# Desease????!!!! Help?



## DotFrog (Dec 27, 2011)

I'm sorry for posting like, four threads since I got my new zebra loach but please help me on this one! So, my new zebra loach is flashing a little. Is their any other way to see if he's got anything?


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## drunkenbeast (Nov 13, 2011)

does he have any other physical signs of being sick? it could be due to water conditions irritating the skin or your water paramaters. do you know what they are?


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## DotFrog (Dec 27, 2011)

drunkenbeast said:


> does he have any other physical signs of being sick? it could be due to water conditions irritating the skin or your water paramaters. do you know what they are?


He's specifically flashing his gills on the ornaments, otherwise he is fine. Water is also in line.


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## drunkenbeast (Nov 13, 2011)

if it were me i would watch it closely the next few days and see if anything else shows up, how often is the loach doing it very often? then it could be something wrong but once in awhile it might be less severe?


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## DotFrog (Dec 27, 2011)

Once in a while. What do you mean by something less severe?


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Dot Frog, you have again bought a species that is a shoaling fish that should be kept in groups of 3+ and needs a tank size of at least 20 gallons, but larger is better. It is also another one that should be kept on sand. (Are you researching fish before you go to the store to make sure they are suitable for your aquarium?) It can live on gravel and as a single loach, but it won't thrive the way it was meant to.

How did you acclimate him? You can't just float the bag in the tank water for half an hour then put him in the tank. Drip acclimation is the best way to slowly acclimate a fish to it's new water parameters, and helps prevent illness and death even weeks or months later.

Keep an eye out for gasping at the surface, more itching on things in the tank, and white specks like salt on the fish's body.


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## DotFrog (Dec 27, 2011)

holly12 said:


> Dot Frog, you have again bought a species that is a shoaling fish that should be kept in groups of 3+ and needs a tank size of at least 20 gallons, but larger is better. It is also another one that should be kept on sand. (Are you researching fish before you go to the store to make sure they are suitable for your aquarium?) It can live on gravel and as a single loach, but it won't thrive the way it was meant to.
> 
> How did you acclimate him? You can't just float the bag in the tank water for half an hour then put him in the tank. Drip acclimation is the best way to slowly acclimate a fish to it's new water parameters, and helps prevent illness and death even weeks or months later.
> 
> Keep an eye out for gasping at the surface, more itching on things in the tank, and white specks like salt on the fish's body.


As with all my fish, for about 10 minutes, I held him in his bag in the tank, and cupped in water little by little until the bag was full. I have bought an aquarists guide book with all the species of tropical aquarium fish. It says zebra loaches grow up to four inches, and will do best in a tank of at least 10 gallons. 
So, I found a store that had them, and asked how he would do in my 10gal. She said he will go great with my Cory cat, and now, they are always together in their cave or searching for shrimp pellets. I still have the ability to return him if necessary.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

The book and store you were told is wrong. So many of the books has a lot of misinformation as they use the inch per gal rule.

Sounds like it might be gill flukes or parameters are off. When asking for help you need to provide information like the numbers on ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and ph. Not just saying its fine. It makes it hard for us to help in anyway unless you can give us the accurate numbers.


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## DotFrog (Dec 27, 2011)

Ammonia: 0
Nitrates: 0-0.5
Nitrites: 0-0.5


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Nitrites are very toxic to fish. .50ppm Nitrite could be what's bothering him. If that value gets any higher, you will need to do a water change.


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## DotFrog (Dec 27, 2011)

holly12 said:


> Nitrites are very toxic to fish. .50ppm Nitrite could be what's bothering him. If that value gets any higher, you will need to do a water change.


Oh Sorry!!!!! I meant 0.05


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## NotaGuppyGuy (Jan 17, 2012)

Loaches are also 1 of the first species in a tank to feel the affects of poor water quality. If you see them acting strange, somethings going on. 
Having a single yoyo will greatly increase the chances of fin nipping if you have any slow swimmers. Although being in a 10g, he will be able to chase down faster fish like tetras eventually. 



> As with all my fish, for about 10 minutes, I held him in his bag in the tank, and cupped in water little by little until the bag was full.


I don't think you got what he meant, or I don't get what you said. So the entire acclimation is only 10 minutes?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

The tank is definately not cycled. I honestly would like to see the readings in person. If the tank was cycled the nitrates would be higher and the nitrites would be zero.


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