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Ok so I noticed when one of my Hillstream Loaches came out of hiding last week that something was very wrong with it's tail. There were red streaks at the base of the tail and although I know the fish is scaleless it looked like the "scales" were raised and some flesh was missing and color had faded from the area. The tail is also torn and missing bits. I was thinking perhaps the fish had caught his tail on something and then it got infected somehow. My normal perams are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 0 nitrate but I had recently started dosing ferts and at one point a few weeks ago the nitrate went up to 20-40 ppm (so hard to tell the color in the vials
) so I had stopped dosing completely 2(?) weeks ago until I can figure out more appropriate dosing. I wasn't able to come up with an actual diagnosis but after reading post after post on various forums I decided to try Maracyn based on symptoms.
I went and purchased Maracyn and Maracyn Two (I had read it was recommended to treat with both simultaneously if unsure of exact issue) and managed to catch the fish (what luck!) and moved it from my 50 gallon to a 5 gallon QT for treatment.
Today was the last day of the treatment of both meds. I treated according to package directions, full dose for 5 days, despite warnings of only doing half doses for scaleless fish.
Loachy has not improved and I'm not sure what to do next. I did see it eat food the day before yesterday and it is moving normally other than it was hiding more yesterday than usual. I have included some cell phone shots, best I can get since fishy doesn't like to hold still or come to the front right now.
Other info:
I've had this fish for several months and the only "newer" members of the tank are assassin snails and tiger shrimp.
ph 8, kh/gh 7, temp ~76, weekly water changes (normally, I have not done a water change in QT during treatment) I have cycled media in the QT tank as well and have been keeping on eye on perams, 0 across the board.
Any help would be very much appreciated. I have already spent more on the meds than I paid for the fish but I really want to try and save it as I have a strong sense of responsibility for the health and well being of all my critters. Thank you.
EDIT: I should note as well I have had the light in the QT tank off during treatment because I read the meds can be sensitive to light. I have also added an air wand in addition to the normal filter to increase oxygen since I read the meds can decrease that as well. The bubbles you see on the body of the fish are from that, it likes to hang out in the bubble stream.
I went and purchased Maracyn and Maracyn Two (I had read it was recommended to treat with both simultaneously if unsure of exact issue) and managed to catch the fish (what luck!) and moved it from my 50 gallon to a 5 gallon QT for treatment.
Today was the last day of the treatment of both meds. I treated according to package directions, full dose for 5 days, despite warnings of only doing half doses for scaleless fish.
Loachy has not improved and I'm not sure what to do next. I did see it eat food the day before yesterday and it is moving normally other than it was hiding more yesterday than usual. I have included some cell phone shots, best I can get since fishy doesn't like to hold still or come to the front right now.
Other info:
I've had this fish for several months and the only "newer" members of the tank are assassin snails and tiger shrimp.
ph 8, kh/gh 7, temp ~76, weekly water changes (normally, I have not done a water change in QT during treatment) I have cycled media in the QT tank as well and have been keeping on eye on perams, 0 across the board.
Any help would be very much appreciated. I have already spent more on the meds than I paid for the fish but I really want to try and save it as I have a strong sense of responsibility for the health and well being of all my critters. Thank you.
EDIT: I should note as well I have had the light in the QT tank off during treatment because I read the meds can be sensitive to light. I have also added an air wand in addition to the normal filter to increase oxygen since I read the meds can decrease that as well. The bubbles you see on the body of the fish are from that, it likes to hang out in the bubble stream.

