one mysterious dead kuhli loach. How should I treat the tank?

[KittenFishMom]

After lights out last night, I spotted a kuhli loach in java moss using a flashlight. If didn't flinch, which seemed odd, so I reach in and took it out. it was dead, but looked fine. Not a scratch on it, no discoloration or swelling. (This did not look like it was the one with the spots from a few weeks ago.)

I put loach outside and took all the java moss out of the tank to see if there were any other signs of death.  I gathered roughly 6 or more cups of java moss and put it in a bucket with tank water and an air stone for overnight (air stone because it was full of tiny rams horns). As the water cleared and settled. I inspectice every inch of the tank. I didn't find any other fish acting strange at all. I have seen several other loaches moving around.  

When I went out later to more closely examine the loach, it was gone. Probably a mouse of some other creature had it for a snack.

Today the fish are acting normal. a few kuhli loaches are zooming around. Everything looks very healthy and busy. Water parms are normal and good.

I will do a big water change and return some of the java moss to increase hiding areas etc.

Any other recommendations? @Colu

[Lennie]

Kuhlis are almost always wildcaught so very likely they come with internal parasites. Did you quarantine them with levamisole/prazi? 

[KittenFishMom]

@Lennie Yes, and it was here over a year.

[KittenFishMom]

@Pepere That is one reason I took all the java moss out. It be able to clearly watch the fish and tank. 

On 4/26/2023 at 4:30 PM, Pepere said:

careful watching for any signs…

What kinds of sign do you think I could watch for?

[KittenFishMom]

@Pepere yes, I am trying to watch for those things. It is hard:

1) The tank started as a Walstad, so I can not vacuum the bottom, just pick up what comes up when I swirl above the substrate. There was a lot of random bits of stuff under the java moss that was all over the bottom of the tank.

2) The tank has a few adult tetras, a few adult kuhli loaches, 3 young hillstream loaches and way more than I can count of little cory fry of different ages, growing out. They dart around and look for food on the bottom, keeping everything stirred up for an inch above the bottom. They also dart to the top for air and drive to the bottom. I added 3 HOB filters one at a time as the corys kept kicking up the stuff on the bottom that was supposed to sink down to the roots of the plants. The java moss grew like crazy and out competed a lot of rooted plants.

3) The tank has a ton of ramshorn snails of different ages and some breeding mystery snails.

I am watching closely, but It is hard to see everything that is going on.

[KittenFishMom]

I may add an internal filter I have. the HOBs get filthy pretty fast. I'm going the one on the end of the tank tonight.