clown Loach sick

Question
Please help,

I have had my clown loach for about two years, i went to feed him/her to day and noticed that my fishes eyes were both very cloudy, the other fish ate fine, but my loach was looking bad just bumping into the tank walls swiming slow,, what should i do? i used a product that i have had under tank called Quick cure..it turns the water blue and has really never worked in the past..

Answer
Hi Joe,

Quick Cure (malachite green and formalin) is a very harsh medication, much too harsh for loaches which are very sensitive to meds. I would do a 50% water change on your tank and run fresh carbon after that - this should get all the medication out.

What you will need to do is isolate the loach if he's the only one sick. There is no need to add meds to the whole tank for just one sick fish, it can interrupt your biological filtration and cause ammonia spikes - the last thing you need right now!

If you don't have a hospital tank, use the biggest container you can - a Rubbermaid bin works well, I use one that is 28 gallons. It will need either a filter on it (no carbon) or a powerhead or airstones, something to move the water around. A heater is not necessary if your house is a comfortable temperature. Put some plastic plants or large ceramic mugs in there, something so that he can hide and feel safe.

Use Maracyn 2 to treat him, it's recommended for popeye. Follow the directions - treat for the amount of time it specifies. If it says to use half a dose for scaleless fish, catfish or tetras, then use that dose. For sensitive fish, you can usually use half the medication twice as long and get the same results. It's been a while since I've used Maracyn 2, sorry not to remember the dosing recommendations.

You can also use Epsom salt, you get this at the grocery store or pharmacy. It's magnesium sulfate - do NOT use aquarium salt! Sodium chloride makes popeye worse, but magnesium sulfate helps it. Use 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of Epsom salt. You can dose 1/4 teaspoon per gallon the first day, then add another 1/4 teaspoon per gallon the second day. Up to 1 teaspoon per gallon Epsom salt is safe for fish.

As convenient as it seems to treat in the main tank, it's very risky and I can't recommend it at all. Like I say, a hospital tank doesn't need to be fancy nor does it need to be set up all the time. I use the Rubbermaid bin to put my recycling in. If I have a sick fish, I take the recycling out, give it a good rinse with hot, salty water and it's good to go. I also keep a spare filter for this reason.

Clown loaches get big, so a four foot tank is a must for them. Popeye can be caused by bumping into objects but if this is the case, usually only one eye is affected. Both eyes suggests there is something off about the water quality - do a water test in your tank to ensure that ammonia and nitrites are 0 ppm, nitrates are under 40 ppm (<20 ppm is best) and the pH and alkalinity are not too low.

I hope that helps, take care!
Nicole