QT again

I could not remember the last time I pulled out my QT setup. Had to look it up here on the blog- nine months since I had sick fish in separate quarters. There were barbs in there more recently, for introductions, but I no seriously sick fish for a while. It's two of the kuhlis now. Snaky Fish has been thin for a very long time- I always thought he was just weaker or bullied away from food, none of the other fish were skinny like this and I have dosed the tank in the past for parasites... But lately he is getting very emaciated and now one of the black kuhlis is also becoming skinny. It has a white spot on each side of the head, which doesn't look like ich but like a part of the bone structure showing?? I decided to pull these two out and put them in QT so if I can get rid of the disease I can fatten them up. I set up the QT last night and baited a fish trap in the morning with shrimp pellet.

I've put a new cap on my fish trap with a hole I think is just big enough for a kuhli loach to get in- and hopefully keep out the cherry barbs. It worked fantastic- the barbs could not enter no matter how hard they tried, not even the smallest male-

and the black kuhlis were in the trap within ten minutes. Thin one was first of all. I put him in QT and the others in a bucket with some floating plant cover.

Set the trap again. Caught Albert (who kept trying to get in through the air holes- very funny) looked at him close and thought he appeared a little thin too, so put him in QT also. Set the trap again, with garlic-soaked bloodworm this time. The barbs tried so hard to get in there, forced their way between the trap and tank wall, and thrashing to get out again scattered gravel against the glass. It sounded like water falling in a corner.

But Snaky Fish himself is very wary now. He has not approached the trap since the first time I placed it, and is mostly hiding now. I think he feels nervous since all the other kuhlis are gone. I got concerned about the black kuhlis in the bucket- maybe I should just treat them all, in case some of the others have picked up the same pathogen. QT is not nearly big enough. Since I was waiting around for the last fish to go in the trap, I drove to the store. Happy day- it's the $/gallon sale. I got a new tenner.

Set it all up again- half tank water, half new water. A thin layer of fine gravel. Piece of old filter media from the HOB -glad I kept those pieces around- folded into the bottom of a sponge filter on airline, for the biofilter. Bridge decor and pvc pipe for shelter, three plastic plants. I threw in all the floating watersprite, some vallisneria that had come uprooted, and pulled out some of the stunted-looking rotalas I'd planned to thin out anyway. (Looked very close and found it's probably not a deficiency that caused the leaf curl. It's more of that thread algae, tangling in and pulling the leaves down.) I planted them in a front corner. I'll probably discard these plants after QT is over, but want to make it feel as home-like as possible for the kuhlis since they could be in here a good three weeks or more, if I have to do full treatment.

It looks too bare. I'll put in hornwort too.

I ordered levamisol. I'm going to dose with metronidazole first. But I still have to catch the last fish!

Well, at least the five other kuhlis look ok in the new ten gallon QT. They are wriggling about across the substrate with that funny little hop forwards. Only Albert is still in hiding under the filter- he was the last one I caught to move out of the pior container- I finally cornered him with my hands and a cup, and he looked really panicked. From what I see of his head peeking out, he is still pale from shock.