Itchy Weather Loach   8/23/11
220 litre Freshwater Tank.
2 Sarasa Comets about 6 inches in length and 2 weather loaches. (5 inch and 3 inch)
Cycled and established for nearly 2 years.
Had previous 130 litre for a year for them, but upgraded as tank was too small for the four fish. Kept all the same water and cycled new filter alongside old filter for three months until bacteria established.
Aqua Manta 400 external filter with carbon, sponges and ceramic. Cleaned weekly with water changes using tank water only.
20% Water changes weekly using RO water with added minerals with part gravel vacuum.
Constant readings using Nutrafin Test Kit at:
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
PH 7.6
Fed a mixture of live bloodworm, frozen bloodworm, sinking catfish pellets, Goldfish pellets, peas and live plants.
I have noticed that one of the weather loaches is occasionally having moments of itchiness against the bottom of the tank. No other signs of illness. Eating normally and showing normal active behaviour.
Also one Sarasa Comet tends to head for the surface and what look's like sucking air. No other obvious signs of ill health. Eating normally and otherwise behaving normally.
The fish have never been ill before.
<Well, you've clearly done the important water quality checks, which is good. I'd perhaps do a hardness test of some sort as well, but you've done the pH, and the value of 7.6 suggests moderately hard water, which is good for Goldfish. I would think about whether the pH has changed though -- old tanks are prone to rapid pH drops, especially if water changes aren't as regular as they might be, or, more dramatically, if you rely upon calcareous media like crushed coral to buffer the pH. "Flashing" behaviour,
when fish scratch themselves against objects, tends to mean one of three different things: Whitespot, Velvet, and chemical irritants (such as ammonia or nitrite) in the water. Goldfish and Weather Loaches are both very tolerant of salt, so using the salt/heat method to treat for Whitespot and Velvet might be worth doing, even as a precaution; use a dose of 2 g/l and run that way for a couple of weeks. If you do water changes, be sure to add the appropriate amount of salt to each bucket of new water, i.e., if you take out 20 litres of water, then the new 20 litres of water will need 20 x 2 = 40 grammes of salt stirred in.
Cheers, Neale.>

Weather Loach, beh., sys., including goldfish  -- 04/07/09
Hi,
Looking for your advise please.
<And advice>
Sometime ago, I adopted a friends fish as she was moving overseas. They were added to my tank. There were 2 goldfish and 1 weather loach. I already had shubunkin and a goldfish. At the time, I did not know what the weather loach was, as my friend was told it was a Plec (I knew it wasn't, as I have had these
before).I went into my local fish (expert), with a photograph, and he advised me it was a weather loach. He also advised me to buy another one, as they live better in pairs. I did this.
One of the loach is now swimming upside down(while turning, looks like somersaults), and when resting, laying upside down.
<Mmm, well... some of this is natural>
After reading information about them, I understand erratic swimming can be normal, but this sort of
behaviour is not normal for him.
<Yes... considered to be "living barometers"... Changes in air pressure seem to trigger this sort of movements>
I am concerned he is unwell, as he seems to be resting more than usual. All the other fish are doing well, and displaying no problems.
My tank is only 2ft*1ft*1ft I believe this is (12g(U.K)),
<Oooh, way too small for this many goldfishes>
and after reading many articles on the internet, I am led to believe this is too small for weather loach.
<This loach can be crowded... is a facultative aerial respirator and quite tolerant to metabolite accumulation, but yes... All need more volume>
Unfortunately, I cannot accommodate a tank any bigger. do I need to find another home for my weather loach, or can they live in tanks this small??
Many Thanks
Linzi
<I'd be doing a bit more reading. Here to start:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/goldfish101art.htm
and the linked files above... Perhaps looking into trading some of the goldfish out, now... at least investing in test kits and their use, along with regular water changing... Bob Fenner>

Weather Loach Not Evolving  - 05/22/2006 Hi, I have 3 loaches in my tank 2 of which are the golden variety (pink). One has befriended the grey loach and the other is acting very strangely, it spends most of it's time resting on top of the pump almost out of the surface of the water, and has recently found its way onto a rock which is completely out of the water.  When he then re-enters the water it seems to be in a state of panic splashing around franticly.  I was told by an assistant in a pet shop that he could be evolving ? < Not evolving. May just be responding to changes in the atmospheric pressures. That is why they are called weather loaches.-Chuck>