Clown Loach Skinny Disease?

**Gemini** · 05-13-2008, 06:54 AM

I was just reading a forum on practical fish keepers and it says that there is a disease that clown loaches get called skinny disease and that it needs treating. What is skinny disease? What are the symptoms? The reason I ask is that I have two clown loaches bought approx three weeks apart (bought two together, one died it was replaced a few weeks later), and one has grown really well, filled out and is a good colour. The other is I think the same size as when I got him. He's very very skinny. But his colour is ok. I'll try and take a pic when I get home (I'm not a very good photographer), but in the mean time does anyone know about this skinny disease?

**Demjor19** · 05-14-2008, 08:38 PM

i have never heard of skinny disease, but i have had a loach that had gotten so skinny that i thought for sure i was going to lose him, then suddenly he filled out and started growing. i just figured it was due to poor diet a water quality at the fish store, but maybe it was this so called "skinny disease". are you allowed to post the link here? i woulnt mind reading about it myself...

**Lady Hobbs** · 05-14-2008, 08:55 PM

I don't believe skinny disease is all that common. Make sure they are feed plenty and more than just flake food. They eat a variety of things. Sometimes them just forging for food is not enough for them and they want blood worms, shrimp pellets, some give oranges slices, bananas, etc.

**Gemini** · 05-14-2008, 11:45 PM

I've pasted the link I found it on. But the problem is it's just a forum and the guy just says there is a skinny disease but doesn't go into any details.

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.u...y+loach&page=2

Thanks Lady Hobbs for your reply! I have been watching him feed and until yesterday he always seemed fine he would grab blood worms very quickly, he would eat the shrimp pellets and when I sunk flake he would eat that too. I also have given them cucumber once a week for a few weeks and both the loaches would sit on that and munch for awhile. But last night I watched him eat and he didn't seem to be able to eat the flake I sank. He seemed to be sitting on a shirmp pellet and looked to me to be eating it but when he swam around he would look at the flake and ignore it. Also my other clown loach has started eating from the top. He'll ignore the food on the bottom and eats the flake from the top with the angel. I don't understand what's going on???

**angelcakes** · 05-15-2008, 07:38 AM

ive heard of skinny disease and its highly contagius some get it confused with internal parasite use this link below to compare your clown with a clown with skinny disease,there is pictures

http://www.geocities.com/pktechlizard/skinny.htm

**Lady Hobbs** · 05-15-2008, 10:16 AM

Also, check him out good to make sure you see no ick. Hard to see it on those guys as they are so darned fast but you should be able to see it on their tail fin easily. They are susceptible to ick since they are on the bottom of the tank all the time but since you've had him for a while, probably not something you need to be concerned with. Very common when buying new guys, tho.

Loaches are often hiding during the day and out and about at night. Maybe by the time it's their feeding time, the food is nearly gone? Drop in something for them to eat at night when the others are sleeping. They do go thru growth spurts, I've noticed. Seem to hardly do any growing at all for the longest time then all of a sudden, you notice he's grown. He probably is a male, too, and they're smaller and thinner. As long as he has good color, he may be fine.

Mine like summer squash, sliced and blanced, really well. Not so well on bananas. Sometimes they get watermelon, too, and yesterday got some dandeliion greens.

**angelcakes** · 05-15-2008, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by Lady Hobbs

Also, check him out good to make sure you see no ick. Hard to see it on those guys as they are so darned fast but you should be able to see it on their tail fin easily. They are susceptible to ick since they are on the bottom of the tank all the time but since you've had him for a while, probably not something you need to be concerned with. Very common when buying new guys, tho.

Loaches are often hiding during the day and out and about at night. Maybe by the time it's their feeding time, the food is nearly gone? Drop in something for them to eat at night when the others are sleeping. They do go thru growth spurts, I've noticed. Seem to hardly do any growing at all for the longest time then all of a sudden, you notice he's grown. He probably is a male, too, and they're smaller and thinner. As long as he has good color, he may be fine.

Mine like summer squash, sliced and blanced, really well. Not so well on bananas. Sometimes they get watermelon, too, and yesterday got some dandeliion greens.

i tried mine on banana after reading one of you posts ............they didnt like it same catorgory as the peas

**Lady Hobbs** · 05-15-2008, 06:29 PM

It gets mushy mighty fast too. Mine eat a bit of it but not fast enough. Last summer they ate watermelon right to the green rind. So far this summer, they won't touch it.

It's like they have to figure it all out and by then, the stuff is rotten and needs to come out of the tank.

**bluekrissyspikes** · 05-15-2008, 06:39 PM

have you treated for parasites? loaches are wild caught and often come with 'guests' in their intestines. if you are interested on learning more about skinny disease you should check out www.loaches.com they are an excellent referance site with many articles written by people with a lot of experience.

**Gemini** · 05-16-2008, 03:09 AM

Thanks for the link angelcakes! I had a look and thankfully he doesn't look like that! He doesn't seem to be wasting away like that. It just seems as though he isn't gaining weight, he seems the same size as when I got him. His poo is always normal - it doesn't look white (is that the only indicator of parasites?). I didn't know about that loach website but I've accessed it and started reading!!!

I've been checking him each day and there are definately no white spots at all on him. I've been a bit retentive about checking him cause I really don't want him to die so I'm certain there is nothing that looks like little bits of salt on him or anyone else in the tank.

All of my fish come out at dinner time. There will be only two visible fish but then they seem to know when it hits 630 cause they will all appear at the front of the tank and swim up and down until I feed them. He definately gets to the food - I just can't tell if he eats. I'm going to try feeding bloodworms tonight cause they all seem to go nuts for them!

Thank you all for your help!!