Hi! I’m new.

[Cindaloo]

I’ve had a 30 gal fish tank for about 20 years. We are on well water and I have struggled with nitrates forever. The only fish I could keep alive was a Pleco who I’ve had for 15 years. A couple of months ago. I got some great advice and bought a four stage D ionizing filter. It was quite a project to make all that water and maintain it but now I have a very healthy tank.EXCEPT this morning, my gorgeous giant Pleco is covered with white patches. I introduced a lot of new fish over the past two months and they all seem very healthy but now I need to know what to do about my poor pleco(((

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello and welcome. All you can safely do is gradually increase the amount of water you change. The water chemistry in a small tank can change quickly and that isn't good for your fish. What is your water change routine? I keep larger tanks and change at least half the water weekly. This keeps the dissolved waste material out of the water and the fish stay healthy. You can't feed very much and you certainly can't have very many fish in just 30 gallons of water.

10

 

[Cindaloo]

Hello and welcome. All you can safely do is gradually increase the amount of water you change. The water chemistry in a small tank can change quickly and that isn't good for your fish. What is your water change routine? I keep larger tanks and change at least half the water weekly. This keeps the dissolved waste material out of the water and the fish stay healthy. You can't feed very much and you certainly can't have very many fish in just 30 gallons of water.

10

I usually change out about 1/4 of the tank every two weeks. I have no nitrates in the tank now and not too many fish. I’m just concerned about the spots on the Pleco which just appeared this morning.

 

[MaloK]

Welcome to the forum !

I think your old boy didn't appreciate the water chemistry change, If he was used to same kind of water for all his life. And then was switched to a new chemistry a little too fast.

At his ripe old age for an aquarium pleco, Any speed could be "too fast".

That may have induced sufficient stress to cause a slime coat loss / weakness, that opened the door to a kind of fungus reaching his skin.

I'm pretty sure that he will need medication to overcome this.

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello again. A 25 percent water change isn't nearly enough. You still leave 75 percent of the dirty water in the tank. In two weeks, the dissolving fish waste will increase. We know that toxins in the water will weaken the immune system of the fish. Fish that live in near pure water conditions, have a strong immune system and are virtually immune to any bad bacteria. However, those fish living in less than optimum water conditions, can be open to infection.

10

 

[emeraldking]

Welcome to TFF...
For questions about your pleco's condition, you can start a thread in the section "Tropical fish emergencies".

 

[MaloK]

An Admin could move his thread.

Help! Pleco with spits

I’ve had this pleco about 15 years and this morning I noticed these patches on him! What do I do?!?!

www.fishforums.net

 

[MaloK]

@WhistlingBadger

 

[jaylach]

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Hello! I move your other thread to Emergencies. You might want to share a little more info about your new water over there.

While I agree with 10t that bigger water changes would be beneficial (I recommend at least 50% weekly for most tanks), I don't think that will solve your problem.