very sick pakistani loach

[millym]

help!
have just noticed that one of our pakistani loaches looks v sick.
hes lying on the bottom of the tank & seems to be breathing a lot quicker than usual. when he tries to swim up it seems to be very hard for him. his movement is totally different to the other loach that is pottering around nearby.
im not sure but i think his gills are a little redder than the other loaches, dont know if this is relevant???
our levels are fine: ph8 ammonia 0.1 (will be doing a little water change shortly to get this down) nitrate 10-20,nitrite0.2-2. t 76F
all our other fish look quite happy.
any suggestions - i dont want to let him suffer if theres no hope but dont want to write him off straight away.
are these loaches particulary sensitive to something i should know about???
unfortunately we dont have a hospital tank(yet) no room .

[Allivymar]

Yep, loaches are very sensitive to ammonia and nitrites; you'll need to do those water changes [acronym:8de150e1ed="As soon as possible"]ASAP[/acronym:8de150e1ed] and dilute the ammonia and nitrites in the tank as much as possible. He's probably exceptionally sensitive as he's the first to show signs. My first guess is your water parameters.

But, he also may be ill; how long have you had him? Does he look like he's scratching or flashing on anything in the tank when he does move? Is he paler then usual? Any strange lumps bumps or bulges?

[Terry]

You still have some ammonia and nitrite in the water, these are toxic to fish. the redness of the gills might mean that the fish is finding it hard to take the oxygen out of the water.
You have a lot of fish in your tank, you haven't said how long it has been running, did you cycle the tank before adding fish or did you add some fish from day one or a lot of fish from day one. The water perameters are very important and need to be controlled by your water changes.
you will be alright soon because i recon the forum guru will be helping you soon, Allivymar.

Sorry Allivymar the guru thing is still making me giggle.

[Terry]

Allivymar.
You was answering while i was typing. Talk about quick of the mark hahahahah

[millym]

thanks
we did cycle the tank - had it empty with plants only for a few weeks & then have added all our fish gradually. have had the tank for about 3 months now.
we've done a 25% water change but poor loach still looks sick. i guess we'll just have to keep an eye on him & make sure he doesnt start to get picked on by the others

[RogerMcAllen]

Did you add any fish/ some other source of ammonia, or did you just let the water sit with plants for a few weeks?

[millym]

Originally Posted by RogerMcAllen

Did you add any fish/ some other source of ammonia, or did you just let the water sit with plants for a few weeks?

we started with 6 zebra danios & 2 kribs(bad mistake we know - bad advice from [acronym:494509888b="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:494509888b] they went back, the kribs that is) & left it with them for a few weeks & then all the other fish have been added gradually, every few weeks or so.
poor loach has died rip