Golden Nugget Pleco

[keira21]

Hi All

I have a Golden Nugget pleco in my 160 ltr tank, he has lost all his colouring and his fins are down his eyes are very puffy he has marks which almost look like bruses on him and he just dosnt look well, hes been hiding away the last few days, which he never normally does (hes not shy) .. he is in with a few clown loaches and a common plec the same size as him, ive noticed them bash each other a few times but they normally stay out of each others way!.. So i wasnt worried about them fighting!...
when i first bought him i had gravel in my tank and have changed it to sand since! Would this harm him!..
Please help me.... I dont want to loose him!!

 

[Aqua Tom]

Sand wont harm him. He may have caught pop-eye but I am no expert.

 

[keira21]

Hi could you tell me abit more about pop -eye? Is there any cure? or how do i know if it is that? he seems to have little bits that look like grains of sand stuck all over him!

 

[Verminator89]

If your saying he has what looks like little grains of sand stuck on him that sounds like white spot to me. Clearer pictures of him would help as you can't really tell from the picture you've posted what were looking at. Aside from him looking obviously discoloured. If it is white spot - treatments are readily available in pretty much all LFS. You need to be sure whats up with him before you treat for anything though!


Also, golden nugget plecs are finicky fish. I had one month or so ago, he was fine in my tank for two months, then one morning he was dead. They require mature tanks with good filtration and regular partial water changes IME. A rewarding plec to keep if you can maintain their tank well enough, also helps when you don't have a shy plec. I did unfortunately.