# Mysterious Loach Deaths



## Vaan2931 (Dec 6, 2014)

Hi there.

We've been having huge issues at my aquatics store with loaches, and I was wondering if anyone here could help us get to the root of the problem, as I hate to see the poor things die.

It seems to only be happening with striped, yoyo and angelicus loaches, but isn't affecting our other loaches like the clowns and butterflies. They appear to be completely healthy and will be swimming around fine, then sometimes I go to check the tanks and they're all on their sides dead or dying. It's happens in a matter of minutes.

The ammonia in the tanks is always at 0 as we do 25% water changes everyday. (Goldfish get 50)

I'm wondering if it's possibly the water hardness or pH... We're in Scotland so the waters pretty soft up here. As for the pH, it's usually crazy low at 5.5 to around 6, but there seems to be no way of solving that. It has no effect on the other fish.


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## Vaan2931 (Dec 6, 2014)

Had a little check there and tested the water the loaches were in when they died. Here's the results.

Chlorine - 0
pH - 6.4
Nitrate - around 15 - 20
Nitrite - "less than 6°"
KH - roughly 4 or 5
Ammonia - 0.1

Hope that helps in some way.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Nitrites @6?
Really?
That would be a big problem!Especially if water is being changed daily.That would indicate it was even higher before?
Are these tanks overfed or super over populated?
Test the pH directly from source.Often pH adjusts over first 24 hours as it outgases.
If it came in below 6 and went to 6.4 in 24 hours that may stress some fish?


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## Vaan2931 (Dec 6, 2014)

Hi there. The actual water parameter test states it is less than 6, as there is not a lower measurement for it on the chart. Tested it with another water tester and says its on 0 

None of the tank are over stocked except the goldfish slightly (ten in a 60 litre tank) but they get 50% water changes every day and as a business, it is unfortunately required. The goldfish at 2 - 3 inches btw


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## discusbreeder (Oct 7, 2014)

Loaches generally stick to the bottom and are thereby susceptible to two culprits that most of us do not think of when checking, and the two work together. The first is poor oxygenation of the water, especially bad if tanks are kept above 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Higher temperatures drive down the dissolved oxygen in the water so circulation must by increased to combat low levels at the bottom. If the oxygen level stays low over a long period of time, the bottom is not regularly vacuumed, or fish are overfed the second becomes a problem. The substrate becomes anaerobic and starts producing toxins. This can flip on a moments notice and bottom feeders are the first indicators of problems. Corys will start breaching several times a minute but can endure high levels, loaches do not fair well. If you want to test for this problem take a pipet and extract a test sample of water from the substrate. If you stir up the substrate and the water clouds you probably should vacuum instead of wasting time testing. If substrate contamination is a regular problem use less substrate. Novel approach, I know, but I have seen a lot of tanks with far too much uncirculated substrate in them. Basically if you are going to utilize more than an inch of substrate you need either a heavy planting or a reverse circulated under gravel plate to keep down anaerobic contamination in the substrate. Piling large ornaments and rocks and shells in the bottom only makes it worse.


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