Sick Kuhli Loach/Half Banded Loach

[s_anthony]

Ok, so I'm learning to not put these guys in my tank now..

The first one I got had absolutely NO problems, until I bought 2 more as tankmates. The 2 that I brought home were fine until about an hour after being put into my tank after floating in their baggies.. they started swimming upside down and acting wierd. I was able to catch one and take it back to the LFS to return him (he looked as if he was dying). The second I couldn't find in the tank and ended up finding him after he died.

About a week later, my original loach died.

forward 1 month later -

I decide to get another loach. I absolutely love these lil guys - and have always had them in my tanks since I was a kid. THe one I got is a small one about 1 inch in size. I just got him maybe a week ago and he is showing the same symptoms (swimming upside down acting wierd, not loach-like as if he is dying). Loaches dont usually just hang around at the bottom of the tank with the light on and aren't easy to catch with a net.. so I assume something is going on here.. I have him in an external breeder box with an aireator and water from the tank.

I did have issues with water params last week but they since have calmed

Nitrates 20-40 PPM
Nitrites 0
Hardness 75
Alkalinity 0
pH 6.8
Ammonia 0
Temp 75

What could I be missing here ? I'm definately not adding any more till I figure out what is killing them - it is a possiblity that the breeder that my LFS gets them from just has bad batches since the first one I got was from another store...

Help!

 

[Lotus]

Did you drip acclimate them, or just leave them in the bag for an hour?

By the way, too long in a closed bag can cause ammonia levels to rise in the bag, which could kill them, if they're stressed already.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I've heard that little kuhli loaches are really, really sensitive to shipping, so that is probably the deal with your newest one. If the others were also on the small side (under 2" or so), that may have been the case with them too. I've found them to be insanely hardy... the only ones I've ever killed were sick from the store, and when I returned them the rest of the same kind were dead/dying in the store too.

 

[s_anthony]

The lil guy didn't make it unfortunatley. I came home today from work and found him....

He wasn't in the bag at all - he was in my tank for almost a week before I found him swimming partially upsidedown, almost uncontroled swimming like something was wrong, so I took him out and put him in a breeder tank I have with an aireator so he wouldn't be in the big tank if that was the problem...

I went to the LFS tonight and they were no help.. theyre clueless as well - but I've thought about it an noticed that they don't seem to have a lot of loaches lately.. maybe either they are dying on them too - or the breeder they have can't keep up either..

either way, no more for me unless I can find a stable breeder in the area...

 

[Grumpy_Marine]

I am new here but i have one loach in my tank, he is a speedy little guy i tell you. When we got him from store he was one of three left, i wish i would have bought all three now. I have noticed and read online that loaches are a peaceful fish and mostly move about at night time. Mine usually stays in the same corner or lounges around the bottom all day till i turn off the light then he is everywhere. He also only eats when i turn the light off. As for the dysfunctional swimming, if you have tested the waters and its bio filter is set up and working then i would think NTS(new tank syndrome) I am lucky with my loach as he has went through two new tank startups in a three month period so he has been stressed alot but i find him very reliable. May i inquire as to where you bought the fish is it from petco or petsmart type store or local fish store? Is it only the loach in the tank or are there other fish? If others are present are they acting wierd or no? You could also take some water to local fish store and have them test it for you perhaps your getting false readings? I seem to lose angels and guppies like it is cool but the loach is going good. That is about all the ideas i can thing of. Let us know if you determine what the cause is/was.*SUNSMILE*