The patches are mucous, and often a reaction to water quality problems.> I think in my original email to you (or it is in the Disease Emergency post) I mentioned that there were to mollies (or platies, I can't tell the difference) that I introduced a few weeks before the Dojos got sick. One of them died about a week after, and the other one died suddenly a week after that. When I scooped it out of the tank I saw that it had a bright red circle about 4mms wide on its side. This is what leads me to think that it was this fish that introduced disease to my tank, but I'm obviously no expert. <Well, I am an expert, and I'll tell you if you keep lowering the pH like this, any livebearers you add will die. End of story. For optimal results, aim for moderately hard, moderately basic conditions: pH 7.5, 10-20 degrees dH (that's about 175 to 350 mg/l calcium carbonate equivalent). That will keep livebearers happy, while remaining acceptable to a wide range of community fish. Yes, Neons and Rasboras and the like come from soft water habitats, but they don't share them with Mollies or Platies! So you have to use your noodle a bit here, and figure out which species are most sensitive to water chemistry issues (livebearers) and act accordingly.> The first dojo loach that died had those red spots, but smaller and not as bright, all over his body when he died. <Still a bad sign.> At least the cory cat's getting sick has given the dojo loach some welcomed company in the quarantine tank. He did perk up to see his old friend and they hang out together most of the time now. <Hmm...> Of course I would love to save the two sick fish, but I'm even more concerned about the future of my main tank. There must be something wrong with it, especially since my cory cat is sick with the same symptoms. Where do I go from here? <See above.> Any hope for the sick fish or is it time to let them go? the cory cat is still quite active, and the dojo loach isn't acting like he is anywhere near death either. <Likely can, will recover given good conditions and right medications.> Thank you so much, Hilary <Cheers, Neale.> Pictures below - the dojo loach is looking good except for pinkish hue around gills and back end of body. Tough to see in the picture though. You can see the hole in his head though - I hope it isn't a terrible case. It seems to be staying put. <Nothing came through. Please be sure to attach ~500 kB images to your e-mail. Images that are too big cause problems for us.> re: a continuing problem with sick dojo loach, and now my emerald green Cory cat has the same illness  09/24/09 Thank you for your reply - I have some questions and explanations and have tried to make them easy for you to find by using lines to separate my words from the original e-mail. <OK.> I wasn't able to get the resized pictures to attach to this e-mail and hope that it is acceptable that I cut and pasted them at the bottom. <Nothing came through. Cutting and pasting images into e-mails doesn't always work. Do use the "attach" button on whatever your e-mail program is.> I have sand substrate. It is children's play sand. I was told by a fish store employee that it is great because it is a more natural color and less expensive than the marketed kind for aquariums. <Provided the sand is [a] smooth and [b] chemically inert, you can use whatever you want. Sand comes in two grades, "sharp" and "smooth", and sharp sand will damage your fish. As for the chemistry, the sand needs to be lime-free. Personally, I use smooth silica sand from garden centres as a 100% safe alternative. Play sand, pool filter sand, etc. may be fine, but there are no guarantees. The play sand from one shop may be different from another, so I can't give you any assurances. If the sand feels smooth, that's good, and if it doesn't react with acid (e.g., vinegar) that's good too.> After Googling and reading the same online, I went ahead with this. I washed it thoroughly, in small quantities, by running water and stirring it until the water was nearly clear. Was this a mistake to use this kind of sand and do you still believe I need to change it or wash it again? <Provided the sand is safe to use for the reasons stated above, cleaning it is more a visual thing. Most folks find that the silt in bags of sand makes their tanks murky for a few days, but nothing a water change and a good, strong filter won't fix. Replace/clean the mechanical filter media after the first week because that's where most of the silt ends up/> and I am soooooo uncomfortable with the idea of introducing snails into my tank again, as I had way too many in my 10 gallon at one point after one hitching a ride in with a fresh plant. <Snails convert organic matter into baby snails. If you have too many, then you have other problems.> This is also why I am super hesitant to ever bring fresh plants into my tank again. <Non sequitur. There are plenty of ways to kill snails on plants before you put them in your aquarium. Snail-killing potions are sold in aquarium shops and work well as "dips".> I had "pond snails" I believe. <Typically Physa and Planorbis spp.> Are they the same as Malayan Livebearing Snails? <No, these are Melanoides spp.> I will introduce the snails if you really think I should though... <I have Melanoides snails in all my tanks. I find the good they do -- as substrate cleaners and aerators -- easily outweighs their nuisance value. While they do breed quickly, a combination of physical removal, predators, and simply ignoring them works a treat. Clea helena, the Assassin Snail, is a great snail population limiter.>= Well, I freaked out that my 55 gallon tank had harder water than my established 10 gallon tank and it was harder than the water straight from the tap. This confused me and figured I should get the water the same hardness as the established 10 gallon was. So I was trying to soften it just a bit, not lower the pH. I had heard so much about not being worried about or try changing the pH that I didn't think it a big problem that the pH changed (and figured it would level out with water changes). Lesson learned. <Cool.> Why adding fish? Because I thought that adding the three fish (transferring from the established 10 gallon tank) would help the cycle to continue at a safe rate. I was more paying attention to the ammonia/nitrate/nitrite tests than the other areas. <Ah, I see. Generally, so long as a tank has a few fish in there, the cycling process will continue happily enough. Adding extra fish is of marginal value, unless you plan to *dramatically* increase the population of fish in there at some point. For example, if you cycled with a couple of Guppies, and then added an adult Oscar, that would probably be bad!> I didn't realize I was trying to keep others alive at this point...just thought I was helping the bacteria multiply at a safe rate for the fish. They did not last super long (and they were so darn territorial with each other it was annoying to have them in there, too). <Yes, many schooling fish stop being schooling fish when in groups of less than six, and in some cases, they become outright nasty.> I am having trouble finding Rift Valley cichlid salt mix here. One store sells "cichlid lake salt", <That's the stuff!> and she told me that all of their salts will adjust the pH, not the carbonate hardness. <She's wrong. By definition, these salts raise the pH precisely because they're raising the carbonate hardness. It's the carbonate hardness that creates the "stuff" that makes the water basic. It's the carbonate hardness that "mops up" the acidity.> If I did more frequent water changes for a while, will that help?? <Up to a point, yes, the more water changes you do, the less background acidification becomes an issue. But this gets tedious, very quickly, so think about what you're trying to achieve here: an easy hobby that involves nothing more than daily feeding and water changes every week or two.> I hope that doesn't sound like a stupid question. Or is this something that I would need to add to my tank on a fairly regular basis? (if I can find it - I suppose I can order it online somewhere) <Do read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/fwh2oquality.htm There's a recipe for making your own Rift Valley Cichlid Salt Mix for pennies a time. It's easy to do. For a regular community tank -- as opposed to a Rift Valley cichlid aquarium -- you'd use a smaller dose than described there; try reducing the amounts to one-fourth to one-third the amounts listed.> I'm worried about this fish if he is reacting to water problems and am so frustrated I can't find the salt you mentioned. I noticed today that he was pale on about half of his body, and then when I turned the light on, most of the rest of his body went pale. I checked back later and he is dark as could be....tried to take a picture when he was pale but he had disappeared when I returned with the camera. <Oh. For what it's worth, Plecs are quite tough fish, and given good conditions, generally recover from stress quickly.> I'm sorry and feel stupid saying this - but I don't know what 10-20 degrees dH or the equivalent you mentioned means. <Simply being precise. The other way of saying this: on your test kit, there'll be a scale of some sort, running from Soft to Moderately Soft to Moderately Hard to Hard to Very Hard, or words to that effect. For Mollies, the water MUST be Hard to Very Hard. For community fish, Moderately Soft to Hard is generally fine. In other words, Mollies only mix well with those community fish tolerant of "Hard" water, i.e., things like Platies and Rainbowfish, but not so much Rasboras or Cardinal Tetras. You have to pick and choose tankmates for Mollies very carefully.> Possibly this is information on the comparison card for the liquid test tube version of the tests (and not test strips)? Aside from borrowing a friend's test tube testing kit for the last test I did to get you accurate info, I haven't used those for anything but ammonia (but plan to purchase a kit soon). <I see.> Would this Maracyn two be the right medication? <Either than, or regular Maracyn should work. They treat different bacteria, on the average, people find trying Maracyn first works best, and only use Maracyn 2 if that doesn't work. But your own mileage may vary.> This poor loach is now enduring a third treatment since this all started, and although he seems to be doing okay, he still has pink/red at the base of his side fins and a pinkish tone to his gill area. He looked this way when I put him back in the main tank and got sick again so I of course don't want to put him back until he's 100%. It seems that his recovery has plateaued and I don't know what to do about this. The cory cat seems to be responding well to treatment thus far, but still looks red/pink and I assume he will have the same plateau. <Likely.> okay, here is what I think the right sizes for you to see. The dojo picture doesn't look all that clear, but anywhere where it looks darker/pinkish is the pink that I am talking about that isn't going away. I am cut and pasting them into the email and I hope this works. <Didn't. If all else fails, try some free image hosting service such as Flickr, and include the link in your message.> Thanks so much for your time. Hilary <Happy to help. Cheers, Neale.> Re: a continuing problem with sick dojo loach, and now my emerald green Cory cat has the same illness  9/25/09 A link to the pictures! what a smart idea - here it is. http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2062389007/a=32233289_322332 89/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/ <I think you're meant to send an invitation to view this online album. As it is, I had to join Snapfish. Normally, we don't have time to go through hoops for this sort of thing. But it's a nice sunny morning here in England, so I joined up. Anyway, your fish don't appear to be especially "sick" as such, though the Corydoras looks a little underweight (if you can see the belly, it's concave, which isn't a good sign). My feeling is that these fish may have a mild bacterial infection, but it's more than likely we're talking about an environmental reaction. Variation in pH, a dirty substrate, marginal water quality may all be issues. In particular, take the time to review tank maintenance. Sand needs to be kept clean, and the best way to ensure this is to check there's a good flow of water along the bottom of the tank. Use a turkey baster to pipette out detritus between water changes. Feed your catfish and loaches their own food, ideally at night, so that they're not subsisting on leftovers; a good all-around food for both species would be Hikari Algae Wafers.> Thanks again for your help. I have a few final questions <Fire away.> If my dojo loach continues to stay pinkish, what do I do? The two fish have had 7 days of powder packet treatments of Maracyn-two thus far. The instructions say to continue treatment until signs of illness are gone. This could be a while if ever and I can't imagine the medicine is something good long term. <I can't see anything obviously wrong with this Weather Loach. They can appear a little pink when the light shines through the thinner parts of their body, and if there's something amiss with the environment, they may appear irritated. But essentially these are hardy fish, provided they are maintained at below 25 degrees C (77 F). The same for Corydoras, and in fact I'd keep both species at the cooler end of the range, 22-24 C being ideal.> And, do you suppose this sickness came about more because of the pH being below 7.5 or because there is some disease living in my tank that I still need to deal with? <pH itself is rarely something that causes sickness unless it [a] fluctuates wildly within a few hours or [b] is outside the tolerances of a particular species. Loaches and Corydoras are fine between pH 6 to 8, so the value itself isn't an issue. But if exposed to pH that varies a lot, that can stress them. One key issue often overlooked is the toxicity of ammonia at different pH levels. In the acidic range, ammonia is less toxic than in the basic range, so if the pH goes from 6.5 to 7.5, while the pH change itself might be harmless, the sudden increase in toxicity of a small amount of ammonia in the system can cause severe stress.> Can I treat the main tank with anything to make sure there isn't anything lurking in there waiting to cause more trouble? <Right now, I'd finish the cause of meds you're on, and then concentrate on providing good, stable water conditions.> How long would you to treat these sick fish before giving up? <They honestly don't look that sick to me. Perhaps it's these photos?> Until the hole in his head completely heals (how long does that take, anyway)? <Should heal within a few weeks, should conditions allow.> Until he is no longer pink? Both? The loach has been sick/pink for about six weeks now, poor guy. <Are you sure it's simply not his normal colouration? Unlike Finrot, the classic bacterial infection, the fins on this fish are intact. If he had Finrot, I'd expect ragged fins.> He doesn't look miserable now, at least, but I sure don't want to keep him in the 10 gallon hospital tank forever. The last time I thought he looked good to go and I put him back in the main tank, he was sick within four days and back in the hospital tank (and with a hole in his head appearing a few days after that). <I see.> I dropped some of the sand in a bowl of vinegar and saw no reaction. I am hopeful then that it is not the substrate that caused this problem and that I don't need to mess with it. <Cool.> I have a hard time killing snails (or I should say I just can't do it) and will need to look into this Assassin snail if I go this route. Though I am picturing the slowest predator/pray chase I've ever seen, ha ha. <Prepare to be surprised! When the Assassin Snails kick into gear, they're remarkably brisk.> Thanks! Hilary <Cheers, Neale>

Dojo/Weather loach, is he dying? 9/2/2009
Hello again if it's Neale and simply hello if it isn't
<BobF this time>
I have a question about my Weather Loach. I bought a tank with one Golden Dojo in it, reading that they prefer to be in groups I got it a friend, the golden one however would have nothing to do with it even though the regular loach (half the golden's size) was constantly trying to play (perhaps harass) with the golden. Feeling bad for the second loach I then got it a friend (loach 3). Well loach 3 became inseparable to the golden one now leaving out loach 2. They would ignore him and any time he came to hang out with them they would avoid him and the golden even charged him a few times.
Well I got another one and now have two groups of two, they have paired up and ignore each other. This has all taken place in the last 4 weeks.
<Give these Misgurnis time... likely will "pal around" in a few weeks more>
However for the last week the golden loach is almost completely sedentary, it just lays still, even it's gills don't move often. I can see no damage to the loach all fins appear normal (his pectoral fins have always been quite thin and close together more foot like than fin like (always been that way). His "whiskers" are kind of droopy but intact (new). There is no swelling apparent and I have searched him repeatedly for ich and see no signs of it. The other fish will move the golden around. Both the loaches, the Pleco (though it is much smaller) even the platies root around under the golden loach. he doesn't try to get away if my hand is near him and doesn't try to avoid the net or any other object. He occasionally roots for food but not often and it is often stolen from him. I keep thinking he is dead just laying there showing no response to any stimulus and then he will finally move out of the other fishes way. The ph 7.2 ammonia is 0 nitrite 0 don't know the nitrate but it is a moderately planted tank and I do weekly water changes of 30%, and gravel vacuuming (the pet store said I should only do it biweekly due to all my plants, is that right?).
<Should be fine>
I think the tank is under stocked as is. Can you think what might help this guy I can see NO strange physical alteration or problem but he is completely listless. I was planning my whole tank around this guy and I am
very worried about him . Any help you guys/gals could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Safe Journeys and a pleasant evening/morning to you.
KJ
<Well, Dojos/Weatherfish can be very sedentary by nature, and this system/livestock are all still quite new. I would not be concerned at this point. Bob Fenner>

Dojo/Weather loach, is he dying? 9/2/2009
Hello again if it's Neale and simply hello if it isn't
<It is indeed me, Neale.>
I have a question about my Weather Loach. I bought a tank with one Golden Dojo in it, reading that they prefer to be in groups I got it a friend, the golden one however would have nothing to do with it even though the regular loach (half the golden's size) was constantly trying to play (perhaps harass) with the golden.
<All loaches are more or less boisterous, with the exception perhaps of things like Kuhli Loaches. So while Weather Loaches are definitely best kept in groups, this doesn't mean they won't bicker! The point is that
they're more outgoing, less likely to hide, and generally healthier if given company of their own kind. With most loaches, groups of 5+ work best, and in smaller groups, results can be a little unpredictable.>
Feeling bad for the second loach I then got it a friend (loach 3). Well loach 3 became inseparable to the golden one now leaving out loach 2. They would ignore him and any time he came to hang out with them they would avoid him and the golden even charged him a few times. Well I got another one and now have two groups of two, they have paired up and ignore each other.
<Well, you've done what you can. Unless the tank is big enough adding a fifth specimen is viable, I wouldn't worry too much.>
This has all taken place in the last 4 weeks. However for the last week the golden loach is almost completely sedentary, it just lays still, even it's gills don't move often. I can see no damage to the loach all fins appear normal (his pectoral fins have always been quite thin and close together more foot like than fin like (always been that way).
<Doesn't sound promising.>
His "whiskers" are kind of droopy but intact (new).
<Loaches whiskers *should* be intact; if your loaches have short whiskers, it doesn't mean they're growing and falling off naturally, it means the gravel is too sharp or the substrate so dirty bacterial infections are
occurring!>
There is no swelling apparent and I have searched him repeatedly for ich and see no signs of it.
<Good.>
The other fish will move the golden around. Both the loaches, the Pleco (though it is much smaller) even the platies root around under the golden loach. he doesn't try to get away if my hand is near him and doesn't try to avoid the net or any other object.
<Very odd. Do you have a quarantine tank? If you do, even a 10 gallon would be fine, try putting this fish on its own in cool (around 15-20 degrees C water) with lots of oxygen and a suitable cave (such as flower pot).>
He occasionally roots for food but not often and it is often stolen from him. I keep thinking he is dead just laying there showing no response to any stimulus and then he will finally move out of the other fishes way.
<I'd net the fish out, if you can, and have a look at the fish more closely. Does he seem emaciated? Are there any signs of redness or dead skin on his belly? Are the fins whole or do they show signs of raggedness?>
The ph 7.2 ammonia is 0 nitrite 0 don't know the nitrate but it is a moderately planted tank and I do weekly water changes of 30%, and gravel vacuuming (the pet store said I should only do it biweekly due to all my
plants, is that right?).
<You can clean the substrate as often as you want by siphoning up the detritus as you do water changes. A little agitation of the substrate won't do any harm either. But yes, it is indeed the case the constantly churning
the substrate will make your plants unhappy. Essentially, clean the gravel however you want, just leave their roots alone! In practise, in a tank with healthy, fast-growing plants, the substrate shouldn't need any cleaning
beyond weekly siphoning up any detritus from the surface.>
I think the tank is under stocked as is. Can you think what might help this guy I can see NO strange physical alteration or problem but he is completely listless. I was planning my whole tank around this guy and I am
very worried about him . Any help you guys/gals could provide would be greatly appreciated.
<Not entirely clear to me, either.>
Safe Journeys and a pleasant evening/morning to you, KJ
<Feels like morning, actually mid afternoon: I'm jet lagged! Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Dojo/Weather loach, is he dying? 9/5/09
Hello crew
temp 22C, ammonia 0, nitrite 0 no nitrate test ph 7.2
Thank-you Neale for your earlier response.
<RMF here>
Hello to whoever this reaches. I have quarantined my loach for the last two days. This morning on inspection I noticed that he appears to have pooling blood at the base of his tail before his fins and on the plate of his gills. This seems to match the descriptions of a bacterial infection and I am planning of treating it as such
<... please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_6/volume_6_2/mycobactera.htm
and the linked FW infectious disease files at bottom. I would be very careful re administering an antimicrobial/antibiotic. Most such issues resolve themselves without>
*crossing my fingers*, though I have looked him ALL over and there appears to be NO tearing of the skin anywhere to have precipitated it. My question is should I be doing daily %50 water changes to my main tank to avoid the other residents of my 90G tank from contracting whatever it is that has effected my weather loach?
<I would not change this much water, this frequently, unless there was some very compelling reason... I.e., a markedly poor environment>
My previous comment about his droopy *whiskers* was that the droopy was new not the barbels he has always had them but they stuck straight out now they aren't as .... sticky outy as they once were.
In regards to the suggestion of having 5 loaches*
It is a 90G tank with
*4dojo loaches (one quarantined)
*4 Platies (need to get 2 more females)
*3 turquoise rainbows (plan on getting 1-2 more)
*1 dwarf Gourami
*5 white cloud minnows (plan on having a school of 15)
* 1 bristle nose Pleco
* 1 common Pleco (growing him for someone else/ not a permanent resident)
Adding the 5th weather loach shouldn't be a problem should it?
<I would hold off on adding any new livestock while/if you perceive there is a health issue present. Bob Fenner>

Re: Dojo/Weather loach, is he dying? PLEASE HELP 9/5/09
Hello all
<Hello,>
I have unintentionally added possibly diseased wood to my aquarium,
<Hmm... wood itself should be safe, but if transferred from a tank with a parasite outbreak, any wet object can carry the free-living stages, and so contaminate another tank.>
the person I got it from just told me that they have a serious ich outbreak.
<I see.>
I now have 3 questions, Could my Weather loach have it without showing signs of the white spots?
<Yes; these parasites sometimes attack the gills first, and some fish, because of their particular skin structure, mucous production, or whatever don't ever show Ick on their fins and bodies.>
2)The Golden Weather loach has the blood pooling at the base of his tail before the fins and on his gill plate... is it to late for the treatment has it most likely gone septic?
<Doesn't sound like Ick is the problem here. Blood tends to clog where the tissues are infected, and this in turn suggests a bacterial rather than protozoan infection. In particular, Finrot. Try a suitable antibiotic. Do
bear in mind the boundary between Finrot and Septicaemia is a narrow one, and Septicaemia is difficult to treat. So prompt action is important.>
3) I have White cloud minnows, platies, weather loaches dwarf Gourami, Pleco, bristlenose Pleco, and turquoise rainbows can I start the heat and salt method before I see the white spots (I've read that the Loaches are very intolerant of salt and that the minnows are very intolerant of heat)?
<At the doses and temperatures required, neither your Minnows nor your Loaches will be unduly affected. Indeed, the Salt/Heat method is by far the safer treatment for Loaches than copper-based Ick medications. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: emergency - dojo loach not well with blood in whiskers.... – 08/04/09
Hello again,
<Hi,>
I am so hoping you can help me. I can't imagine you have time to reply to everyone's emails about problems, but maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones (and if not, I completely understand).
<Well, it's an hour a day on my part!>
I am attaching the previous message below so you have all the info in one place. This message is also posted on the bulletin board under Disease Emergency, and I have tried to post a picture to this board, but it doesn't seem to be loading.
<Have seen the image, here:
http://bb.wetwebmedia.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2310#p22397
>
I'm sorry if I should not be emailing you (I am new to this forum as of last night) with my problem, but I am sure to have this problem all over again with my second loach. The first one died and I've attached a picture of his body so you can see these red spots. There are many more now than there were last night when I sent this. If there is any way you can help, I'd be so grateful! This second loach now has blood spots at the base of his front fins and isn't eating. I hope it's not too late to save him.
<It looks like a systemic bacterial infection, and frankly, curing it as this point is unlikely. The small red spots are blockages in the bloodstream where bacteria have clogged the blood vessels. Now, most bacterial infections are opportunistic in nature. These are typically caused by water quality issues, though other factors, such as diet, can be relevant. However, a few bacterial infections are cause by things like Mycobacterium spp., and these are usually difficult or impossible to treat.
Do see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_6/volume_6_2/mycobactera.htm
>
I am of course attached to the loaches and truly want to save him if I can.
Thank you for your time.
<At this point, euthanasia is probably the only sensible, humane approach:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/euthanasia.htm
Would not add similar fish for a while, and would actually leave the population of fish "as is" for a good couple of months, and monitor what happens.>
~Hilary
<Cheers, Neale.>

Am I simply thinking doom and gloom? Re Dojo hlth.    7/30/09
Hello this is KJ
<Hello,>
I have managed to do more research and have solved my stocking problem and have realized a few changes (including needing a covered set up with dojo loaches, perhaps adding a connected rice paddy) need to be implemented I however still have a few questions; I am obviously keeping the dojo loach and getting it some friends, however is it possible to use a finer gravel/sand in part of the tank and the original gravel in the other areas of the tank?
<You can try, but realistically, it'll all get mixed up eventually. Unless you have plants with roots, then simply use some plain vanilla smooth silica sand along the bottom to a depth of maybe 2.5 cm/1 inch. This will be enough to shore up bogwood and rocks, without being so deep it's difficult to keep clean. Plants will roots obviously won't like a substrate this shallow, but floating plants and epiphytes (such as Java fern and Anubias) couldn't care less.>
Will this create a area were he will burrow and an area that he will not, or just make it so he hurts himself/herself is some parts of the tank and is fine in others?
<They do like sand, and will dig right into it! Smooth gravel doesn't do too much harm, but avoid anything obviously jagged or abrasive.>
Also is lava rock safe for Dojo loaches or will they cut themselves on it?
<Wouldn't recommend it.>
Can you recommend any particularly good biotope books/web sites for Asia (if you don't know any off hand don't worry about it)?
<There's a book called "The Complete Aquarium" by Peter Scott you'll probably find very helpful. It's got a series of biotope tanks detailing all the bits and pieces you need to build them. It's been out of print for a while, but you can pick up used copies very inexpensively.>
Thank you for your time
Kjersti
P.S. This is one of the best sites I have found for clear concise information. It is the least contradictory and is quite easy to navigate.
Congratulations on having a fabulous site.
<Bob will be gratified to hear this. Thank you. Cheers, Neale.> <<I am. RMF>>

Opps I forgot... Rocks, Dojo sys.    7/30/09
I am terribly sorry to bother you again, I asked some questions earlier but forgot to ask? If you see no problem in my keeping the dojo with some new dojo tank mates will lava rocks be to abrasive and give them some nasty scratches?
<Lava rock is abrasive and, despite the marketing, it does seem to affect water chemistry. At the very least it gives the water a red tint over time, and some aquarists have found that it slightly acidifies the water as well.
I'm not wild about using lava rock in tanks with smooth-skinned fish such as loaches, eels, pufferfish, etc. Visit your local garden centre and pick up some "pond safe" rocks such as slate and granite. Cobbles are great for a water-worn stream bed look, while craggy granite chunks are good for taller, three-dimensional mountains of rock. Cheers, Neale.>

Gold Dojo Demise. – 07/17/09
Hello WWM Crew,
<Hello Elizabeth,>
I have used your website as a source for all of my fresh and saltwater needs! I cannot thank you enough for the mass amount of information you provide to the public, thanks again.
<Glad you've found us helpful.>
This is my first time writing, as I was unable to find an answer to a horrible and very sad situation that occurred yesterday. I bought my best friend a Gold Dojo Loach about 2 years ago, and he thrived in a 10 gallon tank along with 2 tiger barbs and a clown loach.
<Ten gallons really isn't enough space for these fish; Tiger Barbs should be kept in groups of 6+ specimens in a 20 gallon or larger tank, and Clown Loaches should also be kept in groups, and as adults (which can be up to 30
cm/12 inches long) need very big aquaria, more than 55 gallons. So whatever else might be going on in your tank, we can't disregard simple overcrowding. The thing with overcrowding is that it gets worse with time.
When you buy the fish as babies, a small tank might be fine. But as they grow, they get bigger, they need more oxygen, and they place more of a demand on the filter. Eventually they reach a cut-off point where the fish are now too big for the small aquarium, water quality suffers, and one or more fish sickens and dies. In other words, saying the fish were fine for X years and then suddenly died is precisely what you'd see in an overcrowded tank, especially if you weren't looking for the early-warning signs like fish gulping air more often than usual, or ammonia/nitrite levels that were
not zero, or pH levels that drop rapidly between water changes.>
The Dojo was named Fidel and he became an instant favorite of ours. He was always happy and healthy, with a great appetite (He was fed live Tubifex & sinking pellets) up until yesterday afternoon. I got a call from my friend, she said that Fidel was swimming like mad across the surface of the water and she wanted me to check on him when I got home. About 2 hours later, I get home from work to find Fidel listlessly swimming at the surface of the water. I noticed a spot on the base of his side fin that was white & pink in color.
<Among other things, frenetic swimming and signs of inflammation/incipient Finrot are precisely and absolutely the sorts of things you see in overcrowded tanks about to crash. While these symptoms can *also* be caused by other problems, because your tank is too small for the fish you have, we can't be sure it's one thing or the other.>
It also looked like his skin was peeling, so I dosed the tank with Melafix in hopes that it would help.
<Largely useless.>
I left for roller derby practice and came home two hours later to find him on the bottom of the tank, barely moving. I then noticed he had a very red, swelling anus and he looked emaciated and pale along the back end of his
body. I added some aquarium salt into the tank, but he stayed fairly motionless through the rest of the night. I was unable to check on him this morning (the tank is in my friends room) But I assume he didn't make it. He really was a great fish and he died before we could really do anything to help him. What could I have done?
<Always keep fish in a tank big enough for their needs. Good aquarium books, like the Baensch Aquarium Atlas, will quote minimum tank sizes. In the case of the Dojo Loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) you're looking at something upwards of 20 gallons. Anything less simply won't be viable, if only because small problems that might be easy to fix instead cascade into big problems that kill your fish very quickly.>
Here's the catch:
One drunken night about 2-3 weeks ago, my friend brings home a bag of 3 carnie (carnival) goldfish home and just dumps them in her tank without QT.
They thrive, but Fidel dies...
<Because your tank is now far overstocked. Three Goldfish would need, at least, a 30 gallon tank. Given your selection of fish, even a 55 gallon tank would be overcrowded once these fish are all mature. Even assuming they're baby Goldfish a couple of inches long doesn't let you off the hook, because by themselves three juvenile Goldfish would overstock a 10 gallon tank. Just to be clear, a 10 gallon tank is practically worthless, and only suitable for very small, sedentary fishes, things like Neons and Sparkling Gouramis. Anything that's active or mature at more than an inch or so in length is too big for these tanks, even Danios!>
I know nothing of her water parameters, but I know she is diligent at keeping her tank clean and does regular water changes. Do you think the carnie fish were the culprit?
<Sort of; by adding additional fish, you so egregiously overstocked the tank that "something had to give". Your Weather Loach died to "make space" for the other fish, and as time goes on, more fish will die, until the aquarium is stocked with the right size and amount of fish for its capacity. Have you done the idea of "carrying capacity" at school or college? Fish tanks have a carrying capacity, and anything you add above that level causes a die-back until carrying capacity is reached once more.
Science is not flexible about these things!>
I'm sorry if this question was answered in a previous e-mail, but I just couldn't seem to find anything that fit right. I also just need some peace of mind...thank you in advance for any information you can provide.
It is a very sad day...
~Elizabeth
<Cheers, Neale.>

Injured Golden Dojo - HELP!   7/10/09
My 5 year old golden dojo cut himself (1/8" or smaller circular injury mid-body on one side) and has swollen up badly in the last 24 hours.
<Fish rarely, if ever, cut themselves. Their lateral line system means that they can "feel" pressure waves caused by solid objects all around themselves. If a fish gets cut, it wasn't an accident, but a sign something happened: for example aggression; failed attempts at predation; or the use (by the aquarist) of an abrasive substrate in a tank with burrowing fish. Review, and act accordingly, understanding that this was no accident.>
He has air bubbles emitting from a swollen anus anytime he finds energy to swim around. Mostly he flips upside down and his tail floats above his head. He looks like he's dying and suffering. Do you have any advice?
Thank you in advance. -Mike
<Doesn't sound good. If the wound is small and confined to muscle or skin tissue, then treatment, ideally in a hospital tank, with a reliable antibiotic such as Maracyn would stand a good chance of working. If the wound is severe, and in particular if the body cavity is punctured, then I'd have to suggest euthanasia. See here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/euthanasia.htm
Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Injured Golden Dojo - HELP!   7/11/09
Thank you, Neale. I didn't know of the dojo's needs for sand substrate before this injury. There is also two rocks in the tank that would qualify as hazardous. I'm surprised he wasn't injured before this. :/
<I see.>
There is a large plecostomus in the tank that could have shown aggression I suppose, as they are similar size (in length anyway).
<Plecs (you probably have Pterygoplichthys sp. rather than Hypostomus plecostomus) are generally fine with loaches.>
This morning the dojo
(Gordie) was prone in the tank, no visible gill movement. I lifted him and he was very stiff but wiggled a little bit against the stiffness - last stage of life?? No gill movement at all, so I'm not sure what was going on but obviously not good. I prepared a side container, transferred him, then introduced the emulsified clove oil. Since there was no apparent gill movement, I just made sure there was plenty of it and let him rest in it for a while. No movement whatsoever during that period (eyes, gills, tails, nothing). Then I introduced vodka to make sure he would pass (if he hadn't already).
<Although often mentioned by aquarists, nothing written by *vets* mentions the use of alcohol in euthanising fish, and I'd therefore recommend it; the article I linked to last time was based on *veterinary* advice rather than aquaristic hear-say, which I think is important when we're taking about pain relief, sedation and painless destruction of animals.>
Very sad, he was a character, so much so he reminded me of a dolphin. I learned a valuable lesson and will do more studying on the type of fish I take on before bringing them home.
Thank you for your help.
Mike
<Sorry things didn't turn out any better. Cheers, Neale.>

dojo loach eel and ich  6/18/2009
Hello Crew,
It's been yrs since I last emailed you guys for help & I am happy to report I have spent my teens & early 20s researching & gaining experience w/ my fish.
<Cool.>
Sadly I made a beginners mistake by only QTing my new mollies for a week & noticing a few small spots 2 days later that I assumed to be ich.
<Do review the needs of Mollies:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/mollies.htm
Contrary to popular misconception, they aren't especially good additions to freshwater tanks, and are invariably hardier and easier to keep in brackish water conditions. Since the free-living stage of the Ick parasite is not able to live in brackish water, Mollies under such conditions aren't bothered by this disease.>
So I pulled the 2 with spots out & put them back in QT & dosed them with quICK cure, set up my 20 gallon & pulled my fire eel & dojo loach from the main tank & then treated my main tank also. This was 2 days ago and the spots on the mollies in QT are gone & no one else has shown any signs although I will continue treatment for another 3 days.
<With Loaches and Fire Eels, it's perfectly viable to treat your fish for Ick all at the same time, using the old salt/heat combination.>
My problem is that I am unsure what to do about the dojo & eel? They have shown no signs of ich and the temp in the 20g is 81 which I assumed would speed up the life cycle of ich & the fish would be showing some signs so I could know whether or not to treat them?
<Since these fish were exposed to the Ick-ridden Mollies, they should be treated accordingly. Make a brine solution in a jug containing warm water into which you add 2 to 3 teaspoons of salt per US gallon of water in the aquarium. Once dissolved, pour into the outflow of the filter so it quickly mixes. Leave at the high temperature you have for about 2 weeks. This should kill any free-living parasites. The salinity is actually very low, and won't harm fish, plants or filter bacteria.>
There is so much conflicting information on ich & the life cycle, how long it can survive & at what temps & I have spent countless hours reading only leaving myself more confused! Should I leave the dojo & eel alone & watch them, or should I treat them with Coppersafe in the 20g then and them back to the main tank in a week after the quICK cure has been filtered out? I have never lost a fish to ich & I certainly don't want my fire eel to be my first.
<Spiny Eels and Loaches are both notoriously sensitive to some medications, so where possible, use salt plus heat method instead of copper- and formalin-based medications.>
I would like to get them in the main tank as soon as possible as I am currently maintaining 7 tanks. I cant give you any specifics on water quality as I do not test my water anymore. I do change 40-50% each week as the main tank is heavily stocked (7 female Bettas, 4 platy, 8 mollies, 2 swordtails, 2 Bala sharks, 1 Gourami, & before this the dojo loach & the eel 9" & fat as a garden hose!) a lot in a 50g & I did test for the 1st few months, things were stable w/ my water changes & I had no problems until this, which was caused by the new fish.
<Quite the mix.>
I would just also I to state that I got the Balas, eel, dojo, Gourami, and a 30g tank stuffed full of several other fish (2 black skirts tetras, a serpae, a glow light tetra, 3 Kuhlis, 2 big unidentified loaches, a killifish, 2 true SAE's, another Gourami, a beautiful but fairly aggressive male electric yellow cichlid and 9 of his off spring!) so you can see why some ended up in my main tank! Also I have been trying unsuccessfully to find suitable homes for the Bala sharks & the cichlids for nearly 2 months.
But the closet big city is Vegas & it is 90 miles away so I don't know what to do! I myself would never had bought the Balas as I know how big they get, however I have grown a bit fond of there peacful nature & clicking sounds. (0: They are about 6 inches for nose to tail. Anyways this was a long email but this is really the only place I could look for help on what and not to do w/ the eel and dojo. And PLEASE if you know anyone who wants some fish send them my way! (0=
<Your best bet here is to join an online forum that includes members from your country; most have "buy, sell and swap" sections, through which members trade fish. The popular Tropical Fish Forums one for example has sections of this type for both UK and US hobbyists. Being a Brit myself, I really don't keep up to date with the fish swapping scene in the US, I'm afraid!>
Thanks for the help, Jenny
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: dojo loach eel and ich 6/18/09
thanks for the advice! I had originally started a salt, heat mix for the dojo and the eel. I had 21 teaspoons in my 20g so far and then I started feeling bad for my dojo as it was breathing rapidly so I took half the salt
out.
<The salt was unlikely to be the reason the loach was breathing heavily; because Ick and Velvet parasites readily (perhaps preferentially?) attack the gill filaments, it's often the case that fish find it difficult to
breathe long before you see the tell-tale white cysts on the body of the fish.>
Also, I do keep salt in my main aquarium, though not to the point of brackish, 30 teaspoons in my 50 gallon.
<Unless you're keeping brackish water fish, there is absolutely no point to adding salt to a freshwater aquarium on a permanent basis. This is "old school" fishkeeping, where salt was used to detoxify nitrite and nitrate, which were often at high levels in aquaria through to the 1970s because of inadequate filtration and infrequent water changes. Like activated carbon, salt is redundant in freshwater aquaria run along modern principles: lots of filtration and weekly water changes of 25-50%. On the other hand, if you insist on keeping Mollies with freshwater fish, raising carbonate hardness and ensuring a stable pH around 7.5 to 8.0 will significantly help things, and because Mollies are so sensitive to nitrate, the use of small amounts of sodium chloride might be useful. But to be honest, I recommend against Mollies in community tanks; we get so many letters about sick Mollies, it's beyond a joke!>
I have never had any deaths besides of fry being eaten, they really have no chance with all the Bettas.
<I imagine your success with fish has more to do with good fishkeeping than the use of salt!>
So anyways I will try the salt/heat combo again. Do I need to keep the salt in the tank for a full 2 weeks?
<Yes; salt doesn't kill the Ick you see on the fish, but the free-living "babies" that emerge when the Ick cysts burst. Those cysts take a few days to a week to burst at tropical temperatures, so it's usual to run the tank
with salt in it for two weeks to minimise the chances of [a] any cysts not having burst; and [b] any free-living stages still being in the water.>
Thanks, Jenny
<Cheers, Neale.>

Dojo Loach, hlth.   4/9/09
So today I was cleaning my tank, and I noticed that Jimmy the Exploder, my year and a half old Dojo Loach had some strange bumps on her body, and her normally rounded tail was pointed, and there seemed to be something sharp sticking out of her tail.
<Mmm, the former are indication... oh, see the link below. The last... maybe Anchorworm... see WWM, the Net re>
I keep the PH and everything at a normal level, and they are fed once a day. I give them algae pellets, though they seem to ignore those at first and go for the bloodworms that the beta gets. There are two other loaches in there with her so she isn't lonely, but she seems to be the only one sick. Her scales are hard to see, though she does NOT look like a pine-cone, so I know it isn't Dropsy.
Any Advice?
Jacie
<Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/dojofaqs.htm
Bob Fenner>

Re: Bumpy Dojo Loach   4/10/09
I looked at the illnesses inquired about before, but none of them seemed to match quite right. And I may have worded the tail problem wrong. It's not Anchorworm, as that like, hangs from the body, right?
<Not really hanging. The stage folks see is like twin "sticks" protruding from the body, sometimes the beginnings like a red single pimple. See here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/anchorwrmfaqs.htm
and the Net re "Lernaea">
This is just a spike UNDER her skin that protrudes sideways, without actually breaking the barrier of skin.
<Oh... might be something else>
As for the bumps, there are two of them, one close to her head, and one by her behind, so I don't think it's digestion issues, because then there shouldn't be one by her head, or so I think.
<Well... again, Misgurnis are given to such "bumpiness" with age, growth in captivity. We have photos/examples of such on WWM. Not necessarily fatal or even apparently debilitating. I would not treat for it per se. Bob Fenner>
♠ ĵ α ċ ı є
[ т я α v ı š ] ♫ 

Weather Loach, beh., sys., including goldfish  – 04/07/09
Hi,
Looking for your advise please.
<And advice>
Sometime ago, I adopted a friends fish as she was moving overseas. They were added to my tank. There were 2 goldfish and 1 weather loach. I already had shubunkin and a goldfish. At the time, i did not know what the weather loach was, as my friend was told it was a Plec (i knew it wasn't, as i have had these
before).I went into my local fish (expert), with a photograph, and he advised me it was a weather loach. He also advised me to buy another one, as they live better in pairs. I did this.
One of the loach is now swimming upside down(while turning, looks like somersaults), and when resting, laying upside down.
<Mmm, well... some of this is natural>
After reading information about them, i understand erratic swimming can be normal, but this sort of
behaviour is not normal for him.
<Yes... considered to be "living barometers"... Changes in air pressure seem to trigger this sort of movements>
I am concerned he is unwell, as he seems to be resting more than usual. All the other fish are doing well, and displaying no problems.
My tank is only 2ft*1ft*1ft I believe this is (12g(U.K)),
<Oooh, way too small for this many goldfishes>
and after reading many articles on the internet, I am led to believe this is too small for weather loach.
<This loach can be crowded... is a facultative aerial respirator and quite tolerant to metabolite accumulation, but yes... All need more volume>
Unfortunately, i cannot accommodate a tank any bigger. do i need to find another home for my weather loach, or can they live in tanks this small??
Many Thanks
Linzi
<I'd be doing a bit more reading. Here to start:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/goldfish101art.htm
and the linked files above... Perhaps looking into trading some of the goldfish out, now... at least investing in test kits and their use, along with regular water changing... Bob Fenner>

Dojo Loach digestion issues...? 3-4-09
Hi, I've had my 15 gallon tank set up since the beginning of '06. My dojo loach has been in the tank since the beginning and is 6.5 inches long and thick as my finger,
<That's a big boy!>
he has lots of caves and hiding places and the tank's well-planted. I noticed yesterday, when he pooped, he twitched a lot and this green/brown cloud starting coming out of him... some sort of fish-diarrhea followed by a chunk of what looks like an algae wafer. It happened again today. Afterwards, he just kept swimming like nothing happened. He gets a mixed diet of algae wafers, sometimes sinking shrimp pellets, and occasionally freeze-dried blood worms, plus bits of flake food that fall to the bottom. He's kept with 3 fancy guppies and a red wag platy, all have been living together for +/- 1 year. My water is fine. Ammonia and nitrites at 0. I do weekly water changes of 10%. I couldn't find any other forums/discussions about fish-diarrhea lol so hopefully you can help.
-Dillon
<Mmm, I don't think you have a problem here... I would not be concerned. Bob Fenner>

Re: Dojo Loach digestion issues...?  03/04/09
Awesome. It's just unusual and I've never seen this happen with any other fish I've kept. I've grown quite fond of him over the years and I'd be pretty sad if he died. He's got quite a personality. Thanks Bob.
<Welcome Dillon... I really like Dojos... had many as a youngster when I lived in Japan (my father was a Navy lifer)... Do have very distinct personalities as you say. Cheers, BobF>

Black Spots on golden dojo loach   12/15/08
Hello, I had two golden dojo loaches and four goldfish in a 55 gallon tank, well first I noticed that one golden dojo loaches got a black spot and then another and then about five. My goldfish which I tried to save desperately all died with black spots on them and the on dojo that was left seems fine no spots then I went and got another dojo loach so the one would not be lonely ,well the new one, I noticed, had one of them black spots under his eye is this some kind of disease that they get that possibly spread to the goldfish because I had the goldfish for five years and then when I got the dojo's this all started taking place. Now my new dojo has the same black spot under his eye which was already there but I did not notice it till I got home. Every thing I find on the net says ammonia burns on fish, or black spot disease and they don't tell you how to treat black spot disease or could this be some kind of parasite. I would appreciate any advice you could give me. Right now all I have in my 55 gallon tank is two dojo loaches. They appear to be ok except the one with the black spot under his eye. What kind of fish could I put with dojo loaches later on. I don't want no more goldfish hard to keep tank clean. Thanks A lot for any information given, Patricia
<Hello Patricia. Black spots are actually not caused by any one specific thing. Among pond fish, or fish bred outdoors but then kept indoors, they are usually caused by worm-like parasites such as Posthodiplostomum. These parasites have a two-stage life cycle that involves a fish and a bird, and because aquaria aren't visited by water birds, the parasite quickly dies out under aquarium conditions. So you sometimes see black spots on fish farmed outdoors but sold in pet shops, and provided they're otherwise healthy, the black spots eventually die out without causing too much harm (though the wounds can be focus points for Finrot and the like). These black spots are typically circular, slightly raised, and around the size of a pin head. There's no actual treatment as such; just like whitespot, you can't kill the cysts, only the free-living parasite stages, and those die out anyway in aquaria. The other reason for black spots is a reaction to high concentrations of ammonia. Such spots are irregular in shape, sometimes small, sometimes whole patches. Fish tend to react to high levels of ammonia in other ways too, often breathing heavily, darting about the
tank nervously, and not showing their normal interest in food. Ammonia is dealt with by improving water quality, specifically by reducing food levels, doing big water changes, and checking the filter is adequate to the needs of the livestock. Goldfish are messy and big, and I'd recommend a filter rated at a turnover of 6 times the volume of the tank or more; in your case 6 x 55 = 330 gallons per hour. More is fine unless you have very delicate fancy varieties (such as Celestials). An external canister filter is the ideal, but if you're on a budget, undergravel filters work great too. Hang-on-the-back filters tend to be overwhelmed by Goldfish, so I would not recommend using them in this situation. In any event, do an ammonia or nitrite test to check on water quality, and if you detect either at levels other than zero, then this is very likely the problem. Cheers, Neale.>

Misgurnus; Finrot?  12/9/08
Hi, I'm hoping you can help me, I purchased a gold weather loach around a year ago, and just recently it has developed 'blisters' all over its body. It covers the whole body of the fish apart from the fins and the head. It almost looks as though a top layer of skin has 'puffed up'. It is kept with two goldfish that do not seem to have any symptoms; it is a cold water tank and has no heater. I also change the water regularly.
<Ah, you may change the water, but do you filter it adequately? Seemingly not; what you are describing sounds like Finrot and/or Fungus, both almost always indicators of poor water quality. Check you have zero ammonia/nitrite levels in the tank, and if not, act to remedy this by beefing up filtration, reducing stocking density, or reducing food input. Regardless, treat with a reliable anti-Finrot medication, such as Maracyn or eSHa 2000. Not salt, and not Melafix!>
The fish seem to have outgrown their current tank and I am in the process of buying them a much larger one. Could this skin inflammation be a sign of not getting enough exercise?
<No. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Misgurnus; Finrot?
Thank you very much for your advice, it is very much appreciated!
Kind Regards,
Kath
<Happy to help. Good luck, Neale.>