Dojo loach dieing???

[BlackMollyJenny]

Ok, about an hour ago I went to Petco to get new Guppies, a live plant, and Algae Eaters for my tank and when I returned, my year old Dojo Loach had wedged himself into the space between my water heater and the glass. I assumed he had gotten stuck, again, and poked him with my aquarium net and he swam off but stayed toward the surface of the water. I realised that his mouth was wide open in a perfect "o" shape, and he is very bloated. I need help! I don't want to loose him!

My tank is 20 gallons and currently has
- A dojo loach (mentioned above)
- 4 assorted male guppies
- A single rainbow shark
- 2 black Mollies
- 2 flying foxes (?? I don't remember what they are called exactly)

The tag on the plant said "Cryptocoryne - Assorted, Asia" and will be included in some photos as well as the new fish

I don't and can't find out my pH levels and I am very sorry about that

Please help!!!

Update: the dojo loach won't leave or stay too far away from the water heater and none of the other fish seem to be bothering him or approaching him

New plant:



New fish added an hour ago:


Dojo Loach:

 

[BlackMollyJenny]

He moved to the ground but swam back to the surface soon after I took this picture

I might add he's a year and a half old, is his time almost over?

 

[BlackMollyJenny]

Trying to get the best visual I can

 

[Hholly]

Have you tested your water lately with a liquid test kit? I'm sorry to say your tank is probably overstocked. The loach looks like he's got dropsy. I would up the water changes a lot.

 

[BlackMollyJenny]

Have you tested your water lately with a liquid test kit? I'm sorry to say your tank is probably overstocked. The loach looks like he's got dropsy. I would up the water changes a lot.

I changed the tank water about 50% last Monday. And I don't have a test kit of my own and won't be able to get to Petco for a while.

How can help him recover if possible and is it contagious to other fish?

 

[Hholly]

Keep doing more frequent water changes.
Here's some dropsy info.
http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-health/disease-prevention/dropsy-malawi-bloat.aspx

Sorry I'm not an expert on treating it. Hopefully someone else will chime in.
Good luck.

 

[BlackMollyJenny]

Keep doing more frequent water changes.
Here's some dropsy info.
http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-health/disease-prevention/dropsy-malawi-bloat.aspx

Sorry I'm not an expert on treating it. Hopefully someone else will chime in.
Good luck.

Thank you so much, I hope so too.

But, if you know, i did a little bit of reading on dropsy a few minutes ago and it reccomended moving the effected fish to a different temporary tank and the thing is, the closest thing I have to that is a breeding net. He is about 4 inches and I don't know if it would help at all and I'm worried about my other fish.

 

[Hholly]

I don't think the breeding net would help. More likely it would stress him out more.

 

[BlackMollyJenny]

I don't think the breeding net would help. More likely it would stress him out more.

I thought so, any other ideas?

 

[Hholly]

Maybe medicate with Maricyn II.

 

[BlackMollyJenny]

My loach didn't make it through the night, thanks for helping

 

[Hholly]

Aw, so sorry.