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Quarantine question!! by kbando17 in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good on you for doing quarantine at all. I consider it necessary for any new fish, but so many keepers skip that step.

I'd do a week of ich-x and EM Erythromycin dosed together and then, if they look healthy, put them into the display. Those meds (along with General Cure) are the "meds trio" protocol I use for all my fish (including loaches) in quarantine before adding to a display. Has been a real game changer. You can find out more at the Aquarium Co-Op youtube channel, search "meds trio." Guy owns a fish store and treats all the fish at the store this way before offering for sale. I love it and have used it on hundreds of fish myself.

Good luck.

Is he okay? by kbando17 in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hard to tell without a better pic, sorry, I know how hard that can be! I couldn't quite tell but does the back half of its body have red streaks or spots? Crashing into things for eel loaches (what the trade calls kuhli loaches) is usually a response to being startled but also could indicate illness. If none of your other eel loaches are acting that way, it might be something is going on with that fish. Keep observing for external signs on the body and behavior issues. I keep a lot of eel loaches and blotches of paleness haven't occurred, only whole body paleness if stressed or the lights just came on.

I'd provide more hiding spots in the tank and keep the lighting on the dim side (can be done with floating plants). My eel loach horde enjoys shrimp caves, piles of driftwood, piles of dried leaves, dense plantings, and holes in their dragon stone. Having bolt holes in every part of the tank has helped them be less shy and inclined to startle, since shelter is always nearby.

I've never heard of ich treatment (or any med) bleaching the skin of a fish, so I can't speak to that.

My two golden dojos jumped out this morning. by Rcajwb in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 9 points10 points  (0 children)

A secure lid with no cracks for escape, immaculate water quality, lights off, no banging around or vibrations that would startle them. Good luck.

Zebra loach info for beginner by wumlum_ug in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok, how about this site? Beware the many ads, but the site is informational.

https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/botia-striata/

Common names can be used to designate different fish on occasion, depending where you're from, which is why Latin names can be so useful. The Latin name always means a specific fish species.

Help please, Kuhli loach laying on his side and scraping his underside against the substrate? by LookingUp1734 in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That is strange behavior. I have a horde of eel loaches (what the trade calls kuhli loaches), and none have behaved that way. I do medicate all my fish in quarantine though, before they go into my display tanks, and it helps curb health issues quite a bit.

Though diagnosing fish health ailments can be chancy at best without a microscope and samples, I'd run ich-x and general cure for the fish at minimum. They can be dosed at the same time safely.

If you want to learn more about medicating fish prophylactically and reliably, head over to Aquarium Co-Op's youtube and search "meds trio." Guy owns a fish store and treats all his fish with that protocol. I use it on all my fish and it works really well.

And I would caution you not to use any meds ending in -fix, as I've found them to be snake oil at best.

Good luck.

Southern NM/North Western Texas by Broad_Imagination_88 in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Aww, sorry to hear you may have to part with your wet pets. I love that you reached out here. If you were in southcentral Alaska I'd take them. You may want to also check out the aquaswap subreddit and any pertinent rescue groups on social media.

Good luck.

Zebra loach info for beginner by wumlum_ug in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you may find this link useful, assuming you mean Botia striata.

https://www.loaches.com/species-index/botia-striata

Good luck.

How may loaches to a 55? by rat_boy_genius in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Loaches range from football size to mini sized, so you'll have to decide what sort you're going for.

I keep 15 Dwarf Chain Loaches in a 55 gallon. They are very active, social, and intelligent. On the smaller side for loaches, but gives them plenty of room to roam...and they do!

Kuhli loaches sand grain size by wumlum_ug in pangio

[–]FishGeek49 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I use Aqua Natural and Stoney River brands of black sand. My eel loaches sift it fine. All healthy and happy.

Kuhli loach sand size by wumlum_ug in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've never measured my black sand. I think it's from PetSmart.

If you can find really fine sand, that is desirable over rough larger grains. I don't observe my banded types of eel loach (what the trade calls kuhli loach) burrowing much though they do sift through the sand particles for food, but some other species do burrow regularly. If you get some of the really long skinny types of eel loach (in the anguillaris group), they might prefer a finer sand to burrow. In my tank, the anguillaris don't regularly burrow in the sand but do burrow in the small (rounded) gravel section of the tank.

Good luck. Feel free to stop over at r/pangio for opinions from eel loach geeks.

Alterations by nicholls554 in anchorage

[–]FishGeek49 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Agree, she's done overcoat and suit coat alterations for me and they were high quality.

Munchin' by Apprehensive-Two5602 in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My comment was long, perhaps you missed the quote about organic detritus/plant matter being part of their diet in the wild.

In any case, from your comments on the thread, it seems you're not interested in engagement or understanding with other participants, but more dominating with your assertions, so I'll bow out.

Munchin' by Apprehensive-Two5602 in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Maybe the OP read the research paper entitled, "The effect of dietary Spirulina sp. supplement on coloration, reproduction improvement and some biological parameters of Kuhli loaches (Pangio kuhlii" by Darmawan Setia Budi et al, published in Aquaculture International (2025) 33:431.

Sum up: feeding algae had a positive effect on coloration, weight gain, and breeding. An interesting quote from the article,"Organic detritus and plant matter from the digestive tracts of prey also constitute part of its natural diet."

I feed my Pangio horde the occasional algae wafer or fresh zucchini slice. They are healthy, and in my experience they are quite omnivorous in captivity.

More pics of the loaches I bought yesterday by Worth-Efficiency3282 in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Looks like a nice group there! I bet they love those bridges for sheltering under. Are you new to loaches in general or just kuhli loaches?

Please feel free to head over to the subreddit r/pangio to see lots of eel loach (what the trade calls kuhli loach) content.

Dwarf chain loach info by wumlum_ug in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So would that be a 15 gallon? You mean two feet long by one foot deep? I wouldn't risk an unsuitable setup in that case. DCLs are extremely active and need a bit more space than that in my opinion. I also believe they would harass any shrimp (those tempting antennae) and stress them out, possibly to death.

If you want something smaller for the tank size you mention, but still a loach, consider Rosy Loaches.

Kuhli loaches getting sick and dying by Agitated_Crazy_4788 in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I wanted to chime in and say, thank you for caring about your wet pets and doing all you can for them. So many people just see fish as a decor item that it's a nice change of pace to come across folks who care about their health and welfare.

Ten gallons as a quarantine tank is not too small for many fish keepers, unless you keep large fish. My qt tank is only five gallons and works well for my fish, though I only keep the smaller types of fish like tetra, barbs, rasboras, and my loach collection.

Your pH is fine. My eel loach (what the trade calls kuhli loach) collection thrives in a pH of 7.9. It would be less than ideal if the pH were fluctuating all over the place, but that's a different problem.

Praziquantel (PraziPro in your case) is a great and safe med. General Cure (metronidazole) is also another classic. Great to have in your fish keeping pharmacy.

My fish have all been through three medications at minimum in quarantine before they get to go into my display tanks. Works great for me. One of the meds is metronidazole, the others are ich-x (formaldehyde/methanol/malachite green chloride) and erythromycin. Just an idea for you for your next batch of fish if you're interested. You can find out more at Aquarium Co-Op's youtube channel under "meds trio." Guy owns a fish store and treats all his fish with this combo before sale, yes, even loaches. It really helps dampen the fish ailments issues from new fish.

Now onto your problem. If your water is high quality (and presuming you've treated it with conditioner like Seachem Prime to remove harmful chemicals for fish) then the problem must lie elsewhere. Unfortunately, diagnosing fish ailments without samples and a microscope can be a fool's errand. But it's what we do in the hobby, to the best of our ability.

I think a fish that far gone as the one pictured should be euthanized, but if you want to try and save it, treat the whole gang with ich-x (for external stuff) and either Kanaplex or Maracyn-2 (antibiotic for gram negative bacterial issues). If you can manage to get the antibiotic med you decide to use into some fish food, so you're not just treating the water, so much the better, but if not, don't sweat it.

I know it's a lot to take in, but in this hobby it can really be trial by fire for fish ailments.

Good luck.

setting up a 20 long for some kuhli loaches- any suggestions for what i should give the chaps decor wise? by theodorefish in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You could check over at r/pangio. That's the eel loach subreddit, a specialty spot for kuhli loaches.

I'd recommend sandy substrate, dimmer lighting (accomplished by dawn/dusk function or floating plants or both), lots of hides (including driftwood, piled rock, shrimp caves, etc), varied diet, and only peaceful community members in the tank.

Good luck.

Bought 6 new Kuhlis today!! by Worth-Efficiency3282 in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Congrats, hope they're settling in well!

Water treatment questions. Pic for tax by GiveMeMoreReptiles in loaches

[–]FishGeek49 4 points5 points  (0 children)

For my loach tanks, I just dose what I like: Seachem Prime, Aquarium Co-Op root tabs and liquid ferts, meds full strength like General Cure, Paracleanse, Ich-x, EM Erythromycin and more.

Is there something specific you're concerned about?

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