louistheloach

I was just sitting and watching my tank when all of the sudden the yo yo started writhing and rubbing almost violently, but not quite....but he was really in distress. After a minute or so he landed on a flat rock, clamping his fins and breathing somewhat rapidly. I was able to really examine him from both sides and could see no parasites, no little flecks that look like salt (ick), or any other sores or redness.

I will continue to watch him but if anyone has some guidelines or suggestions. I dont want him to suffer needlessly, but I dont want to just dump a bunch of chemicals in the tank either. I know that ick can live inside the mouth and gill area so I may not see any outward signs of it. I also know that if the parameters are right (which they are) that ick will clear up on its own, (I use salt in my tank and I keep the water at a good temp 78-80).

the suggestions I am looking for is when to stop watching and start taking action.

thank you
ltl

Jay

Hey louistheloach...

Go here....

http://www.fishtankforums.com/5-fres...ting-help.html (Getting Help)

Post back and give us something to go on.

Jay

louistheloach

Jay, thanks for the point to the article, I have read that section already and assumed that since I have posted quite a bit about my tank that I would save time and reading by making some of the general statements like my parameters are all good....in other words according to my other posts, I monitor them and keep them at the required settings ......

Sometimes my posts tend to get a bit lengthy so that is why I posted the first post the way I did.....but since you asked, I will gladly post it.....

planted fw 125 gal.
nitrates 5ppm
nitrites 0
ammonia 0
phosphates I have not tested but there are no visible signs in the tank that they are a problem.
Iron I have tested iron several times using red sea test kit, it always comes up as 0 even though I have been adding pmdd at a rate of 2-3 drops per 10 gal. for the past couple of weeks. again no visible signs that there is too much iron.
I use RO water to which I add kent RO right at the rate for soft water
i also use aquarium salt at slightly less than the rate on the bottle
I also use sodium bicarb at a rate of a little less than 1 tsp per 5 gal.
which makes the kh run around 6-9 depending on where the tank is in the cleaning cycle.
pH 7.15 (I have a probe in my tank running at all times)
temp 80 (I would prefer a little cooler 78, but it is sometimes difficult to maintain that temp in such a large tank....and yes I have two heaters, one at each end)
biweekly water changes around 35 gallons
feed daily x1 the amount they can clean up in a few minutes. the reason i say a few minutes is because I have to allow a feeding regime that allows some food to fall for the bottom feeders. Sometimes I drop some shrimp pellets, other times I let some flakes fall. sometimes i skip a day here and there.
My tank is stocked at about 60 %
fish: 1 featherfin synodontis, 4 julii cory's, 4 flying fox, 4 danios, 10 ottos, 10 rasboras, 4 yo yo loaches, 1 boesmani rainbow
the behavior described above is new and is not apparent in any other fish.
I use two Rena canister filters of 75 gal each. and I use CO2.

any more info needed, please ask

ltl

Jay

Sounds like my tank. The only thing that crosses my mind is that loaches and botia are sensitive to high levels of CO2 and will act "stressy" <-you know what I mean up in the level of 30ppm and above. How do you inject? I use a mist injection method which sometimes causes the water surface to skim over (sort of a protien reactor phenomon) if my surface skimmer is not working correctly the CO2 will build up do to lack of gas exchange at the surface.

IME Botia and loaches do not like salt in the water. You might want to consider the Seachem LiveBearer Salt...which is a GH enhancer containing only trace NaCl.

Jay

louistheloach

...so i was assuming that maybe it was an in the mouth case of ick, but it doesn't sound like you are thinking along those lines.....

i dont know if i would have called his behavior just stressed......his face area was definitely irritated, he kept rubbing against objects alot and fervently and swimming into dense areas of several plants. When he did finally come to rest on the rock his fins were clamped and his breathing was somewhat rapid.......he did settle down after a few minutes, today I am not seeing anything like that.

if it is a case of inner mouth and gill ick and the parasite is moving through the stages so that it is now free swimming approximately how long would it be before the loach could be reinfected (if he is going to be).

I think my water temp is high enough, it read 81 last night, and there is salt in the water already so it is not a very hospitable environment for the parasite. I have had ick once before with similar tank conditions and did not have to treat with medication (well over 8 months ago and in a different tank, although the sole inhabitant is now in this tank)

my other loaches do not seem to have been bothered about the salt, but he is my more recent aquisition...i have had him for a couple of months so it seems like he would have acclimated by now.

right now my co2 tank is just hooked up to a bubble ladder....I know it is not very efficient. I have a CO2 reactor 1000 that is waiting to be hooked up as soon as I get my lights hung better. I am a little nervous about messing with too much in the tank until they are more secure, then I will hook the reactor up to the tubing of the filter. I also need to replace the pH probe....it is acting like it is starting to dedrade.

i think i will look into that salt, as I am in the process of placing an order for some other things.

see what i mean about lengthy posts......maybe that is why not very many people read mine

thanks for letting me think outloud with you....

ltl

Jay

Your right I am not leaning toward ICH. I would just keep an eye on things. IMO I think your temp is a little too high but you are right it is not a good place for parasites. I cannot see a problem...and healthy well maintained planted tanks rarely have serious disease problems.

Yes do look into the Seachem Live bearer salt....it is also much more plant friendly then NaCl. I use it

Jay