Butterfly Plec Losing Colour

[misspiggy78]

Hi

I'm getting a little worried, our little (2") butterfly plec has started to lose his colour, is this normal?
I've only noticed as we changed our gravel substrate to sand last week. We've had him for aabout 6 months now, and i've not noticed this before. Its starts from behind his eyes and travels down his back about 3/4 cm.
I've turned the lights off on the tank, but anyone have any other ideas?

Tank is 60 litres, only has 2 guppies and 1 molly in at the moment, plus 3 fry.

 

[WILDER]

What are your water stats in ammonia, nitrite,nitrate and ph.

Any white specs behind the lens of the eye.
Does he flick and rub against things in the tank.
Does he look bloated.
What does it look like when he goes to the toilet.
Any excess mucas on gills or body of fish.
The patches do they look fluffy or just bleached out bemeath the skin.

Does it go along the back and down the sides to form a saddle shape.

 

[b0668099]

Hi

I'm getting a little worried, our little (2") butterfly plec has started to lose his colour, is this normal?
I've only noticed as we changed our gravel substrate to sand last week. We've had him for aabout 6 months now, and i've not noticed this before. Its starts from behind his eyes and travels down his back about 3/4 cm.
I've turned the lights off on the tank, but anyone have any other ideas?

Tank is 60 litres, only has 2 guppies and 1 molly in at the moment, plus 3 fry.

I dont know about butterflys but my common plec changes colour quite alot, from a black to a khaki brown. I dont know why but it doesnt seem to be a problem.

 

[misspiggy78]

What are your water stats in ammonia, nitrite,nitrate and ph.

Any white specs behind the lens of the eye. Not that i can see
Does he flick and rub against things in the tank. No, just sits there and doesn't move
Does he look bloated. No
What does it look like when he goes to the toilet. I haven't seen him do a poo, used to see it when he wouls stick to the glass, but he doesn't do that anymore
Any excess mucas on gills or body of fish. No
The patches do they look fluffy or just bleached out bemeath the skin. Bleached beneath the skin

Does it go along the back and down the sides to form a saddle shape. Yeah, kinda

Heres a pic

http/s145.photobucket.com/albums/r236/mi...honepics032.jpg

Sorry it took me so long to reply, laptop is short on memory and it took an age to upload the pic

 

[WILDER]

I would check if you can see any white specs behind the eye as that can be eye flukes.
The rest is sounding like columnaris if it bleaching beneath the skin and forms a saddle shape.

Can you load a link to photobucket as the links not working.

That's bad.
He dosn't look good.
Does he look thin to you.

Not familar with this type of plec but does the patch on his look abit yellow.

 

[misspiggy78]

I would check if you can see any white specs behind the eye as that can be eye flukes.
The rest is sounding like columnaris if it bleaching beneath the skin and forms a saddle shape.

Can you load a link to photobucket as the links not working.

That's bad.
He dosn't look good.
Does he look thin to you.

Really struggling to figure out how to get the pic on. It says to add this link

http/i145.photobucket.com/albums/r236/mi...honepics032.jpg

does that work?

Can't tell if he's looking any thinner than normal, as he's only small. Is there any treatment for columnaris?

 

[JenCliBee]

Thats a very sick looking plec and not to rub salt into the wounds but going by the pic it's not a butterfly plec either, looks more like a common bristlenose?

 

[WILDER]

The link works now.

I would issolate him as he dosn't look good.
How does his spine look.

 

[misspiggy78]

Thats a very sick looking plec and not to rub salt into the wounds but going by the pic it's not a butterfly plec either, looks more like a common bristlenose?

It was bought from pets @ home and was in the coldwater tanks. They said he could be coldwater or tropical and butterfly plec is what it said on the label. They said he wouldn't grow any bigger than what he is now. I just took their word for it all

Wilder-his spine looks ok. Feel so sorry for the little guy.

 

[WILDER]

Do a search on the plec and see if he is a butterfly plec. Also check if they can be kept in coldwater tanks.
Can you issolate him. I would try a bacterial med.
Does he look thin to you. Is he still eating.

Does his eyes look sunken in. Also do the eyes bulge out.
is the iris of his eyes black.

 

[JenCliBee]

Thats a very sick looking plec and not to rub salt into the wounds but going by the pic it's not a butterfly plec either, looks more like a common bristlenose?

It was bought from pets @ home and was in the coldwater tanks. They said he could be coldwater or tropical and butterfly plec is what it said on the label. They said he wouldn't grow any bigger than what he is now. I just took their word for it all

Wilder-his spine looks ok. Feel so sorry for the little guy.

Butterfly plecs will tolerate lower temperatures but there not coldwater fish... how cold are you keeping the water he/she is in?, also butterfly plecs will grow to 5-6 inches and your by the pic he is far from that... still from the pics it looks like a small juvinile bristlenose and if he has been kept in cold water it may have caused whatever problems he has.

 

[WILDER]

What's your location for meds.

 

[WILDER]

I agree with jen now as just found a pic of a butterfly plec.
http/www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=butterflypleco

 

[JenCliBee]

I agree with jen now as just found a pic of a butterfly plec.
[URL="http/www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=butterflypleco"]http/www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=butterflypleco[/URL]

They tend to differ from plec to plec clour and band wise but most will have some sort of banding, the plec in the OP link just doesnt look right at all in comparison.

 

[WILDER]

How many gallons is the tank.
What are your water stats.
What is the temp of the tank.