# Something is wrong! Twitching, vertically swimming loaches, 3 recent deaths



## obscure (Jul 21, 2014)

*1. Size of tank?* 80L

*2. Water parameters
a. Ammonia?* 0
*b. Nitrite?* unsure, no test kit
*c. Nitrate?* unsure, no test kit
*d. pH, KH and GH?* 7.2 (unsure what KH and GH stand for?)
*e. Test kit? * API Aquarium pharmaceuticals

*3. Temperature?* 25c

*4. FW (fresh water) or BW (brackish)?* freshwater

*5. How long the aquarium has been set up?* 5ish years - I inherited it from a friend so not exactly sure

*6. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them?*

2 clown loaches - 12cm - 5ish years/forever
1 yoyo loach - 14cm - 5ish years/forever
1 bristlenose catfish - 8cm - 4ish months
1 albino cory catfish - 8cm - 5ish years/forever
5 neons (green) - 3-4cm -5ish years/forever
3 neons (orange) - 3cm - 1 month

*7. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)?*
No.

*8. a. Any live plants? Fake plants?* yes, 1 live plant attached to a rock - unsure what type
*b. Sand, gravel, barebottom?* gravel
*c. Rocks, woods, fancy decors? Any hollow decors? *1 wood, 2 stones + stone with plant growing out of it.

*9. a. Filtration?* yes, no idea what it is though?
*b. Heater? *yes, 50W

*10. a. Lighting schedule? What lights are used?* no, lights completely broken
*b. Any sunlight exposure? How long? *yes, approx 5hrs when sun is out

*11. a. Water change schedule?
b. Volume of water changed?* 10L/week
*c. Well water, tap water, RO water? *mix of cold tap water and boiling water
*d. Water conditioner used?* salts
*e. Frequency of gravel/sand (if any) vacuumed? *1/week

*12. Foods?
How often are they fed?* daily, aqua one tropical flakes for neons and hikari tropical sinking wafers for the others.

*13. a. Any abnormal signs/symptoms?
b. Appearance of poop?* seems fine
*c. Appearance of gills?* rapid gill movement, some redness of gills in neons

*14. a. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis? 
b. What meds were used?* no


Hi everyone, I am in desperate need of some guidance, something is very wrong in my tank and I just don't know what it is! I've had the tank myself for about 3 years now without any major problems, but I inherited it from a friend who was moving out of state so I think the tank has been in existence for about 5 years total.

Recently, I had a neon die, which wouldn't worry me because hell they're about 5 years old now - but the fish have all been acting a bit odd/out of chararcter lately. Swimming up near the top of the tank, even the loaches that always hang out at the bottom. The yoyo loach has even been seen swimming out near the top when he usually dominates the hide-hole and isn't often seen other than feeding time.

I did 2 water changes in this week, and in light of the weird behaviour did a couple of checks on the conditions in there, which came back normal.

I changed the water again last night and discovered my last tiger barb was dead, which doesn't surprise me he's had he's own problems for a long time he had significant fin damage from when i had 6 barbs and they would all be nippy and violent. He had been acting weirder than usual and I saw him swimming upside down recently but he has been on the way out for some time. What worried me was another dead neon, and that my yoyo loach has started to swim erractically and sort of twitching/having a seisure and crashing into the rocks and the gravel. 

I was worried it might be a lack of oxygen? Their gills do seem to be moving very fast/gasping so I moved the filter up to the top of the tank so that it's disturbing the surface of the water. Or I've been reading that when loaches act like that it could be ich?

I just don't know what could be wrong or what do do!


----------



## Flint (Oct 22, 2013)

Alright, so I have a question - Why are you adding salt instead of water conditioner?

Now, the issue in this tank that has been building up for years and is now rearing its ugly face - over and improper stocking. Clown loaches get 12"+ and need to be kept in groups of at least six. They are a sensitive, shoaling fish and need a much larger tank than you have. The yoyo loach gets around 7" and shoals as well, so it too, is too large for your tank. Your bristlenose will do fine in this tank! Perfect pleco for a 20 gallon. Your cory also stays small enough for your tank but you need to get him at least five more buddies. He would prefer company as he too is a shoaling fish. Just make sure you get more albinos, they prefer their own kind. They will shoal with other species but it is out of necessity and it is extremely stressful on them. I would like you to see if you can either take a photo or find an image online of your orange and green neons. Neon tetras will do fine in this tank, again, a shoaling fish. I have never seen an orange neon so my mind immediatly goes to thinking you have glowlight tetras and green neons. If so, you need to up their schools to at least six but eight would be fine in your tank. I understand you have had them for years, but rehoming these fish is honetly best and will improve the lives of the others in the tank.


----------



## obscure (Jul 21, 2014)

Flint said:


> Alright, so I have a question - Why are you adding salt instead of water conditioner?
> 
> Now, the issue in this tank that has been building up for years and is now rearing its ugly face - over and improper stocking. Clown loaches get 12"+ and need to be kept in groups of at least six. They are a sensitive, shoaling fish and need a much larger tank than you have. The yoyo loach gets around 7" and shoals as well, so it too, is too large for your tank. Your bristlenose will do fine in this tank! Perfect pleco for a 20 gallon. Your cory also stays small enough for your tank but you need to get him at least five more buddies. He would prefer company as he too is a shoaling fish. Just make sure you get more albinos, they prefer their own kind. They will shoal with other species but it is out of necessity and it is extremely stressful on them. I would like you to see if you can either take a photo or find an image online of your orange and green neons. Neon tetras will do fine in this tank, again, a shoaling fish. I have never seen an orange neon so my mind immediatly goes to thinking you have glowlight tetras and green neons. If so, you need to up their schools to at least six but eight would be fine in your tank. I understand you have had them for years, but rehoming these fish is honetly best and will improve the lives of the others in the tank.


oops, I knew I was missing a detail somewhere, the exact product I use is Aqua One tropical conditioning salts. And I don't know why, that's just what my friend had been using and what she said to use when she handed the tank over to me. Is there a different water conditioner to use that will be better for the tank?

I've learned a lot about the tropical fish that were in the tank after taking it over from my friend and I agree that if I had been doing the purchasing I wouldn't get loaches again because I don't have room for a larger tank and they play so nicely together I'm sure with 6+ of them together they'd have an absolute ball!

I should definitely get some more corys, there were 2 when I first got the tank the other was a speckled grey colour but he passed in the Ice Age aka my little sister switched off the heater and not the power for the computer. Great to hear they'll be happy in the tank size I have. I wouldn't be confident to put any new fish in there at the present moment though since everyone in the tank is acting crazy and dying.

Ahh, now you say glowlight tetras that IS what they are called, and I suspect they are where the health problems in the tank have come from since they are the newest additions.

How do you go about re-homing fish? I live in Australia, is there a trade forum or something? Also since the loaches are acting as though they are unwell I wouldn't want to put them into a new aquarium until I was sure they were back to normal. Any ideas on what's troubling them currently so I could try re-homing them healthy?


----------

