Symptoms of White Spot Sickness in a Clown Loach

A healthy clown loach's immune system is strong enough to fight off a white spot infection, but stressed or already sick fish are susceptible to the disease. White spot is caused by a protozoan parasite, and symptoms include rubbing or flicking behavior, color loss, clamped fins, general lethargy and grainy white spots on the loach's body. White spot, also called ich or ick, infects fish quickly and spreads rapidly through an affected aquarium.

  1. Flicking or Rubbing

    • If you see your clown loach displaying unusual behavior such as flicking or rubbing against objects in the aquarium, it may be showing early symptoms of a white spot infection. A clown loach can pick up ich from other species of infected fish in your tank, or it may already be carrying the disease when you bring it home from the pet store.

    Color Loss

    • Healthy clown loaches are a bright shade of orange with alternating black bands along their bodies. Faded colors are a sign of stress or disease in most fish species but because clown loaches have such vibrant markings, it is easy to determine when something is wrong. If your clown loach suddenly looks pale or washed out, it may be suffering from ich.

    Clamped Fins

    • Fins clamped close to a fish's body is a warning sign that your clown loach is sick. If your fish displays other white spot symptoms you can be fairly sure of an accurate diagnosis. Tightly-clamped fins on a clown loach is also a sign of stress or poor water quality.

    White Spots

    • The main symptom of a white spot outbreak on a clown loach is a dusting of white specks all over the body, resembling grains of salt. Each spot is a protozoan parasite cyst. The cysts burst and release spores into the water, infecting other fish and re-infecting the host. If left untreated, infected fish will die.

    Lethargy and Gasping for Air

    • An infected clown loach may appear healthy even when the spots first appear. Some fish immediately look unwell and show signs of lethargy or hang at the water's surface gasping for air as soon as the infection takes hold. This behavior alone can be a symptom of several fish diseases and not a sure sign that your clown loach has white spot unless the protozoan cysts are also present.