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Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki- skinny disease?

Iain Sutherland

Iain Sutherland

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UKAPS Team
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Hey all, just wondering if anyone knows how i should go about treating skinny disease in a couple of dwarf chain loaches i have. They were smaller than the others when i bought them thinking i would fatten them up but they are continuing to waste away, still active and not at deaths door by any means but clearly unwell.
One concern would be that i have 90 odd amanos in the tank so ideally an invert friendly solution otherwise ill have to try to catch them...

Thanks for any help you can offer.
 
Can you maybe take out the skinny ones and treat separately in a hospital tank? I am not sure what would be safe for shrimp and treat skinny disease.
The possible medication I've heard about depending on what exactly is causing the skinny disease is something like JBL spirohexol or Levamisole Hydrochloride. You've probably seen this article below on levamisole H. At least it claims it doesn't harm inverts("It does not harm the bio-filter, plants, invertebrates or uninfected fish.")
Levamisole Hydrochloride — Loaches Online
 
I reckon it would be better to take them out if you can but sidi's are notoriously quick when it comes to catching them. A BIG net often helps.
Good luck, as these are one of my favourite fish.
 
thanks for the info there, have been looking at levamisole over the last few days along with a couple of other de wormers. Seems a hospital tank is necessary, wouldn't like to lose all my amanos but catching monki's is not going to be easy!
think i will order some in the next few days and then treat when im back of my hols, i think they should be ok until then.
Have you used levamisole before?
cheers
 
You need to simply feed them more and more frequently. I've had dozens of of them come in, only to fatten up and do well nicely later on.

Brine, RCS culls, feed 2-4x a day.
 
plantbrain said:
You need to simply feed them more and more frequently. I've had dozens of of them come in, only to fatten up and do well nicely later on.

Brine, RCS culls, feed 2-4x a day.
Click to expand...


that sounds like a good way to deal with it tom, trouble is that the barbs take most of the food before the loaches get a look in, so i have to feed fairly large portions a couple of times a day already. You have any suggestions for a sinking food? Ive tried a few different plec wafers but the loaches dont show much interest.
 
Small sinking catfish pellets would probably be good for loaches. Aquarian do them I think but no doubt other brands too. If you can feed stuff that stays up top or sinks slowly, to keep the barbs occupied, at one end of the tank and then feed fast sinking small pellets at the same time, it would give the loaches time to get to it :) You may find turning off your filter for the duration of feeding makes it easier to ensure you get the food to where you want it too :)
 
New era catfish pellets, hikari sinking wafers(orange pack) and tetra prima.
My dennisonii seem to prefer sinking food over floating food and will dive to bottom to get it The tetra food keeps them busy while the loaches feed on the faster sinking foods. I stopped feeding floating food to my fish to give bottom feeders a bigger meal
 
Iain Sutherland said:
that sounds like a good way to deal with it tom, trouble is that the barbs take most of the food before the loaches get a look in, so i have to feed fairly large portions a couple of times a day already. You have any suggestions for a sinking food? Ive tried a few different plec wafers but the loaches dont show much interest.
Click to expand...


You need to figure out a way to get them the food, turkey baster with brine, put the food in the caves, feed them at night etc.
 
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