Cory’s and Pleco’s???

[Magnum Man]

So I have a tank I can’t keep plecos in , I had a white blue eyed long fin, that grew to adult size, then died, and had a pair of super red bushy noses, that have died, after many months, one several months before the other… and I hav a few Zebra Otos, that seem to be thriving, and are still alive, and 3 “giant Otos” ( Hypoptopoma sp ), that are still thriving… this is a weird Cichlid tank, and there are 9 Cory’s… none of the cichlids or other sucker mouths ever bothered the plecos…

With the talk of Cory toxicity, the only thing I can think, is maybe it’s them??? There hasn’t been any aggression there, but maybe more close interaction, with the Cory’s, than the other fish???
... or maybe, the plecos were so line bred, there was something wrong with them, but the white one literally tripled in size here, and the longer lasting red l, doubled in size…

Curious if anyone ever noticed an issue with Cory’s and Plecos in the same tank???

 

[CassCats]

All 3 of my tanks with cories have plecos with them--they're fine. Toxicity within an aquarium environment itself is very, very rare. Definitely would not be a regular occurrence. Cory cat toxin is only produced in very high "flight or fight" situations where the fish legit fears for its life (such as grabbed by a predator, such as a heron or a net and placed into a bag).

A normal aquarium environment with its usual daily stressors will not induce toxin to that point that it kills off a specific group of fish consistently.

 

[GaryE]

The toxins some Coy group fish have is a warning chemical, not a killing one. Since the fish never evolved to be in tiny volumes of water in plastic bags, the amount can be deadly in close quarters. In any reasonable tank, it simply tells other members of the species about an incoming danger.

So unless you put 348 sterbai in a 30 gallon and scare the bejeebers out of them, you're good.

The answer has to be elsewhere. Including just random bad luck with no pattern, there are lots of possibilities though...

 

[anewbie]

I've kept pleco with c. aenus, c. sterbai and c. pygmy for years without issues. Most pleco should live at least 10 years. Something is wrong but i doubt it has anything to with the cory. Could be temp, toxin in the water, food, or maybe someone put a pleco curse on you.

 

[MaloK]

When a group of fish slowly dies unexpectedly without illness signs over an extended period.

It always makes me think of some kind of unknown nutritive or environmental deficiency.

 

[Magnum Man]

Water is good, bio film gets the same enrichment, as I do for the Hillstream loaches… I would think if it was a water issue, or nutritional issue, it would effect the much slighter Zebra Otos… I expected issues with the size difference, between some of the cichlids, and the Zebras, but so far, the Zebras are hanging in there… the Zebras in another tank, getting fed the same, look prime for breeding

 

[MaloK]

Yes Environmental issues goes from water quality to decor and hiding place up to stress pressure from other mates.