** I've officially KILLED them all **

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daveydoodle

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 4, 2009
243
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Colorado
Well, I'm really, really frustrated to say that I have officially wiped out my entire Loach colony. I've killed (6) Clown Loaches, and (2) Botia Kubotai. The remaining fish in the tank are (1) 5" Striped Raphael Catfish, (1) 3" Managuense Cichlid, and (1) 4" Jack Dempsey Cichlid. None of the remaining fish show any signs or symptoms of any disease or illness, any lack or altered appetite, and no other unusual behaviour.

When I first observed what I thought was signs of Ich on my Newest Addition, I slowly raised the water temperature to 84 degrees, added an additional airstone (2 - 8" airstones total), added aquarium salt at about 1/4 - 1/3 dose strength, and added an ich treatment at 1/2 strength. I did 25% water changes every other day, and a 40% water change once a week. I re-dosed the salt and medication appropriately each water change.

I added the Newest Addition on 02/28 and observed signs of Ich on 03/02. I made all the changes immediately (temp, aeration, salt, meds.). I lost my first on 03/07 and lost my last one today, 03/13.

Should I discontinue any salt and medications and wait to see if any signs or symptoms develop in my remaining fish? Or should I continue to ensure nothing else is lost? After 11 days of treatment I still lossed every Loach!!

I'm SO F***ing frustrated. I've dealt with ich before (in other tanks; usually from feeders), and always had success with treating it. My "Newest Addition" thread is my first real fish loss!

FYI, Here are the original posts as they occured;

Newest Addition
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=312144

Anything else look like Ich?
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=313686
 
Ich meds and treatment (heat, salt, etc.) are almost as toxic to loaches as they are to ich.

I've been keeping loaches for 8 years now and never had ich due to generous use of UV and quarantine procedures. My experience is shared by many others: UV = no more ich. If you run UV long enough, it can break the reproductive cycle of ich in your tank, making it extinct, and then you can stop using it as long as you don't add any new fish/plants/water. I think it can also be used to treat ich outbreaks since, like meds, it kills the free swimming form to prevent reinfestation of the fish. However, UV will do it without endangering the fish.

Why deal with meds that often kill your fish before the ich can? Why go through the heartbreak of having your loaches wiped out over and over again? Just get UV and be done with it.

Too bad I didn't see your post from Feb. I probably could have saved your loaches.
 
Definetaly ich treatment, if it contained malachite. Salt isn't that great for them either, neither is warm water unless the current is very strong. (Warm water has less disolved oxygen than cool water, and Loaches are river fish, needing highly oxygenated water).
You must be pissed. Don't get frustrated, everyone makes mistakes. Loaches are great fish, don't get discouraged... try, try again :)
 
Dude, I feel sorry for you. I understand how frustrating it can be. When you run into the same problem again, try gradually heating the tank to 86 degrees and adding 2 TSP salt per gallon. Worked for me, but it took 2 weeks for the ich to go away. Didn't lose a single loach.

Oh, and I did 25% water changes daily, but also replaced the salt I removed from each water change. To make it easier I put everyone in a 10 gallon. Also, dont forget to add extra aeration for increased air exchange since warm water = less O2.

More importantly though, especially in this case, you should consider quarantining any new fish. Are you sure it was ich? I didnt see white spots on your picture of the big loach.
 
im sorry bout the loss i realy dont no much about ich never had that problem but i just wanted to say i feel for ur loss
 
I've said it a thousand times-ich meds will kill Loaches. Period. Never ever use ich meds, not even at 1/2 dose. Always use salt and heat only and always for 10-14 days.
 
damn! im treating my tank with loaches right now salt the salt and heat method. not using any other med tho, and they all seem ok. its only been 2 days tho. worried now:S sorry bout your losses! wat kind of salt did you use and what strength?> im using table salt at 0.3%
 
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