HELP PLEASE: 7" Clown Loach laying on side, breathing but not moving!

888fish

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jun 19, 2008
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373
72
CA
Came home to my 7" Clown Loach lying on its side, breathing, slight twitching of caudal fin. NOT Swimming, like its paralyzed!

Temp: 80 degrees
SLIGHT ick issue with Datnoids, not affecting loaches so tank has about 1 TSP salt per 5 gallons of water for 6 days now.
Changed 60% of water last night, and placed in new salt to maintain concentration.

Remaining 5 large loaches seem just fine right now, as well as other fish. ICK seems to be clearing up to almost none.

The 7" loach looks healthy and fat, no ICK spots, but severe state of paralysis.
I am currently bumping the temp to 82 degrees.
Should I place it in a hospital tank? Did it crash itself into the tank and into a state of paralysis?
 

Sab_Fan

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Sep 15, 2008
2,332
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66
Delray Beach, FL
clown loaches are well known for laying on their sides in tanks, not moving ... is this what is going on, or is it more serious than that?
 

Kanta

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Dec 19, 2009
1,897
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Omaha
My loaches all do it. Its how they chill out. Don't worry. Freaked my out my first time. I tapped the tank and he perked up and looked at me like wtf man? Lol its funny.
 

Laticauda

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 16, 2010
1,400
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Central Oklahoma
Even my little yoyo loaches do this. Freaks you out at first! The biggest one, stays laying on the filter intake (as if he were a dead fish stuck to the intake) but I think he's just lazy, and doesn't want to hold himself afloat.
 

Laticauda

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 16, 2010
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Central Oklahoma
Oh, that's another thing. Clowns are sensitive to salt, and also salt reduces the amount of available oxygen in the water, so keep that in mind as well when using salt. I always add a powerhead or air stone when treating with salt, to increase the surface of the water that comes in contact with the air.
 

aclockworkorange

Polypterus
MFK Member
Jun 24, 2010
9,584
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Rose City
Yes... I've noticed with tanks I've treated with salt in the past my loaches have become really inactive. That's one of the reasons I usually don't treat anything with salt anymore. If you think it's an oxygen issue, try a methylene blue dip before you switch him in to a tank without salt.
 

bigbadfish711

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 27, 2010
1,371
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graham, nc
[YT]udMK76w7w6A[/YT]

Is this what he is doing. It is totaly normal. They are just cute little guys with great personalities.
 
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