echoezra
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Hi everyone,
One of my gold dojo loaches is looking like his crooked, perhaps a little bloated or swollen but not majorly. He is having definite trouble swimming, mostly lying still when startled he sort of thrashes and spins and flops around but not in the usual goofy loachy way, in a disturbed way.
The tank had been neglected lately I will admit. Overdue for a thorough water change, had "topped up" with fresh to tide me over until a day off and forgotten it, twice. The filter hadn't been changed for a while, it was pretty sludgy when I finally did it - so much so that I changed all the media out at once, which I never do. At the same time I moved the tank and switched the substrate out to sand.
I've been seeing more of everyone and seeing them better in the new location, that's when I noticed this guy looking strange. I don't believe it is due to the tank changes, I think this happened before and I'm just noticing it now.
Oh there was also a little stretch before the last last water change where the light had burnt out so they had no light for a little while. Not sure if that makes a difference.
So - basically - I know about what I've done wrong in neglecting my tank care. I'm taking steps to correct that. It looks great now, everything is all fresh and clean and everybody is Loving their new sand. The dojos will be getting a tank upgrade next month, I just need this snow to go away so I can get at our hose (I don't have a bathtub. )
I'm just looking for probable diagnoses on what specifically might be wrong with him so I can research it and how to help him.
As for the other fish:
The other 3 dojos seem fine.
One other fish, Driveway, his body is looking slightly crooked, but he's swimming fine still, maybe looking slightly twitchy? sometimes when he's hovering in one spot, but then looks fine the rest of the time. and maybe very slightly panting sometimes but again then looks fine. But he's also been out WAY more than he ever is during the day - we've barely seen him the last couple of years he's always under the log with the kuhli loach whenever it isn't dark. He's been swimming all around the new tank setup exploring and looking like a happy new fish, except that I'm concerned his shape may have changed. It's hard to judge since I saw so little of him though. So it might be nothing and completley unrelated to the dojo, maybe it's just from hiding under a log for two years. Lol. the twitching and panting are really very slight, he doesn't look terribly distressed or anything.
None of the other fish are doing any of that, flopping, twitching or panting at all that I can tell.
I have the dojo separated out into a bowl for the day so I could see him better, take a pic and if I needed to treat or feed him something special I could without disturbing the others.
I'm not sure how to attach a pic on this new android app, but I have taken a couple if you want to see them but he's on his side so it doesn't show the crooked as much but the possibly slightly bloated body shape. I'm hoping maybe it just means he's been a piggy and he's constipated and maybe that feed him peas thing might do the trick?? Crossing my fingers.
Thanks for your help.
Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
One of my gold dojo loaches is looking like his crooked, perhaps a little bloated or swollen but not majorly. He is having definite trouble swimming, mostly lying still when startled he sort of thrashes and spins and flops around but not in the usual goofy loachy way, in a disturbed way.
The tank had been neglected lately I will admit. Overdue for a thorough water change, had "topped up" with fresh to tide me over until a day off and forgotten it, twice. The filter hadn't been changed for a while, it was pretty sludgy when I finally did it - so much so that I changed all the media out at once, which I never do. At the same time I moved the tank and switched the substrate out to sand.
I've been seeing more of everyone and seeing them better in the new location, that's when I noticed this guy looking strange. I don't believe it is due to the tank changes, I think this happened before and I'm just noticing it now.
Oh there was also a little stretch before the last last water change where the light had burnt out so they had no light for a little while. Not sure if that makes a difference.
So - basically - I know about what I've done wrong in neglecting my tank care. I'm taking steps to correct that. It looks great now, everything is all fresh and clean and everybody is Loving their new sand. The dojos will be getting a tank upgrade next month, I just need this snow to go away so I can get at our hose (I don't have a bathtub. )
I'm just looking for probable diagnoses on what specifically might be wrong with him so I can research it and how to help him.
As for the other fish:
The other 3 dojos seem fine.
One other fish, Driveway, his body is looking slightly crooked, but he's swimming fine still, maybe looking slightly twitchy? sometimes when he's hovering in one spot, but then looks fine the rest of the time. and maybe very slightly panting sometimes but again then looks fine. But he's also been out WAY more than he ever is during the day - we've barely seen him the last couple of years he's always under the log with the kuhli loach whenever it isn't dark. He's been swimming all around the new tank setup exploring and looking like a happy new fish, except that I'm concerned his shape may have changed. It's hard to judge since I saw so little of him though. So it might be nothing and completley unrelated to the dojo, maybe it's just from hiding under a log for two years. Lol. the twitching and panting are really very slight, he doesn't look terribly distressed or anything.
None of the other fish are doing any of that, flopping, twitching or panting at all that I can tell.
I have the dojo separated out into a bowl for the day so I could see him better, take a pic and if I needed to treat or feed him something special I could without disturbing the others.
I'm not sure how to attach a pic on this new android app, but I have taken a couple if you want to see them but he's on his side so it doesn't show the crooked as much but the possibly slightly bloated body shape. I'm hoping maybe it just means he's been a piggy and he's constipated and maybe that feed him peas thing might do the trick?? Crossing my fingers.
Thanks for your help.
Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
Anyway, the first guy, he finally passed away today. Wondering if I should remove the second guy from the main tank. Wasn't sure, since I didn't know if it was something contagious or not, that's why I was hoping someone would reply with some possible ideas. 
