Sick Gold fish and Dojo Loach

[mikan]

1~What type of fish is afflicted? In addition, please describe what is wrong with the fish to the best of your ability (i.e. cotton like growth, bloated, etc.).
- 1 Gold fish, white dots on tail fin and pectoral fin.
- 2 Dojo loaches a few small white dots on body not fins.

2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)?
Used api - master test kit
ammonia: oppm
nitrites: 0ppm
nitrates: 0-5ppm doesn't look yellow but not the next color on the chart.
temp:
pH: 7.0

I'm wondering if my test kit is still working right, i was thinking about buying some api test strips to see if they give me a different reading.

3~ How large is the tank? How long has the tank been set up?
- 40gal
- 2 years

4~What type of filtration are you using? Please give the name and number (i.e. Fluval 304) and amount of gph if known.
Penguin Power Filter 200 - 200gph


5~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are their current sizes?
- 4 fish
1 small gold fish - body about an inch
1 very small dojo loach - about and inch and a half long
2 small dojo loach - about 3 inches long

6~When is the last time you did a water change and vacuum the gravel? How often do you do this? How much water do you remove at a time?
- normally once a week 20% water change
- Tonight. 40%

7~How long have you had the fish? If the fish is new, how did you acclimate it/them?
- 2 dojo loaches - 2 years (trusted fish store in old city)
- gold fish - 4 months (trusted fish store in old city)
- 1 dojo loach - 2 weeks (new fish store)


8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.?
-No

9~What kind of food have you been feeding your fish, have you changed their diet recently?
- Algee wafers
- blood worms
- peas

____________________________

Hello there,

I have some sick fish and I'm not sure what it is. Can anyone help? I'm really worried.

 

[oscarchic11]

Looks like ich to me. Does it look like they were rolled in sugar??

 

[Pam is here]

Looks like ich to me. Does it look like they were rolled in sugar??

Yes it's ich.

 

[jlk]

Welcome to AA!!!! Your new loach introduced disease into your tank. The issue here is how to treat everybody. The entire tank must be treated but what works for one fish, will not work for the others. Your options are as follows:

-Remove the goldfish to another tank and treat with .3% salinity (loaches can not tolerate this amount of salt). The goldfish looks like it may need a concurrent antibiotic treatment (kanamycin sulfate) for secondary infection but I would see if there is marked improvement with just salinity before adding another med.

-Treat the tank and loaches with heat at 86-88f (goldfish can not tolerate this amount of heat)

-Opt for treatment with an ich med for the entire tank. Loaches and the goldfish may not be able to tolerate a full strength dose. Many ich meds can not be used with scaleless fish such as loaches and goldfish can be very sensitive to them. If opting for this route, chose a med with great care. Quinine sulfate is a good option and safe for both the loaches & goldfish but its difficult to find except online at National Fish Pharmecuticals.

Please ask if you have any questions!!!

 

[mikan]

Can anyone recommend a treatment for ich that would be safe for the loathes and gold fish in the same tank? I only have the one.

I could put the gold fish timperally in a bucket with some added salt to see if that makes him happier (not a salt bath just slightly salty water)

 

[mikan]

OH also the loach i brought home looks perfectly normal -- is that normal?

 

[mikan]

Sorry for all the posts -- I've read on these forums that Chloroquine phosphate might be better. Anyone have any experience?

 

[jlk]

No experience with using it but chloroquine is a chemical form of quinine. Do your research before using it to make sure its an aquatic-safe formulation.

 

[mikan]

Not really i just read about in on another forum. (YOUR experience with Chloroquine Phosphate - Reef Central Online Community)

Well, I'll work on treating the fish for ick. Thanks for everyone's helps.

I will report back when i know anything.

 

[oscarchic11]

What i use for ich is safe for most loaches, its called Kordon rid-ich plus. It contains malachite green and formalin. Ive used it to successfully treat ich with my Oscar, a molly, and am currently using it to fight a fungal infection on a pregnant guppy. Worked great for me!! Good luck!

 

[mikan]

What i use for ich is safe for most loaches, its called Kordon rid-ich plus. It contains malachite green and formalin. Ive used it to successfully treat ich with my Oscar, a molly, and am currently using it to fight a fungal infection on a pregnant guppy. Worked great for me!! Good luck!

Thanks so much. This is the product I ended up picking up today after going to the pet store and not having a lot of the choices i've read about online.

Do you do half douse of medication or the whole? I've read some people do half of the medication after a water change and then the other half hours later as too not overload the tank at once for the loaches.

 

[oscarchic11]

I didnt have loaches so i treated super aggressively. I used a full dose every 12 hrs. But you could do a half dose every 12 hrs with a 25% wc every 24 hrs (every other half dose)