Clown loach relapse

[Guest]

I dont understand what is going on with this clown loach of mine. It resembles a loach in another thread in which it's bright coloring has faded to a sickly pale look, but it acts normal otherwise. Two other loaches remain un-affected which leads me to believe whatever it is, is not contageous or in the tank.

I isolated it for a couple days and treated it with low doses of melafix/pimafix in a heated q-tank and it responed well, but after a couple days back in the main tank, it's coloring is faded once again. I thought it might have been a body fungus.

I would hate to put it back into a q-tank again if the treatment is only going to be a temporary fix. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[guppy12]

Picture please...
How old and big is it?
Where did u get it?

 

[Guest]

Ive had it around 6 months, it's 3 inches and I got it @ petsmart. The water readings are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and nitrates are around 5. ph is 7. I dont have a digital camera good enough to take that good of a pic.

 

[Guest]

Now this is stranger yet. It's colors are coming back now, not all the way, but better than yesterday. I have no clue what is going on.

 

[joannde]

could be stress.

 

[Zagz]

That's what I was thinking, it might be stress. Are there any fish in the tank that might be chasing or harrassing it?

 

[Guest]

Actualy Zagz, yes, I have noticed the cory cat chasing it once in a while, but thought nothing of it. And now it spends a lot of time in it's cave, and every time I see it, it's faded, then unfaded. Now I feel bad for treating it in a q-tank thinking I did something great when all I did was stress it more.

The cory cat is starting to chase a few fish around, I might have to do something about this. My peacful community is being disrupted.

 

[Guest]

Yesterday after I read these posts, I isolated the cory cat in a q-tank. The clown loach came out of it's cave later in the evening and it's been out all morning. It's still pale and a little skiddish, but it's swimming around more than it has been. So far, it's a good sign.

 

[DarylF2]

Do you have just one Cory? That might be the problem...

They are shoaling/schooling fish and sometimes go a little batty without other Corys. It could be that the lonely Cory is just trying to shoal/school with these other fish (which the other fish might see as aggression).

 

[Guest]

Thats possible because it was the only cory for a while. I added another smaller one, but the bigger one would chase it too. The clown has been active all day now and looks good, so for now I will have to keep the big cory isolated and figure out what to do.

 

[joannde]

Get more cories They're much more relaxed in larger groups and they'll spend more time with each other. Do you have enough "room" (spare bioload capacity - I'm sure there's a term for it !) for 3 more ?

 

[Guest]

Thats a good idea, I have room. I dont like keeping the cory isolated and Ive had it for some time now, I dont want to give it away. I will look for two more roughly the same size and then it should be happier. Then the smaller cory can join in and make four. And maybe get another clown so the timid one might feel safer as well. That will be my goal tomorrow.

 

[joannde]

excellent plan. might as well get two more clown loaches while you're at it - I heard they do best in groups of 3 or more also
You're gonna love the cory group - they're very active and love playing games together.

 

[Guest]

Mission accomplished, almost anyways. I could only get one cory like mine, but it's the same size and healthy. So that makes 3 cory's, 4 clown loaches and I couldnt resist a dojo loach, which makes two dojo's (the loaches have personality). Hopefuly now, everything will be ok now that everyone has playmates. Thanx for the help and advice