Clown Loach died! Y?

[West1]

I bought a 3" clown 2 days ago because I have a small snail prob. Last night I noticed my loach was tipping over. He was breathing very fast and all my other fish were acting normal. My water parameters are right on. Water has been constant numbers since I got my tank running. In my canister I have carbon and sponges. Do you think it was the media that I have that killed him. I want to know because I am planning on getting another but want to have the correct set up for him.

 

[TheKeyToArson]

I doubt it was the media.... I have 9 clowns between 2 and 8 inches and carbon in every filter and it has never affected them. What are your water pm's exactly? I know you said they are stable but they may not be right for a clown from the start. It is also possible the clown was sick before you ever bought it.

 

[West1]

When I got the loach, I asked for the one with the brightest colors and they were all swiming fast, back and forth before the guy stuck the net in the tank. The loach seemed healthy.
The test kit that I have just has colors and 1 solid # next to it
Ph 8.0, amonia was at yellow (i think yellow means a 0.00 number),No2 also was yellow, Kh was 4 and Gh was 10.

 

[bmxer4ever]

Could be a number of things.

Stress? Do you have lots of places for a loach to hide? They like that.

Water temp? I understand they prefer it a bit warmer most of the time (could have got chilled on the way home from lfs??).

Knifeback? Was he a bit skinny? This is caused by internal parasites, is common in loaches I see at LFS, but is treatable. You should be able to search for knifeback on here.

Hope you find the cause, they are great fish. Out of 10 clowns in 2 years, I've only lost one in the beginning because I didn't know he had knifeback and I didn't know how to treat him. My other 9 are flourishing! Biggest is around 6" and thick!

 

[squint]

What was your acclimation procedure?

 

[West1]

Could be a number of things.

Stress? Do you have lots of places for a loach to hide? They like that.

Water temp? I understand they prefer it a bit warmer most of the time (could have got chilled on the way home from lfs??).

Knifeback? Was he a bit skinny? This is caused by internal parasites, is common in loaches I see at LFS, but is treatable. You should be able to search for knifeback on here.

Hope you find the cause, they are great fish. Out of 10 clowns in 2 years, I've only lost one in the beginning because I didn't know he had knifeback and I didn't know how to treat him. My other 9 are flourishing! Biggest is around 6" and thick!

My tank and room temp is at a still 80 degrees. Knifeback... never heard of this. He looked like he had some meat on him. Didnt look like he was starving. I did notice that he had one stripe on each of his sides, like if he took a deep breath and the skin molded on of his bones (just an example of the line), and it started from just behind the gill and went back about 3/4 of an inch. Dont know if this is knifeback

 

[squint]

If a fish is cachexic, it is extremely unlikey the etiological agent would kill it in 2 days. However, improper or lack of an acclimation procedure will kill in 2-3 days or less and is evidenced by a high respiratory rate secondary to "TDS shock."

 

[guppy]

One otherthing you must consider is what the parameters of the tank water were where you bought the fish. I have made the mistake of placing a killie into water at 7.8 pH (fine for the species) and had it die. Turns out the lfs had water running about 6.5 pH.
Clowns, as well as many other loaches are very sensitive to sudden pH or temp. changes.

 

[West1]

What do you mean by "high respiratory rate"?

What do you think it was that killed the little guy?

 

[West1]

One otherthing you must consider is what the parameters of the tank water were where you bought the fish. I have made the mistake of placing a killie into water at 7.8 pH (fine for the species) and had it die. Turns out the lfs had water running about 6.5 pH.
Clowns, as well as many other loaches are very sensitive to sudden pH or temp. changes.

I think you just nailed the prob. I didnt check the ph of the fish store, but I do remember angel fish and skeleton guppies (? you can see right threw them) on the side of the loaches (dif tanks but could have been the same water ph), and I did the drip method for just and HR.