29 Gallon Tank Can you help me save my dojo loach?

My dojo loach (around 2) has been acting very strange and concerning for about the past week i believe. It started with him jumping out of the water and hitting his head on the tanks lid, and he fell back to the water, swam around upsidedown, then went upsidedown, and appeared dead. We were about to say goodbye but I realized he was breathing, so I put him in a bucket with some of his tank water. Suddenly he sprung back to life. I kept him in the bucket for the next two days so I could make sure he was eating, which he was, but not as much as normal. He wasn’t able to swim straight, and he would would appear to pass gas if you could call it that. After the next few days, i put him back in his tank (with 4 tetras and another loach) and he did fine. But around 5-6 days later, i found him floating at the top of the tank again, hunched over. I knew the drill, i put him into a bucket again and kept an eye on him. I went upstairs, and came back down to him floating upsidedown, not breathing, but his back under fin was moving. I didn’t want to give up hope, and once i put him under a light to keep him warm while in the bucket, he started swimming. He was back to how he was the first time. Couldnt swim straight and was passing a lot of gas. I don’t know if this could be swim bladder, or it could be due to head trauma from when he jumped out and hit the lid. Does anyone know what this is, and can I help him?

 

Your tank is too small. He needs swimming room and can injure himself in a small tank. Sounds lihe has repeatedly injured himself.

When you put him in a bucket he cant get up any speed so he is not able to injure himself.

Move him into a larger tank or give him away.

 

Your tank is too small. He needs swimming room and can injure himself in a small tank. Sounds lihe has repeatedly Your tank is too small. He needs swimming room and can injure himself in a small tank. Sounds lihe has repeatedly injured himself.

Thank you for your response, but I am not going to give him away. I want to know what I( emphasize the I) can do for him to help him recover, and moving him to a different tank won’t help with what’s already happened. Also you said keeping him in a bucket for now will keep him from injuring himself because it’s so small, so why would I want to move him somewhere bigger right now, where he can get further injured? Also as far as I know he hasn’t injured himself multiple times, as the tank is completely safe and has nothing he could harm himself on. Except the lid, which I would notice if he hit himself on it again, as it would be pretty loud. Once again, thank you for your help, but is there anything you know of that I can do besides re-homing?

 

Ok, good info. So maybe he did not injure himself at all then.

Dojo loaches will play dead if scared. He may be playing dead. If so, you should try to make him feel safer. He is nocturnal, so make sure he has time to spend in the dark. And give him places to hide where he fits. He should have a place to go where you can't see him. That will help him feel safe and he won't need to play dead so much.

But he really does want a bigger tank since he is a fast swimmer and can run into the walls in a tight space.

 

Ok, good info. So maybe he did not injure himself at all then.

Dojo loaches will play dead if scared. He may be playing dead. If so, you should try to make him feel safer. He is nocturnal, so make sure he has time to spend in the dark. And give him places to hide where he fits. He should have a place to go where you can't see him. That will help him feel safe and he won't need to play dead so much.

But he really does want a bigger tank since he is a fast swimmer and can run into the walls in a tight space.

Thank you so much for your help, the playing dead when frightened definitely makes sense, I will also definitely look into finding more hiding places for him, I’m thinking a large piece of driftwood and more plants. One more thing, do you think he may have swim bladder disease/issues? I was just wondering with the gas he’s letting out, and the awkward swimming patterns. Sometimes when I’m sitting by the bucket, I audibly hear him pass gas/make bubbling noises. Also do you think it’s safe for me to put him back into the tank right now, or do you think I should wait overnight? I checked on him a few minutes ago and he started violently splashing around and looked very frightened, so I don’t know if that would be the best idea, but I also don’t want to much ammonia to build up in the bucket. I have a few more questions if you’d like to answer them, but it’s ok if not:
Should I get an oxygen pump for the tank?
The water is very green, which I’ve had happen before with a previous tank, which I fixed with less light, but this time with the bigger tank it dosent seem to help. Any advice?

 

If the Loach was acting in a normal manner before violently colliding with the lid, then it's a good bet that the concerning abnormal behavior is due to injury.
Correctly diagnosing the internal damage isn't likely.
Sounds like you are doing all that can be done to save the Loach. Hope things get better soon.

 

You may be having water quality issues. If the loach tried to leave the tank, his instincts may be telling him that the water is getting stagnant and he needs to leave. The loach is gulping air into his mouth and digestive track and using it to breathe. That is what you are hearing. He is trying to survive in stagnant and/or too warm water. He needs cold water which is holds oxygen.

If you have access to cool source water with oxygen, then keep using that for him in his bucket.

Get more oxygen into your tank water ASAP. Do this by making your filter output agitate the surface. Add an airstone at the bottom of the tank to get the water to circulate vertically. And turn off any heater if you have one. This fish wants cold water.

Your fish is basically suffocating.

 

If the Loach was acting in a normal manner before violently colliding with the lid, then it's a good bet that the concerning abnormal behavior is due to injury.
Correctly diagnosing the internal damage isn't likely.
Sounds like you are doing all that can be done to save the Loach. Hope things get better soon.

Thank you for your response

 

Dojo loaches (weather or pond loach, weatherfish, or M. anguillicaudatus) are noisy. They create loud bubbling sounds to startle and evade predators.

Also, fish can get head injuries. He possibly injured his head on the lid, probably attempting to escape because of tank size or quality, as Frank said. This explains the odd swimming or excessive defensive behaviors (i.e. playing dead and making noise.)

P.S. Frank the Fish guy is also right about tank size; weather loaches can get up to 20" in ponds or giant tanks, 8-14 in large tanks. Stress, stunting, or injury is a major concern in small and medium tanks.

 

You may be having water quality issues. If the loach tried to leave the tank, his instincts may be telling him that the water is getting stagnant and he needs to leave. The loach is gulping air into his mouth and digestive track and using it to breathe. That is what you are hearing. He is trying to survive in stagnant and/or too warm water. He needs cold water which is holds oxygen.

If you have access to cool source water with oxygen, then keep using that for him in his bucket.

Get more oxygen into your tank water ASAP. Do this by making your filter output agitate the surface. Add an airstone at the bottom of the tank to get the water to circulate vertically. And turn off any heater if you have one. This fish wants cold water.

Your fish is basically suffocating.

Thank you so much, I just bought an air pump this afternoon that I’m going to put into the tank tomorrow morning when I put my Loach back in the tank. The water parameters seem fine, but I got it tested at a local pet store so I’m not sure how accurate that is. I got a ph tester kit, and it’s at a good level. My other fish in that tank all are acting normal, so I think there all ok. I just think the water greeness is due to overlighting, so I’ll work on a new light schedule and see it that helps. My temperature stays around 70-72 degrees, which my loaches (when there not sick of course) thrive in. So do my tetras. I am taking your advice and keeping the bucket at a lower temp and am going to see if that helps him overnight. You are such an amazing help and I’m so glad I found this website, you definitely seem to know your stuff! I have a video of what my loach does when he releases/passes gas. If you would like to take a look at that I can send it, I’m just concerned about that because that’s not normal for him. Thank you again for all of your help.

 

You should put the air pump in before putting the loach back in since it takes time to re-oxygenate the water. He will love some oxygen.

It's always the bigger fish that feel the effects of low oxygen first since they need more to live.

 

Alright that sounds good,

You should put the air pump in before putting the loach back in since it takes time to re-oxygenate the water. He will love some oxygen.

It's always the bigger fish that feel the effects of low oxygen first since they need more to live.

Hello, just wanted to give an update on my loach. I hooked up my air pump and let it soak in the aquarium water for about an hour, then I turned it on and let it run for a while. I just put in my loach, he went right to the bottom and seems pretty scared/inactive, which I would of course expect after moving him from a bucket to a tank. I turned off the aquarium lights to help him be less nervous. Another thing, what type of food do you recommend that’s not too expensive, but that is good for tetras and loaches? Right now I’m just feeding them regular flakes that I have for all there lives, and they seem to like them. I also give them sinking algae wafers that they eat too (along with the tetras). But I have noticed that my loach (the sick one) tends to eat a flake/pellet and it will come out of his gills. I’ve also noticed him getting skinnier and paler, but that may just be from all the stress and moving around he’s been going through for the past week. I just don’t know if he’s getting enough food sense it comes out of his gills half the time. My other loach dosent have issues with that, only when a piece of pellet is too big for him. Thank you so much for your help!

 

Your Dojo loach is an omnivore and bottom feeder. I like to catch bugs and slugs and put them in the tank. He loves them. You can feed him sinking pellets or any chunk of seafood or clam from the market that sinks down and he can eat. I chop clams, blood clams, or cockles. Anything frozen from the market that they are getting rid of. He eats just about anything!! Just make sure it sinks!!!

 

Your Dojo loach is an omnivore and bottom feeder. I like to catch bugs and slugs and put them in the tank. He loves them. You can feed him sinking pellets or any chunk of seafood or clam from the market that sinks down and he can eat. I chop clams, blood clams, or cockles. Anything frozen from the market that they are getting rid of. He eats just about anything!! Just make sure it sinks!!!

Oh wow it did not know that! Thank you so much! I’ve heard about this before, but I’m not too sure about it, do they like cucumbers?

 

Try a small chunk. Make it sink and see if he eats it. Mix it up and give him different stuff. He likes to explore and find stuff to eat.

 

Try a small chunk. Make it sink and see if he eats it. Mix it up and give him different stuff. He likes to explore and find stuff to eat.

What’s are some other foods that I could start adding into his diet, that also wouldn’t harm the tetras to eat? Also, what are some of the benifits of adding different foods?

 

What’s are some other foods that I could start adding into his diet, that also wouldn’t harm the tetras to eat? Also, what are some of the benifits of adding different foods?

The benefits of adding a variety is massive. How would you like to eat spaghetti all day, every day, for the rest of your life? Very tiring, not enriching.

As omnivores, dojo loaches eat all types of food. They seem to enjoy frozen/thawed shelled peas, zucchini or cucumber (blanched or steamed), of course meaty foods too; frozen mysis, krill, brine shrimp, bloodworms, tubifex, etc. I also fed mine raw river shrimp and fillet cut into small pieces.

 

The benefits of adding a variety is massive. How would you like to eat spaghetti all day, every day, for the rest of your life? Very tiring, not enriching.
As omnivores, dojo loaches eat all types of food. They seem to enjoy frozen/thawed shelled peas, zucchini or cucumber (blanched or steamed), of course meaty foods too; frozen mysis, krill, brine shrimp, bloodworms, tubifex, etc. I also fed mine raw river shrimp and fillet cut into small pieces.

Thank you to everyone who helped me out with my loach, it is truly appreciated! I will keep you updated on how he continues to do, and if I have questions I know that this will be a good page to go to!

Hello everyone, I have some news about Phantom (he’s my loach). Let me start out by saying that he is not dead, but he’s not doing well. I turned on my tanks light to look for him, and I saw him stuck to the filter. When that happens he’s normally able to swim away, but this time I had to give him a little tap, and he floated away, looking dead yet again. He started swimming upsidedown, and eventually fell to the bottom. He got up, swam around that small area for a few seconds, hit his head on the substrate, and just passed out (or what looked like passed out) then he snapped back up and did it again. I am very concerned for him, and I don’t know if he’s in pain or suffering. I think he most likely got brain damage from when he hit the lid. I don’t know what to do for him. I posted another thread about how my tank is so green with algae and to ask for any advice, so I don’t know if you saw that. The reason I brought that up is because I can’t see my fish through the murkiness unless I go to the front or back of the tank, so it is very hard to see what he is constantly doing. So does anyone know what I should do for Phantom to help him, or if I should just let time go by and let him get hopefully better on his own?
i really don’t want to have to euthanize him or rehome him.
I want to get him a smaller, separate tank, but I don’t have the space or money for it, and I don’t have the cycling time.
Please let me know your thoughts and what I can do to help him.

 

This sounds like a euthanasia case unfortunately. Once they reach this level of ill they don’t often come back.

In the future you do need to either research what size tank the fish you want need, or be willing to rehome them in a situation like this.

 

I am concerned that there is not enough oxygen in this tank.

The algae thrives in these conditions.
Water change with highly oxygenated water, good tank aeration, and a black out to kill the green water algae is in order.
The dead algae will clog the filter so the filter then needs to be rinsed after the algae has collected.

Keep the loach in a bucket with good aeration while you address the tank.

He does sound like he is suffering from low oxygen. They can recover from that.

Oxygen tests are available.

 

I am concerned that there is not enough oxygen in this tank.

The algae thrives in these conditions.
Water change with highly oxygenated water, good tank aeration, and a black out to kill the green water algae is in order.
The dead algae will clog the filter so the filter then needs to be rinsed after the algae has collected.

Keep the loach in a bucket with good aeration while you address the tank.

He does sound like he is suffering from low oxygen. They can recover from that.

Oxygen tests are available.

I’m considering euthanizing him, but I don’t know the best way to do it. I don’t have clove oil, which I know is one of the best ways to do it humanely. Do you know any ways that I could humanely put him down with other methods? I have other essential oils like cinnamon, tea tree, and many others, but I don’t know if they work the same as clove. I really do believe it would be the best choice to put him down, as he is a lot worse now. Do you know a way I can do it humanly without clove oil or vodka?

 

Fish are cold blooded so their metabolism goes with temperature. I would put him in bag of ice cold water and place it in the freezer or outside if it is below freezing. He will go to sleep and hibernate before it freezes and will be dead the next day.

Many fish die naturally this way in nature so they are equipped for it.

 

Fish are cold blooded so their metabolism goes with temperature. I would put him in bag of ice cold water and place it in the freezer or outside if it is below freezing. He will go to sleep and hibernate before it freezes and will be dead the next day.

Many fish die naturally this way in nature so they are equipped for it.

Is this painful for the fish?

 

It is the most humane way according to the veterinarians. And is practical for the home.

Fish are adapted to go to deep sleep in the winter and hope that they wake up. So it is the most similar to what they are naturally adapted for.

Get the water very cold before putting him in and he will not feel it.

 

Another way, if you feel uncomfortable with that, is to take them out and either administer a killing blow to the head with a hammer or step on the head. Sometimes it’s easier for them to be gone quickly and painlessly, but you do have to be 100% willing to go through with it to the end.

 

Thanks to everyone for your help. In the end after looking around for clove oil, especially hard cause most places weren’t open on Christmas Eve, I decided to go with using ice. He went down very quickly, and without struggle. Thank you for all of your device on this thread.

 

Thank you for your response, but I am not going to give him away. I want to know what I( emphasize the I) can do for him to help him recover, and moving him to a different tank won’t help with what’s already happened. Also you said keeping him in a bucket for now will keep him from injuring himself because it’s so small, so why would I want to move him somewhere bigger right now, where he can get further injured? Also as far as I know he hasn’t injured himself multiple times, as the tank is completely safe and has nothing he could harm himself on. Except the lid, which I would notice if he hit himself on it again, as it would be pretty loud. Once again, thank you for your help, but is there anything you know of that I can do besides re-homing?

55 gallon minimum tank. Your dojo will love you for the gift! More room to swim around.