Loach problem....need help soon

[NickM]

Hi all.

I'm sure alot of you read and helped with my loach problem.  But, let me say it again.  I had 3 clowns I bought, and all 3 of them died.  I thought it was because they were not eating, but maybe I am wrong now.  Because while the last one was still alive, I bought 3 more and they have been happy until now....thats been about a week.  One of them has a nose that is turning black....which I am told is stress, and can tell that by the way it is acting.

It is staying back in the back of one of my clay pot caves, and even missed out on a double helping of blood worms tonight.  

It's tank mates include 3 other clown loaches, and 11 head and tail light tetras.  

Ammonia is 0, nitrite is .5. The nitrite is high due to me adding more fish to my aquarium. None of my other loaches are acting in this matter, as they all came out and munched greedily on blood worms.  

Any ideas or suggestions?  

I turned the light off in my tank about 4 hours early tonight.  It is usually one from around 10 or 11 in the morning to about 8 or 9 at night.....today I turned it off and draped a cloat over the aquarium so it would be total darkness around 4pm.  

Thanks.

Nick

 

[eseow]

Loaches are very finicky, especially in a new tank. They love to hide under low light areas and are naturally nocturnal hunters. They are also very sensitive to water chemistry (copper treatments) and are usually recommended for established aquariums. Also, are they thin or fairly rounded, as if they eating normally? These fish are wild caught so they can be malnourished from transport to LFS's and many die at wholesalers tanks before going to LFS. Also wild fish have a tendency to be more stressed in captivity so try to pick out plump ones when purchasing (will have usually have better chance of surviving if not eating for a while). If they won't eat at LFS, stay away from purchasing them. One last thing, what is your tank temp? Try making the tank around 80-82 if you can. They like warm water, so they will more likely eat then. *crazysmiley*

 

[NickM]

Will do....it's at 78 now.....I'll go up it right now....it's at 78 because I just did a water change to aid in lowing nitrites.  

THanks.

Nick

 

[eseow]

You can also try sinking tablets at night. Mine seem to love Wardleys Algae Tablets. Not too keen on shrimp pellets though. Anyway, I run sand substrate, so all the food on the bottom is eaten or found. I prefer it because gravel allows the food to sink where they can't reach it. Later *crazysmiley*

 

[NickM]

I have gravel.  They seem to find the food just fine because everytime I drop in a blood worm cube, I wake up in the morning and there is neither hide nor hair of any blood worms.  

 

[luvfishies]

Loaches are NOT for cycling tanks. That being said, do waterchanges to keep the nitrites below .25.

don't let the temp get too much above that 78oF. Nitrites inhibit O2 uptake in the gills, as do higher temps. Your loaches could concievably suffocate with both nitrites AND termperature contributing to Oxygen (O2) depletion.

 

[NickM]

My tank has already been cycled.  

 

[luvfishies]

Sorry, ANY nitrites at all means the tank is STILL cycling, NOT cycled.

Sorry for sounding harsh....I"m tired and sunburned...please...believe me, the tank isn't cycled yet.

 

[NickM]

no no....it was cycled.  

I left for vacation doing a fishless cycle showing some nitrites in my tests.  Came back, ammonia was at 0, and nitrite was also at 0.  So my tank was cycled.  I think I just added too many fish at once.