The Loach Forum Archives (1)

Clown Loach casualty

Posted By: Graham Mitchell <graha.mitchell@orange.be>
Date: Sunday, 18 April 1999, at 3:13 a.m.

Hi There,

I could do with some advice from you all please.

I have had a sad casualty with one of my relatively newly purchased clown loaches. I had 6 of them all bought from the same shop at the same time about 4 weeks ago. They are about 5-6cm long.

One of them stayed smaller than the others, and did not eat much. I discovered it at the bottom of the tank today, completely immobile though it's gills were moving, just. It did not respond at all, and looked thin. Even when I picked it up, it did not respond at all ! It looked paralysed. I’m afraid after an hour of this I decided it was the end, and it was quickly & painlessly ‘Euthansed ‘

In fact, just behind the gills there was a distinct depression, like someone had nipped it on both sides with their fingernails. ( This