Dojo Loach Selling and blisters: Suggestions for care?       11/17/20 Hi there- You were so incredibly helpful last time, I thought I would try again. I have a scenario that I can't find any information on and I thought maybe you would have insight. <Okay; will respond here and refer this to Neale Monks for his independent input> This is the second time I've gotten a Dojo (weather) loach into the rescue with Edema (swelling) and blisters on their body. <Mmm; yes. Unfortunately this situation is quite common. Something about Misgurnis in captive conditions> The first had been in that state for a year, after jumping out of her tank and being mostly dry when she was placed back in the water. I had her for six months before I put her to sleep because she had swelling all throughout her body, and had trouble breathing and swimming. I tried everything from Epsom salt baths 2x a day (for about 3 weeks), to antibiotics for potential bacterial infections, with no change. Recently, I got another Dojo in. He was sickly when I got him, but did not have the swelling. About a month after being in the tank with goldfish and Dojo's (150 g, 7 dojos, and about 10 adolescent Goldfish, 2x a week water changes and quad filtration), I noticed he was swollen starting from mid body to tail. I Quarantined him, along with all the rest of the loaches for a few days to make sure no one else was showing anything weird (dojo's in a 150 are a tad bit difficult to keep an eye on), but he is the only one experiencing this. I have been giving him some Epson salt baths, though not as frequently as with the other dojo, he shed his slime coat after the first bath, and then developed the blisters, which have not subsided. He is still active, and still eating- but the swelling has not changed and I'm not sure what to do for him. He's now been in QT for about a month with no real change to his edema. He also developed a small white patch on his head- not fuzzy or a wound- just a pigmentation change from what I can tell. I apologize that the photos are not better- it's not a well-lit tank and he's a wiggly little guy- but hopefully, it's enough to provide some suggestions? I can get better photos if that would be helpful, but they would involve stressing him out a little bit, so I figured I would wait to see what you needed. Respectfully, Andie Lamantia The Fish Haus Aquatic Rescue <I'll (simply) refer you to past replies (myself) as I have no new material to add here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dojodisF4.htm and the linked files above in this series. Thank you for your efforts. Bob Fenner: Re: Dojo Loach Selling and blisters: Suggestions for care?       11/17/20 Awesome! Thanks so much. I'm sorry I did not stumble on this myself! <No worries Andie. BobF> Dojo Loach Selling and blisters: Suggestions for care? /Neale       11/17/20 <<Like Bob, I've seen this a few times with Misgurnus species. It does seem to be environmental. One suggestion is that it's a form of the gas-bubble disease you sometimes see in marine fish. If you expose the fish to sudden changes in water temperature (such as adding too much icy cold water to the tank) the saturation of gases in the aquarium water change, and if those gases come out of solution within the fish, any bubbles that tend to move outwards become visible under the skin. There may be some mileage in this explanation, because Weather Loaches are habitual air-gulpers, so tend to have more air inside them than the average fish. They're also more prone to swimming rapidly up and down the tank, and while I can't imagine the pressure difference is very great, it may be enough to make a difference to the solubility of any gases in their blood. Another suggestion that's perhaps easier to understand is these are mud-dwelling fish poorly adapted to gravelly substrates. Their skins are easily scratched, and rather as you see with Spiny Eels extremely commonly, secondary infections ensure. My problem with this explanation is that the bubbles are apparently under the epidermis, not abscesses or something working their way from the outside in. Either way though, optimising the environment and using antibiotics against a secondary infection is likely your best move. I'd also warmly recommend Loaches.com as a website with a forum populated with people who are very into loaches. You might find someone there who can help with more certainty! Regards, Neale.>>

Sick Loach       1/30/19
I’m hoping you will be able to help me. I’ve had a sick loach for about two or three weeks now. He is an albino loach.
<What sort of loach? Like a Weather Loach?>
All of a sudden he stopped being active. He would always race back-and-forth across the tank. Then he started just to lay on the bottom which he did sometimes before because that’s what loaches do but now that’s all he did.
<Indeed. Both typical behaviours.>
As time went on I would find him laying on his side. Sometimes I would even find him upside down. We thought it may be swim bladder, but he never floats he just lays on the bottom.
<Loaches have a small swim bladder. Like other bottom dwellers, they've evolved to sink in the water, unlike midwater fish that hang in the water whenever they stop swimming. So while they certainly can get constipation, you probably wouldn't see the "floaty, bloaty" situation we associate with, say, Goldfish.>
The first one or two weeks, he would eat. Now he hasn’t eaten for a while. I tried to feed him a pea to see if it would help in case it was swim bladder. He would refuse to eat the pea and has been laying on his side ever since.
<There are other high-fibre alternatives that Loaches may go for. Try brine shrimp for a start. Frozen is probably easier for them to eat than live. Avoid dried foods though! These do seem to make constipation more likely.>
I have tried using Melafix and Pimafix but neither seem to work.
<Rarely do. Neither are reliable medications for anything. If you suspect a bacterial infection, always a proper antibiotic (or failing that, reliable antibacterial such as eSHa 2000 or Myxazin). Bacterial infections tend to manifest other symptoms, including reddish patches on the flanks and especially the belly, even if the obvious dropsy or fin rot aren't visible.>
Another concern is that sometimes he will stop breathing for around 20 to 30 seconds but then he will start breathing again. In addition I have also tested the water for pH, ammonia, and many other things.
<Could we have these values? Weather Loaches at least prefer relatively mild temperatures (18-22 C is probably optimal) and may get stressed in tropical tanks if kept thusly. They dislike extremes of pH and hardness, and around neutral to slightly basic, medium hardness water is probably optimal. Ammonia and nitrite should, of course, be zero.>
I was just hoping you would be able to help me. Thank you.
Abby
<Hope this helps, Neale.>
Re: Sick Loach     2/3/19
Thank you for the recommendations!
<You're welcome.>
I will look at getting one of the medicines you recommended above.
<Good.>
My fish is a dojo loach.
<A nice fish. One of the Weather Loach species.>
These are the conditions of my tank.
PH - 7.6
Ammonia - 0.25
<This really should be zero. Do compare with your tap water. If it is also 0.25, then the ammonia isn't a problem with filtration, but you will need to use an ammonia-neutralising water conditioner.>
Temperature - 23 C
<Much too high, and likely a stress factor. Aim for around 18 C; i.e., a cool room temperature. High temperatures are fine in summer, and the fish will gulp air during such seasons, but long-term care requires cool winters as well.>
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5
I hope that this is enough information for you to help me. Thanks for the information you have already given me.
Abby
<Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>

Sick Loach       1/30/19
I’m hoping you will be able to help me. I’ve had a sick loach for about two or three weeks now. He is an albino loach.
<What sort of loach? Like a Weather Loach?>
All of a sudden he stopped being active. He would always race back-and-forth across the tank. Then he started just to lay on the bottom which he did sometimes before because that’s what loaches do but now that’s all he did.
<Indeed. Both typical behaviours.>
As time went on I would find him laying on his side. Sometimes I would even find him upside down. We thought it may be swim bladder, but he never floats he just lays on the bottom.
<Loaches have a small swim bladder. Like other bottom dwellers, they've evolved to sink in the water, unlike midwater fish that hang in the water whenever they stop swimming. So while they certainly can get constipation, you probably wouldn't see the "floaty, bloaty" situation we associate with, say, Goldfish.>
The first one or two weeks, he would eat. Now he hasn’t eaten for a while. I tried to feed him a pea to see if it would help in case it was swim bladder. He would refuse to eat the pea and has been laying on his side ever since.
<There are other high-fibre alternatives that Loaches may go for. Try brine shrimp for a start. Frozen is probably easier for them to eat than live. Avoid dried foods though! These do seem to make constipation more likely.>
I have tried using Melafix and Pimafix but neither seem to work.
<Rarely do. Neither are reliable medications for anything. If you suspect a bacterial infection, always a proper antibiotic (or failing that, reliable antibacterial such as eSHa 2000 or Myxazin). Bacterial infections tend to manifest other symptoms, including reddish patches on the flanks and especially the belly, even if the obvious dropsy or fin rot aren't visible.>
Another concern is that sometimes he will stop breathing for around 20 to 30 seconds but then he will start breathing again. In addition I have also tested the water for pH, ammonia, and many other things.
<Could we have these values? Weather Loaches at least prefer relatively mild temperatures (18-22 C is probably optimal) and may get stressed in tropical tanks if kept thusly. They dislike extremes of pH and hardness, and around neutral to slightly basic, medium hardness water is probably optimal. Ammonia and nitrite should, of course, be zero.>
I was just hoping you would be able to help me. Thank you.
Abby
<Hope this helps, Neale.>
Re: Sick Loach     2/3/19
Thank you for the recommendations!
<You're welcome.>
I will look at getting one of the medicines you recommended above.
<Good.>
My fish is a dojo loach.
<A nice fish. One of the Weather Loach species.>
These are the conditions of my tank.
PH - 7.6
Ammonia - 0.25
<This really should be zero. Do compare with your tap water. If it is also 0.25, then the ammonia isn't a problem with filtration, but you will need to use an ammonia-neutralising water conditioner.>
Temperature - 23 C
<Much too high, and likely a stress factor. Aim for around 18 C; i.e., a cool room temperature. High temperatures are fine in summer, and the fish will gulp air during such seasons, but long-term care requires cool winters as well.>
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5
I hope that this is enough information for you to help me. Thanks for the information you have already given me.
Abby
<Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>

Yellow weather loach w red areas on body      8/6/18
Very concerned. Loach has red areas, first near tail, now half of body after severe stress w tap water high in ammonia (4 ppm) w me not finding right away.
<Aye; deadly toxic; likely the principal source of trouble here; particularly in more alkaline water ammonia is very dangerous>
Several days of frequent water changes, some lost fish, other parameters normal to tank, but very hard to get ammonia down....added prime often, know this detoxes but doesn't remove. Thus not sure exactly how bad in actual tank. Purchased spring water for changes.
Now loach has red areas, very inactive, sure he doesn't feel good.
Don't know how to help him or if euthanasia is best. Really like this guy, hate to see him suffer.
<Am a laggard in terms of euthanizing livestock that has a chance to recover. This loach species is very tough>
Had an ammonia spike a few months ago, managed to save everyone. This time more severe.
Please help. Larry is a friend. About 1 yr old, 7 in long.
<Do take a read over our archives on Dojos:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/DojoHlthF.htm
and the linked files above. DO what you can to get rid of the ammonia. SEE as in read on WWM re; chemical filtrants are the route I would go NOW. Bob Fenner>
Re: Yellow weather loach w red areas on body      8/6/18
So far reading nothing like my guy.
No bumps
No blisters
No holes
No black spots
<These symptoms may well be forthcoming w/ exposure to ammonia>
Yes to red area beginning whole diameter of body first in front of tail but now after 3 days extended to middle of body.
Weak, falls to side of tries to swim, stays next to objects as if to maintain position
Not sure if eating but does move somewhat but not when I'm near...then struggles
Was breathing rapidly 4 days ago, gradually now more normal Nitrate <30, nitrite 0, ammonia now 0,25 ppm
<Better; but do shoot for less than 20 ppm of NO3, zero, zip, nada ammonia 0.0>
Tap water now 1ppm
Spring water ammonia 0
<See Neale is taking on. Cheers, B>
Re: Yellow weather loach w red areas on body      8/6/18
Thank you
Will read
Do have ammonia filter on tank
Water is more acidic than alkaline, 6.2 to 6.4
<I would slowly raise this to about neutral; seven-ish. See WWM re easy means to do this... likely baking soda, sodium bicarbonate... added, mixed into your weekly water change out water>
Yes, I hate to end him if I don't have to.
<I would not do so. BobF>
Yellow weather loach w red areas on body /Neale      8/6/18
Very concerned. Loach has red areas, first near tail, now half of body after severe stress w tap water high in ammonia (4 ppm) w me not finding right away.
<If red areas are on underside of the body, around the mouth and belly especially, I'd be looking at the substrate. Loaches are extremely sensitive to abrasive substrates, as well as 'dirty' substrates that are
not cleaned or exposed to robust water currents.>
Several days of frequent water changes, some lost fish, other parameters normal to tank, but very hard to get ammonia down....added prime often, know this detoxes but doesn't remove.
<Water condition will neutralise ammonia in tap water. Once this is done, it is harmless. So you can ignore it. But if your aquarium ammonia level is higher than your tap water ammonia level, that is a problem. It means there's ammonia being produced by the fish that isn't being removed by the filter. Review stocking and filtration rates, and act accordingly.>
Thus not sure exactly how bad in actual tank. Purchased spring water for changes.
<What is the water chemistry of the tap water? Do bear in mind spring water isn't necessarily idea for all fish! Weather Loaches appreciate water that isn't too hard or too soft, with an around neutral pH; maybe 5-20 degrees dH, pH 6.5-7.5, and not too warm either, 18-22 C being ideal.>
Now loach has red areas, very inactive, sure he doesn't feel good. Don't know how to help him or if euthanasia is best. Really like this guy, hate to see him suffer.
<I bet.>
Had an ammonia spike a few months ago, managed to save everyone. This time more severe.
<Sounds like it. Do see above, and reply if necessary.>
Please help. Larry is a friend. About 1 yr old, 7 in long.
<Good luck, Neale.>
Re: Yellow weather loach w red areas on body        8/7/18
Thank you.
<Welcome.>
Redness not trauma related. Began near tail, whole circumference, then spread forward toward head. Internal, not external.
<Could be anything, really. Sounds bacterial, so an antibiotic would be the best call.>
BETTER today, more close to normal color. This a yellow guy, did I say that? Perhaps moving a little better, as well. I do add Prime to all water plus Stability, including spring. All tank parameters had been so fine for several months. Frustrating. The city gives no warning of ammonia spike.
<Indeed, but should be within certain limits. Double-dosing your water conditioner isn't the worst idea, but in any event, use an ammonia test kit on your tap water before doing a water change, and then add extra conditioner if required.>
I understand many cities routinely add but alert residents. Not Philadelphia. I will have to check for each day of collecting I am learning, and take precautions. I hate harming the fish. Fingers crossed that Larry is improving. Thank you again.
<Well, does sound frustrating. But good luck with Larry. Cheers, Neale.>

Ghosty: Costia?     11/19/17 Hi there!! <Hello Wendy,> Since we last corresponded, Ghosty has been doing relatively well. <Good-oh.> As a recap, I treated the tank with two cycles of Furan-2 to see if it would help Ghosty’s symptoms of a cloudy, clamped dorsal fin & lots of slime floating around in the tank (although I never witnessed it sloughing off of him in particular). I do believe he felt better after the first treatment, & acted more like his normal self, but about two weeks afterwards, his fin became clamped & cloudy again so I treated with Furan-2 again. I didn’t really see much improvement after the second treatment, so I began researching everything I could re Costia, the other potential issue Neale mentioned. I settled on treating with ParaGuard, & am pleased to say that after two weeks of this treatment plus keeping the tank between 80-81 degrees, his dorsal fin looks clear & isn’t as clamped although the bones are curved - much like his tail. Don’t know why. The floating some patches have decreased SIGNIFICANTLY and I’ve only seen one small patch in the last 10 days or so. <Ah! The plot thinnens, as they say.> Ghosty developed two lumps near his tail over the past 6 months or so - tumors? <Possibly. In aquarium fish, actual cancerous tumours are relatively rare, but they do happen -- primarily in species genetically predisposed to them, notably goldfish and Bettas. In other fish, lumps can and often do have other explanations: viruses, environmental stress, dietary shortcomings, even bacterial infections such as Mycobacteria.> And for the last week, a red spot has developed in each one. He continues to act & feed normally. Is this a reaction to ParaGuard? <Really hard to say. As/when you conclude the treatment as per the instructions, do a series of water changes, and ideally use carbon in the filter for a week or two. Basically, expose the fish to good, clean water and see what happens. Optimising diet, especially with regard to vitamins and minerals, will also help.> I have treated at 3/4 strength vs. a full dose just because these loaches are more sensitive to medications. Or are the lumps “healing” from the treatment? <Lumps and bumps on benthic fish such as Loaches can be a reaction to medication, but more often are environmental, for example because of coarse gravel, scratchy sand, or heavy metals in the substrate such as copper. Really, anything that can irritate the skin and allow bacteria to seep in, resulting in a lump or bruise. Under good conditions these things can/do heal; see above for details. Treating as per Finrot can help, but only if the environment and diet are appropriate.> They do seem a tad bit smaller than they’ve been but I am worried about the red spot & don’t want septicemia to occur, obviously. <Indeed; septicaemia is certainly the sort of thing I'd be worried about here.> I can’t think of what to do next, so thought I should ask for your extremely helpful & educated advice. Tank parameters are consistently Amm:0 & Nitrite:0 & Nitrates: 20-40ppm. Thank you in advance for any help you can offer! :) Wendy <Hope this helps! Neale.>

Hmmm ... (RMF, any ideas?). G Loach      11/21/17 Good day! Thank you for the info Saturday. <Welcome.> I replaced the carbon filtration back in the tank, water parameters are great at Amm 0, Nitrites 0 & Nitrates 20 ppm. Ghosty is still eating & acting normally, and the spots in his two tail lumps are more of a brownish red than bright red now. They also appear to be shrinking slightly. <Promising.> However, this morning, he looked like this: See that pink squiggly stuff beside him? Is that his skin? <Is it attached to him? Or just some random thing on the ground? If attached to the body, then yes, a piece of skin is possible I suppose. More ominously is some sort of external parasite. It doesn't look much like an Anchor Worm in the photo, but said photo isn't too sharp, and Anchor Worms are commonly seen on coldwater fish, so could get onto a Weather Loach at some point. Anchor Worm is a pain to treat, needing specific medication (because it's a crustacean rather than a worm) but this sort of shapeless worm might more probably be some type of flatworm or annelid worm, in which case Praziquantel is your go-to medication. It's easy to buy and use, not particularly toxic (though use carefully) and is normally tolerated well by loaches.> I added Stress Coat to the tank Sat & Sun thinking that might help boost his healing. I also added Melafix yesterday (although I’ve seen you say this is useless) ... but with the carbon still in, I would imagine it has been processed out of the tank ... <Melafix is fairly pointless, yes. It's kind of like a bar of soap. Sure, might kill germs on the outside. But doesn't really do much for fish that are genuinely sick. BobF believes it actually has a counterproductive effect. So nope, I'd not put a lot of store by it, though I do know some swear by it. Certainly, if you're treating a bacterial infection, a proper antibiotic like Tetracycline will be not only more effective but also less likely to affect the filter bacteria.> Should I do another course of antibiotics or ParaGuard? Another medication? Or just wait it out? I’m so sorry to keep asking questions but I’m afraid you’re the most knowledgeable source & I'm doing all I can to try and help this guy. :-/ <If he's eating and behaving normally, and that thing isn't attached to him, I'd carry on what you're doing. But if that thing is attached to him, then treating as per a worm of some kind should do the trick.> Thanks in advance for your assistance, Wendy <Cheers, Neale.> <<Don't know what the anomalous material is (fecal matter?), but not a fan of Melafix. Have Wendy search for our input on WWM re. I would NOT treat this Dojo further. Bob Fenner>> Ghosty      11/21/17 Ok so I fished it out of the tank, & it is slimy & immediately dissolves when touched. There were two “blood globs” where those tumors or cysts are, that as you can see, flattened out w/the slightest pressure. So strange ... I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thank you! -Wendy- Wendy �� <My thoughts run along the lines of "yuk". But as previous message, if not attached to loach, and your fish is basically happy and active, I'd fish out and ignore; stick with optimising living conditions and diet, and trust the loach's own immune system to do the rest. Cheers, Neale.> Re: Ghosty      11/21/17 Ok great, thanks very much! It’s just the weirdest thing! Those cysts almost look as if they’re trying to “pop” or something. Very strange though I suppose I’m thankful he has this issue & not some of the other lumps & bumps I’ve seen since scouring the Internet for images of weather loaches with bumps! <Do try Loaches.com; they do have a forum there, and the guys and gals there are generally very helpful and informative.> Thanks again!! Wendy <Most welcome. Neale.>