Disapearing sailfin plec

[Paul_MTS]

I recently bought a sailfin plec and saw it daily until yesterday and I couldn't see it this morning either even aften fishing aorund in the tank to find it.

Just wondering if they burrow at all?

 

[ryan]

Unlikely to burrow, but to just lose a fish seems abit odd unless it has jumped out. Get in and have a good look around, I think I have lost fish at times only for the to appear out of the blue some time later.

 

[SirMinion]

Check in unlikely places such as behind the filter, under the filter or in the filter.
Also when you pick up a rock to look under it, he may still be stuck to the rock where you can't see him.

 

[Paul_MTS]

I didn't want to distrb the tank too much so I just move the plants out the way and felt gently round the back of things.

I don't have a filter in there as it's external but he wasn't behind the intake tube.

I know where my clown plec hangs out and see it daily was strange not to see the sailfin though.

 

[Paul_MTS]

sailfin pleco.

Decided to find out where he was and it was dead at the back of the tank

I don'y have a clue why he's died all the others are OK, I haven't tested the water yet but thats irrelevant now as it died 2 nights ago and has probable gone back to normal if it was out. But platty fry have survived.

 

[Paul_MTS]

well the bad news is, it's still dead

my good news is my LFS replaced it for me it's the first time he's replaced a fish for me so really quite surprised!!!

 

[LadyMinion]

Really sorry to hear about your loss.

Glad your lfs was reasonable and gave you another.

 

[ryan]

Sounds like the lfs is good. May have internal parasites, did it have a suken belly? This can often be the case with Plecs, make sure you check their stomachs in future I often see some beyond help.

 

[Paul_MTS]

The belly seemed fine when i had it and it fed fine, it even removed all the hair algae.

When i found it though there was a whole jus behind the head.

the new ones a tad bigger but doesn't have as distinct markings as my last!!

 

[LadyMinion]

Ah, sounds like hole in the head (HITH). Very nasty if untreated but looks like it just happened pretty fast on your guy before you were able to notice.

That's the problem with fish that hide all the time....

 

[Paul_MTS]

Hole in the head??? are you kidding me or somthing??

He didn't have the hole before it died as I saw him daily thats the main reason why I went in search as he had hiden up/died