WARNING - GRAPHIC: Kuhli Loach Diease??

achase

achase

Large Fish
#1
Feb 1, 2010
765
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British Columbia, Canada
#1
WARNING GRAPHIC (died fish) PHOTOS BELOW
You have been warned.....

Hello All,

I know I should post this under the disease forum but I have found in the past that it takes forever to get an answer.

So I'm very sad to report another kuhli loach death (a couple weeks a part) and I suspect it's from the same cause of the previous loaches death. Last time we never quite pinned down a for sure cause (maybe velvet), so this time I took pictures so that I could hopefully find an answer for the deaths and then prevent future deaths. I only have 2 loaches left and I don't want to get anymore before I figure everything out.

Pictures are below and the loaches behavior was normal (eatting, doing the kuhli dance - swimming all around, playing with the other kuhli's) until the day he died. In the morning I noticed he was just laying in a corner and then when I got home from work he was died. I didn't notice any strange dots or bumps until this morning. It had a red spot that appeared to be swelled but I couldn't really see every well.

I'm really quiet bummed because everyone was doing so well.......*thumbsdow
 

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achase

achase

Large Fish
#3
Feb 1, 2010
765
0
0
British Columbia, Canada
#3
I thought a warning would be nice since some people don't handle "gross" stuff like that well and others just don't want to see it. I myself didn't particularly want to see it!!

I thought I saw a "red spot" this morning but I could be totally wrong because I have a bowl front tank and the angle from which to best see the spot was warped.
 

F

Fishman1995

Superstar Fish
#5
May 11, 2010
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North Carolina
#5
What are his tankmates as i agree with Lauraf ive came home to a dead cory whom had no eyes and no stomach, it was so nasty and scary i freaked out so bad to. But then i realized it was just the 500 baby snails i had doing there thing.
 

misterking

misterking

Superstar Fish
#6
Aug 12, 2008
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Manchester, UK
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#6
His tankmates are in his sig.

I agree with lauraf. It looks to me like he's died and a snails come along to have a much. They're very opportunistic feeders.

If you've got velvet it needs treating immediately before it kills your whole tank. What made you think it's velvet?
 

achase

achase

Large Fish
#8
Feb 1, 2010
765
0
0
British Columbia, Canada
#8
I wouldn't be surprised if someone munched on him but that was the spot that I thought maybe the "red dot" had been.....truthfully I'm clueless on what happened.

Someone suggested it was velvet but no one has been showing signs of velvet. The other kuhli was totally fine besides a white dot on his face. That dot appeared to eat his face because when I decided to put him down part of his face was missing. (I had a thread on this kuhli's death in the disease forum that got very little response)

Disease's can be tricky, would a 'just in case' medication do any harm?
Click to expand...
But what medicine would you use? There are so many that without a general idea on what is going on it's kinda pointless.
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#9
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
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Vancouver, British Columbia
#9
Achase, I do remember something about your previous kuhli in the disease forum. And yes, we should all be checking it more often to help each other out. Sorry - I'm just not very knowledgeable about fish diseases firsthand, so I don't feel like I have lots to offer, thus don't spend a lot of time on that forum.
But if this kuhli death is the only one you have had other than the other kuhli a couple of weeks ago (was that the time frame?) I wouldn't add any meds to your tank. Just keep up with your water changes really dilligently - I know you do anyway - and keep a close watch on all fish. If they start to look like they are suffering in any way, then you'll want to think about meds or salt or temp increase, et. al.
 

achase

achase

Large Fish
#10
Feb 1, 2010
765
0
0
British Columbia, Canada
#10
And yes, we should all be checking it more often to help each other out. Sorry - I'm just not very knowledgeable about fish diseases firsthand, so I don't feel like I have lots to offer, thus don't spend a lot of time on that forum.
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Don't be sorry!! I understand that not every thread will be read. Like you I tend to avoid the disease forum because I don't know enough.

Was that the time frame?
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I'm guessing the span from one death to another was maybe a month or more. Both were sudden. Also during the first kuhli's death I was doing a salt/temp treatment for ich so I was really surprised when he died. I'm assuming he didn't died from ich that were quickly treated when I noticed a minor infection....

So what do you think would be a long enough time to wait before getting more kuhli's?
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#11
Jan 1, 2010
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Vancouver, British Columbia
#11
achase said:
Don't be sorry!! I understand that not every thread will be read. Like you I tend to avoid the disease forum because I don't know enough.


I'm guessing the span from one death to another was maybe a month or more. Both were sudden. Also during the first kuhli's death I was doing a salt/temp treatment for ich so I was really surprised when he died. I'm assuming he didn't died from ich that were quickly treated when I noticed a minor infection....
So what do you think would be a long enough time to wait before getting more kuhli's?
Click to expand...
Sorry, achase - what exactly does this sentence mean? :)

Anyhoo, the last kuhli death was August 4th, right? Any other fish showing signs of stress? Are the three kuhlis in your sig still doing well?
If you have no reason to think that your tank has a disease, I'd say wait a week just in case, then add more kuhlis.
Cheers,
Laura
 

achase

achase

Large Fish
#12
Feb 1, 2010
765
0
0
British Columbia, Canada
#12
Ummm....sorry about that, it was late when I posted. *SUPERSMIL What I meant to say was that when my first kuhli died I didn't think it from ich. Which I was treating in my tank at the time because it was a minor case and I treated it right away! Does that make sense??

Everyone else appears to be happy and healthy (eating, swimming, bright colors - expect the kuhli's who are brown). I haven't updated my signature but I only gave 2 kuhli's left.
 

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achase

achase

Large Fish
#14
Feb 1, 2010
765
0
0
British Columbia, Canada
#14
No worries....it's always like midnight or later when I usually read this forum. I'm a night owl!*SUNSMILE* Awesome, thank you so much for your help!
I wonder if the kuhli's had something when I got them or something happened to them in my tank....then again fish do died because they can't live forever. :p
 

achase

achase

Large Fish
#15
Feb 1, 2010
765
0
0
British Columbia, Canada
#15
UPDATE:

Yesterday I noticed a red marking (half moon shape thin red line) on the stomach of one of my kuhli's and since the passing of my other 2 kuhli's I'm quite paranoid about my kuhli's health. Am I overreacting?

I have no idea why this keeps happening to my kuhli's. None of the tetra's has show any similar signs and non of them have passed away. So I'm looking for any possible answers to this problem.

The space of time between each kuhli's death is like 2 to 3 months. I bought them all at the same time and place. Is there a disease that only effects kuhli's or genetic defect?
 

achase

achase

Large Fish
#16
Feb 1, 2010
765
0
0
British Columbia, Canada
#16
Well a few minutes ago I decided to put down the ill kuhli because the red line had turned into a red gash (like the one before) and the kuhli seemed to be "panting". So now I only have one remaining kuhli and I'm not convinced I will be getting anymore kuhli's. :(

I' am so confused and sadden by the deaths of my kuhli's! I just don't understand what is happening....I kept wondering if I did something wrong or what. I took some photos (one side is worst than the other) of the kuhli's mark when he was still alive so you can see a gash that was unnibbed on.
 

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lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#17
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
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Vancouver, British Columbia
#17
Do you have any sharp objects in your tank that the kuhlis could have scratched themselves on? Sorry, achase - can you post a pic of your whole tank again? What are the water parameters right now?
Mercedes (riseabovethesun) was on to something when she suggested a sticky with everyone's current tank photos available for view . . . .
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#19
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
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Vancouver, British Columbia
#19
I have no idea what's wrong with the kuhlis, other than they might have scraped themselves, causing an infection, or they were just a sickly lot and you managed to keep them as healthy as could be for as long as they could be through your dilligent care . . . .
 

achase

achase

Large Fish
#20
Feb 1, 2010
765
0
0
British Columbia, Canada
#20
you managed to keep them as healthy as could be for as long as they could be through your dilligent care
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Awww....thanks for saying such nice things!!

Anyways I believe I will be moving on and not getting any more kuhli's for a while. Maybe I will add some more tetra's I seem to have pretty good luck with them! Also I saw a blue ram at my LFS and wow they are even cutier in real life.
 

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