# Sick Clown Loach



## andy485 (Aug 19, 2005)

I have a clown loach that I think I accidently poisened. I actually had 3 of them that were probally two years old and just awesome to watch. They were my favorite fish. I used some caulk from a hardware store that said 100% silcone, but was not to do some aquascaping. All three clown loaches fell very ill and two of them died a horrible death. I knew I should of put them out of their misery but wanted to give them every chance to live. The one that lived is still feeling the affects a month after the incident. I bought two more clown loaches to be with him but he does not even act like they are there. He stays at the top of the tank by the filter output and just lets the current sway him back and forth. I have not seen him eat but he has done this for a month. Is there any medication that would help him? Should I let him live this horrible life or put him out of his misery?


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## DJKronik57 (Apr 17, 2006)

Have any of your other fish fallen ill? Loaches are much more succeptable to sickness since they have no scales, but I'd find it odd that no other fish was affected if it was the silicone. As a side note, only use silicone approved for aquarium use. Often, silicone at a hardware store will say explicitly on the back (even though it is 100% silicone) "Not for aquarium use" or something similar.

But back to the loach, I had 4, and one recently died an awful death, I had to euthanize it using ice water. What symptoms were the fish displaying before they died? Mine was flopping around on the bottom unable to swim and was very skinny. Therefore, I think it was a parasite of some sort, since the other 3 are fine. Some also say that loaches are more succeptable to disease because they naturally harbor parasites that they can live with in the wild, but being caught and transported weakens them and the parasites can kill or further weaken the fish.

Have you been changing the water frequently? Do the fish get better after the water change at all? This may help determine if it is the silicone. If they don't get better, it may be a parasite. 

Whatever it is, I wouldn't give up hope for the guy yet if he's still swimming around. Try some live or frozen foods to get him to eat.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Sorry to hear of your troubles.

Do you have another tank you could move the sick Clown to that wouldn't have the silicone residue in the water to see if he improves?


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## andy485 (Aug 19, 2005)

Here I will give you the full story. I had the three clown loaches in my 90 gal planted tank. I wanted to get discus for that planted tank and due to some advice on Discus Madness website was told that the clown loaches would scare the discus especially bigger clown loaches(mine were 4-5"). I don't believe everything I read but if I am going to drop $60 on 1 discus plus shipping could not find discus in 200 mile radius I decided better safe than sorry. During all of this I bought a 75 gallon tank to make into my first African Cichlid tank. After viewing some of the african tanks on the web I noticed alot of them had clown loaches in them. Problem solved. I set up a 75 gallon tank made some homemaid caves using black slate and the deadly BLACK SILICONE. After I had it running for 2 days I slowly acclimated the clown loaches to the tank. I should of known they were not right all they did was hide. After a week I looked in to find them laying on the gravel bed and they had some kind of bone spur around their eyeballs. I immediatly took them out and put them in a 10 gallon. I thought the bone spur was some kind of worm so I gave them a half dose of ParaGuard. It took two days and 2 of the 3 were dead. I put the one that is still alive in my 29 gallon hospital tank bought especially for him that night. I figure he would die but he just went in circles on the bottom of the tank then drifted at the top by the filter. He has done this for a month. I bought two more clown loaches to go with him, tore down the 75 gallon setup removed or replaced all filter media, gravel, and decor. Bought 2 yellow lab cichlids from Wal mart and threw them in the 75 gallon to test. They were completely healthy for a week so I threw in the clown loaches and ordered a bunch of different cichlids for the tank. All the fish are healthy except that one clown loach. I probally have 25-30 fish in the tank. You learn to cycle quickly when you mail order because you can't just order 2 fish and pay the shipping. So I have done 50% water changes every three days. Dosed 30ml stability and 40ml prime(seachem) three times a day for a week then the NH went to 0. Still going to dose prime once a day in case of a nitrite spike. Theres the story and yes I have a 29 gallon hospital tank with some hatchet fish in it that I could remove him to. Afraid of the acclimation going from ph: 8.2 KH 15 GH 15 to the hospital tank at 7.4 kh 4 gh 4.


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## toddnbecka (Sep 20, 2006)

Unfortunately, it's just a matter of time until the last clown loach dies. Whatever chemical in the silicone killed the other two has done permanent damage, not something the fish is likely to recover from.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

you are suppose to let the silicone cure completly so that toxics dont leech out into the water. also clown loaches are scaleless fish so medication is more potent to them so lower doses should be used. 

i would have made sure the tank was cycled properly before adding the clown loaches and killing.


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## andy485 (Aug 19, 2005)

I let the silicone cure for a week I did not fill the tank for a week after I had done the aquascaping. I know that loaches are sensitive to medication that is why I used a half dose of paraguard. I later found out that clown loaches have a bone spur that they can bring out when injuried that is located right under their eye. I just don't understand how 2 of them could suffer such a horrible death while one has stayed alive for a month. He has not lost any color which is weird, also, because my clown loaches would always get pale when stressed. I wish I still had the caulking label so I could warn all about it. Moral of the story make sure your caulking is safe for your fish. It might be worth it to purchase the caulking made especially for the aquarium. Any way I have waited a month for him to die and he has not I think I will let him live as long as possible. He is holding his own in a African Cichlid tank with some big fish(4-5").


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## southpark (Oct 9, 2006)

even cured 100% silicone retains some of the toxins from the curing agent (which is always there, regardless of the 100% silicone claim, w/o a curing agent, the silicone would never harden), aquarium grade silicon uses somethign similar to citric acid/vinegar to cure, hence its different smell, and even if the curing agent isn't 100% gone, it isn't toxic to your aquarium

i generally use all-glass aquarium silicone, i have a hard time finding aquarium safe silicone at home depot/lowes, and they never know what i'm talking about.


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