medicating tank for 'wasting' fish?

[lauraf]

Hi all:
I need some advice. I have never medicated my tank. I'm wondering if I should . . . .
I have two fish that have started to noticeably 'waste'. One is a pakistani (yoyo) loach I have had for about a year. The other is a young female sword that was added about five weeks ago. Both are still swimming actively, just looking rather thin. Everyone else looks healthy and happy, water params are normal.
So, is there an internal parasite that might be to blame? Do I try treating the whole tank?

 

[aakaakaak]

I've always been of the mind that if one fish has it they all have it. Since you have two fish of different breeds that appear to be doing it that definitely sounds like the case. The others are just not showing symptoms yet.

So, Laura...
Do a 50% water change
Go find the bettafix (since you have gouramis) and pimafix.
Take out the carbon on your filter.
Increase the temp to 85 (sllloooowwwwlllyyy) just in case of other diseases
Add a teaspoon of aquarium salt (not marine)
Ensure the tank is properly oxygenated (airstones etc.)
Read the medicine instructions for scaleless fish (since you have several)
Dose your tank accordingly so you don't kill your loaches, catfish, pleco and snails (Maybe relocate the snails?)
Keep up with the dosing for a week or as the bottles instruct
Don't do a water change during this period or your removing the drugs
After the dosing period is over do a 50% water change for three days in a row and reduce the temp back down to normal.

Good luck!

 

[unwritten law]

yoyo's get a skinny disease... i lost two to it... idk how to treat it tho

 

[misterking]

I lost a clown loach to it years back. Still ate but just slowly wasted away.

Aak's advice sounds good apart from the salt - lots of your fish just won't like it and will probably react quite badly, particularly the cories. I'd avoid this.

 

[aakaakaak]

Good point. I totally zoned the salt vs. scales thing. Forget the salt.

 

[Lotus]

For loaches, the usual recommended treatment is levamisole.
http://www.loaches.com/Members/shari2/levamisole-hydrochloride-1

 

[lauraf]

Thanks all! According to my weird guy at the lfs, levamisole is illegal in Canada - apparently you can do interesting things to it to turn it into a hallucinogen. Good to know the government of Canada is looking out for me. Excuse me while I go pick some pot from my neighbour's backyard *laughingc
Anyway, I've dosed with metronidazole.