NickZac wrote:
What ingredients are in the meds you dosed? Many common fish medications will kill skin/scaleless/catfish and other delicate fish. This obviously includes plecs and loaches. Also, many common meds from pet stores simply do not work and contain toxic ingredients. Loaches and plecs are some of most delicate fish in terms of sensitivity to toxic medications.
I need to see a pic and know more information...
-What is the temp and temp flux?
-What is the pH and what, if anything, do you soften water with?
-When was the last time you introduced a new fish?
-Do you use any type of frozen or live food other than pellets/wafers/flakes?
-Do you have the ability to isolate this fish in a sick tank?
-What are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate readings?
-What do you have on their filtration wise? (you have a HEAVY bio-load)
If the white spot is a cotton looking growth, you are probably correct in it being fungi. HOWEVER, healthy fish just don't get random fungal infections and it is likely related to an underlying condition, often a bacterial infection. The fin rot further supports this. Subsequently, just an anti-fungal may not help the fish. The ideal antibiotic without doing a gram stain and susceptibility test would be doxycycline as it has activity on gram negative and positive bacteria, as well as anti-fungal properties. However, this can also be related to ammonia, nitrite, and even nitrate poisoning and so water quality issues need to be ruled out.
Many medications will kill off the beneficial bacteria of the biological filter. This can result in an ammonia spike and is why medications often say to do daily water changes, sometimes as much as 50% (but usually 10-25%). Unless the anti-fungal you are dosing is griseofulvan (which it probably is not), it is going to kill off some of the biological filter and it is (more than likely) highly toxic. I am guessing you bought sometime containing acriflavine (and sodium), as many generic 'big brand' meds contain it as their active ingredient, in which case it is indeed highly toxic and known for killing good bacteria.
Whatever you do, DO NOT ADD SALT! You will stress the fish too much as plecs and loaches are both very sensitivity to even mild increases in salinity (and it is not healthy for freshwater fish anyway, nor does it really work anymore due to pathogen resistance).
First: I cannot separate this fish from the other clown loaches, separating this fish from the other clown loaches will do more harm to her.
What is the temp and temp flux? Temp is about 72 degrees, but I just turned up one of the heaters. I will see about turning the other one up.
What is the pH and what, if anything, do you soften water with? I use Stress Coat to get the chemicals out.
When was the last time you introduced a new fish? No new fish were introduced to the tank
Do you use any type of frozen or live food other than pellets/wafers/flakes? I feed frozen food: blood worms, brine shrimp, and veggies
Do you have the ability to isolate this fish in a sick tank? Clown loaches are not to be isolated, they are social fish, if they are isolated then they will get very lonely and die
What are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate readings? I haven't done any water tests. But I will after this treatment. I will do a water test on Saturday or Sunday to make sure everything is normal. How often should I do water tests?
What do you have on their filtration wise? (you have a HEAVY bio-load) Do you mean what do I have for filters? If so, Aqua Tech and Top Fin, both good for up to 60 gallon fish tanks.
My plecos are doing really good and so are the other two clown loaches and the goldfish. I do have a 10 gallon fishtank but like I said I cannot separate her from the other clown loaches, because she will get lonesome and die. I don't want to lose her because she is my biggest one. I have a 7 inch, 5 1/2 inch, and 4 inch clown loaches.
The medicine that I dosed the tank with, has these ingredients: malachite green, arciflavine hydrochloride.
I will be doing a water change after this treatment is cycled through and she (clown loach) is better.
I was thinking that she also has a bacteria infection, but I will see if someone can come and take a look at her to make sure before I dose with the anti-bacteria.
Oh yea I never add salt to my fishtanks. I have always wondered about the salt though. But I never add salt to my fishtanks.
I understand that the clown loaches are sensitive fish, but I didn't know that plecos were sensitive fish.Â
When I dosed the tank I half dosed it, because the clown loaches are scaleless fish and the stuff can harm them if it is full dosed.Â
