Clown loach w/opposite of bloat

[DaveB]

Noticed today that one of my loaches is starting to thin out and waste away. I haven't noticed whether he's eating or not but it could be that he hasn't been. He's just as active and playful as the others in his school, but he's getting very thin. From the googling I've done some sites mention "skinny disease" and knifeback behavior, but I'm not really sure what that is or how to spot it. That disease is a parasite, which is sort of my first reaction to seeing a thinning fish, but I'm far from an expert.

The other four look fine (they're all small, like 2", btw). Should I QT him and treat him with a parasite med? antibac? I've already got a QT running right now with Furan-II for a sick jurupari so if it's bacterial I can toss him in there. But it seems more like it'd be a parasite. I know that the jungle parasite med has metronidazole, which I've seen recommended for thinning loaches, so I could use that, but I wonder if it's smarter to treat the whole tank in that case (no big deal, since the jungle tabs are so cheap). My only experience with loach disease was that they alerted me to ich a few months ago, for which I was very thankful, but this makes me really inexperienced with them and sort of clueless.

Any suggestions?

 

[Lupin]

Your case is internal parasites, not bacterial infection. You need levamisole hydrochloride or flubendazole for this case. Metronidazole will not effectively treat the loaches. Levamisole hydrochloride, on the other hand, can cover plenty of possible parasites including nematodes. Treat it along with your other loaches using levamisole hydrochloride at 2-4 mg per liter dosage.

 

[DaveB]

Thanks!

The loaches are in a 55g planted tank with plenty of other inhabitants. Should I isolate all 5 in a 10g hospital? Just the one guy? Or treat the whole tank? I worry about treating the full tank because the plants don't always like medications.

(tankmates are two geophagus orange heads, 2 angelicus botia, 2 gourami, 4 l. curviceps, 6 barbs, 4 raspbora, 2 red minor tetra, 3 BN pleco, a satanoperca leucosticta, a kribensis, and a 2" baby arowana... would any of these be vulnerable to the parasite or have issue with that treatment?)

 

[Lupin]

Levamisole hydrochloride is pretty safe for use to all fish. Better to treat everyone just in case. Your plants should be fine.

By the way, I don't see the geos doing well with rooted plants. They just like digging a lot especially the loaches. Your arowana might eat the tetras and barbs soon enough.

 

[DaveB]

The geos aren't bad except with two particular plants. They weren't supposed to be in this tank but they were getting bullied in the other tanks.

And don't worry, the aro is only going to be in there till he's about 4".

Makes sense to treat everyone. Especially since it's a really easy treatment (from what I've read, just one dose). Now I just need to go get some.