Sick Loaches

[shel]

Hi all,

To say I'm a 'beginner' does not even cover the ignorance I have shown with my fish...so I will start by saying I apologize for my ignorance.

On a whim I decided to get a 10-gal fish tank. The owner at the local pet store told me I could put 6 clowns, 2 red-tailed sharks, 1 beta and 1 algae eater in the tank....so I did. One of the sharks was chasing around the other and would not stop so I no longer have him. I have had 3 clowns die already. The 3 seemed to be wasting away (skinny disease? is that also known as fish TB?). My algae eater is on his deathbed now and looks as though he is wasting away too (and rarely moves away from the heater). One other clown has changed as well and is now looking very plump in the belly? I am not good with pictures and am having a hard time attaching them as they are too big.

Please help....I really love my clowns but am worried about it being Fish TB.

Thanks,
shel

[rageybug]

Sounds like the LFS guy is a tool.

You've got a mess on your hands. Can you tell us more about your tank set-up... filtration, water parameters (if you have a test kit). How often do you change your water?

[shel]

I think he's only interested in selling...

I set up the tank about two months ago using bottled water only. I do have a test kit, but it's a generic one that just shows the colors - which all look fine. I have two filters running on it (again, recommended by store owner): one is a Whisper 5 gal and the other is a Aqua-Tech 5-15. Once a week I add a gallon of water because it goes down that much during the week. I did a 50% change last week. I feed flakes, shrimp pellets and brine shrimp.

[Crispy]

10 gallons is way too small for the fish you mentioned. Especially 6 clown loaches! You're way overstocked and you're going to end up with 2 fish in the tank when everything else has died off. I don't recommend any clown loaches for a 10 gallon let alone 6 of them. Those sharks in that small of an area are going to kill everything off. You need to do something fast... either return most of the fish, or buy a much bigger tank already. The fish you mention should be housed in at least a 55 gallon.

[shel]

Do you think the 3 clowns and algae eater I have left have Fish TB? Or do you think it's something else?

[Crispy]

Do you think the 3 clowns and algae eater I have left have Fish TB? Or do you think it's something else?

get those loaches eating... try sinking shrimp pellets or maybe cantaloupe. read around the loach section cuz there is great info regarding skinny dying loaches.

[shel]

They're eating great right now...but thank you, I'll take a look around. :)

[robflanker]

I'd return everything to the LFS and smack the dude in the head. That would probably be over-stocked for a 30g tank as well, let alone a 10. Unless you are planning on getting a 30g/55g within the next week - i'd return them and start over.

I think 3 clown loaches are best in 75g if i'm not mistaken

[Kaz]

Smacking that guy in the head does not even begin to describe the crap you can/should raise over this.

I'm thinking like standing out side and shake the hand of everbody who walks in and say "hello, welcome to the worst pet store in existence, home of the most ignorant man."

And then smack the guy in the head and ask for a refund.

[robflanker]

Smacking that guy in the head does not even begin to describe the crap you can/should raise over this.

I'm thinking like standing out side and shake the hand of everbody who walks in and say "hello, welcome to the worst pet store in existence, home of the most ignorant man."

And then smack the guy in the head and ask for a refund.

I was being nice Kaz - plus this is a kiddy-inhabited place. There are unspeakables to which should be done to them