What is wrong with my kuhli loaches?

[Bigfish99]

I have 6 kuhli loaches and they are all losing their stripes. The bottom half of their bodies are now pink and gills look red. Tank was relatively new when i purchased them, 2 weeks after it finished cycling and this slowly got worse. They are in a 55 gallon with sand substrate, 2 aquaclear 70's, 78 degrees, plenty of rocks and fake plants to hide in and a 2 week old bunch of java moss. They are with 2 dwarf gourami, 2 platy, 9 endler, a mystery snail and many trumpet snails. Ammonia and nitite at zero and nitrate at 10-20. Perform a 25% PWC weekly with prime.

Any thoughts?

 

[Bigfish99]

Also should add that they are acting completely normal

 

[thomasina]

Also should add that they are acting completely normal

Have you checked you parameters? Sounds like there is ammonia in your tank? Do you use a API liquid tester?

 

[Bigfish99]

Yes i use API and ammonia and nitrite are at zero as i posted in the first post. That is what i originally thought too. Any other ideas out there? I noticed at my LFS the new batch they have has a pink belly too...maybe a problem with the strain?

 

[meegosh]

I'm not sure, mine have never looked like that. Can you see anything stuck in the gills where it is red? Maybe it was sifting some sand and got cut? Just an idea.

 

[Bigfish99]

But all 6 are the same so i dont hink it is the sand. I thoughtbammonia, but tested ok. Then i thought chlorine, but also tested zero. I am out of ideas.

 

[meegosh]

But all 6 are the same so i dont hink it is the sand. I thoughtbammonia, but tested ok. Then i thought chlorine, but also tested zero. I am out of ideas.

How did you test for chlorine? Your water conditioner will convert chlorine to chloramine, which will get picked up on your ammonia test.

 

[Bigfish99]

I bought test strips for chlorine when i thought that could have been the issue. All other testing done with api kit