Clown loach not lookin to hot. (urgent)

[sudz]

This morning my loach gave me a scare... sleeping on its side. Well, Looking at it again, its not lookin to good. I eventually got scared enough to warrant putting my scraper in there to see if i could get him to swim... He stirrs, but almost seems like he's had a stroke or something. Stunned, always swimming to the right. His mouth twiches like hes trying to eat every now and then. Breathing is also very shallow.

He has never had good color - even at big-al's. My other loach looked like him when i got him, and got color afterwards. He's been in this tank for about 6 months.

Picture to follow.

Any idea's> i dropped a shrimp pellet RIGHT beside him... he's not goin for it. I watched him eat yesterday though!

PH 7.4, Temp is about 81, Nitrates at or near 0, KH of 9 degree's. Cycled for 3 months.

Only change was an added betta, but its never paid any notice to him.

 

[Menagerie]

He looks pinched at the top. Even though you have seen him eat, has he looked healthier--a bit fatter in the past? Since he's gone from great to severely stressed, it may be too late for him. You said you bought two clowns at the same time and one is much better—it may be that this little one has had a chronic illness the whole time. Check the links in this thread: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=64798 to see if you can identify what's wrong.

 

[sudz]

I bought them at different times, They both were in not-great condition when i got them, the second one just NEVER got orange... stayed that pastey white-orange.

His head is out of proportion with his body, and he does look skinny. My Clown loach in my 44 gallon tank was never fat, but has nice color.

I'll look at the post right now, THanks for the speedy reply

Oh, after more examination... he still LOOKS aware. He watches other fish. Its like he can't control his own body. He flutters his fins every now and then. No fish have bothered him yet, but its only time until the betta gets interested.

 

[Menagerie]

Bettas are usually only interested in fish that have flowing fins similar to themselves. However, any fish is opportunistic and will eat a fallen tank mate. If possible remove the clown to a QT tank to avoid that since we don't know what's wrong.

His head is out of proportion with his body, and he does look skinny.

Sometimes you see fish like this at LFS and it’s either poor genes, which in the wild would have led this fish to being eaten a long time ago, or a chronic condition that leads a fish to slowly waste away. I’m sorry to say that I don’t think this fish can be saved due to the very sudden down turn. If for some reason he has neurological problems, there is no cure.

 

[Menagerie]

I looked up some disease and treatment charts; I was looking for wasting disease, but that seems to happen to multiple fish at once. Certainly, this could be caused by an internal parasite, but the sudden onset of lathargy make me think it is chronic and the fish is finally too weak to go further.

AQUATRONICS Freshwater Diagnostic Chart [/url]]Observation:
• Body Emaciation
• Fish Eat but Lose Weight
Conditions:
• Newly Arrived Fish
• Live Food Being Fed
• Snails Present
Causative Agent:
• Internal Worms
• Round Worms
• Tapeworms
Commonly Affected Fish
• All Fish
Recommended Treatment
• Pipzine
• Discomed
• Vitamix Plus
• Cravex Plus
• Dewormex (as a Food)

 

[sudz]

Well, i went to the fish store and showed them the picture, they said it was probably just chronic, and if he's looking like he's got "mental problems" (spazms) He's probably too far gone. The closest thing i have to a QT tank is a breeding net.

the 15 gallon on my dresser was SUPPOSED to be the QT tank... but MTS set in and it became my guppy tank (which the clown is in right now)

The girl at Big al's said its also highly unlikely he'll recover because of his lost weight.

I bought melafix while i was there, it tends to be the all-purpose non-specialized cure-all, and i put a cap-ful in the tank. I'm about to gravel vac and do the weekly water change.

We'll see how he responds to a water change (its been 2 weeks... exams been killing me)

Its kinda embarassing... but I've had an outbreak of algae i can't really identify... Its grey, and about 2-3 mm hairs. Its just... everywhere. Kinda like the red diatomes... but only hairy. It likes the intake of the HOB filter alot.

Could that be harming him? He's just kinda... flopping at the bottom of the tank now. :-S

 

[Devilishturtles]

Very odd. Definiltey doesn't look like he will recover...sorry sudz. You said the fish looked fine yesterday? Did you notice the thin body at all?

 

[sudz]

I've noticed the thin body since i got him. I just figured i'd nurse him back like my first clown loach (whos approaching the 1 year mark) However... Even my "good" clown loach isn't as big as i thought he would be. How long does it take to get one to 4 inches or so?

I am sorry to inform you that Nee, the Clown loach was euthanized. About 2 minutes ago, by method of Ice-water. I felt sorry for him, his breathing was becoming more shallow, and the guppies started taking interest. I could tell he was trying to get away, but just couldn't. It honestly looked like a stroke combined with wasting away. He definately had something cronic, as his color was never proper, and he was always thin.

May he be remembered....

 

[Menagerie]

if he's looking like he's got "mental problems"

It's entirely possible that he's wasted way to the point of breaking down muscle and other tissue not usually used for energy.

I don't think the algae is harming the clown. Melafix is great in helping to prevent secondary infection and speed up fin repair, but it will not help the clown. If this was my fish, I would be asking my husband to put it down (it's a hard thing to do--heck, I can't even bring myself to do it, but after years as a vet tech, I realize there is a time to fight and a time to say goodbye).