Dave O

I recently added a new light fixture that has two T5 HO lights. Within a couple of days my two Botia Loaches started flashing. They don't flash when the light is off and show no signs of disease Both are eating normal and have plenty of shade and places to hide in the tank. The last time I posted was due to the behavior of an algae eater. Turns out he is just nuts and is fine and healthy. Are the loaches just nuts or am I just paranoid?

MizRamzi

I vote the loaches are crazy. Mine are anyways. I wouldn't worry.

Dave O

****, noticed a spot on Mr. Loach this morning. I guess the added heat from the lamp and temperature fluctuation stressed the fish. I installed the new light to help the plants flourish in turn helping the fish. Why did I choose this as a hobby? I can think of many other frustrating things to do. Watch the nitrates,nitrites, ammonium, oxygen, pH, change the filters....choose the right filter media, beneficial bacteria oh water changes, filter changes..... I quit.... I'm taking up GOLF!

agabr123

what kind of spot? does it look like a grain of salt or does it look more fuzzy? loaches can be pretty susceptible to ICH, so if it looks like a grain of salt then it's probably ich. if it's ich, then you'll want to turn the temperature up to 84F for two weeks and that will kill the ich. you don't need any medications or anything else unless it's a really bad case and the temperatures don't work. you'll also want to make sure that you add an air stone or ubble wand because the higher temps will lead to decreased oxygen, and you'll want to do very thorough gravel vacuums to get up all the spores. if the spot looks more fuzzy, then it could be a fungus or bacterial infection.

Dave O

the spot was just like ich. combined with the flashing, i'm pretty sure that is what i now have in the tank. with the season change and the new light fixture it has been hard for me to maintain a consistent temperature. i didn't realize how much the fixture factored into the water temp. i have white cloud minnows and tetras also in the tank. i don't think i can run at 84 degrees without stressing the entire community. for now i have decreased the amount of light and added ICK ATTACK by Kordon. I'm going with that for about 7 days. thx

agabr123

good luck

Dave O

Update. So far Ich Attack has worked. No white spots and flashing has stopped. I didn't lose any fish and the plants survived the treatment. One question. If none of the fish become reinfected does that mean Ich has been completely eliminated from the tank ? If the life cycle information on Ich is correct the tomites should have all been killed off.

agabr123

i'm glad it's working i'm fairly certain that ich is always present in some for or another in your tank, but if your fish are healthy then they aren't affected by it. if your fish become stressed or are ill then they can become infected, and loaches are particularly sensitive as you've found out.

Dave O

I suspect you are correct that ich is always present in the tank. I just wonder how it survives. If the tomites (free swimming ich) are killed off with the medication and no reinfection occurs, makes you wonder how it can remain in the tank. Do Cysts lie dormant in the gravel and pop open a new generation of ich months later? I read that is a myth, but I'm beginning to think it is true.