My large plecko has developed a large white patch on the front edge of its nose, not that it is really a nose. But I'm not sure what has caused this or what i should do. It seems tonstoll be moving well, but its has not been acting quite normal in the past two days. Any help would be appreciated.
I an new here, but have a plecko question
- Thread starter Bep972
- Start date
It seems to be a fungal infection. What is your tank size? How long has the tank been set up? What are your water parameters?
Salt may work for this but others more experienced should chime in as well. If you try salt, its 1-2 heaped tablespoons per 5 gallons and shouldnt be used for more than 4 weeks if its a softwater fish...
Do you know what exact type of plecostomus it is??
Salt may work for this but others more experienced should chime in as well. If you try salt, its 1-2 heaped tablespoons per 5 gallons and shouldnt be used for more than 4 weeks if its a softwater fish...
Do you know what exact type of plecostomus it is??
Hi and welcome to the forum 
The fish has damaged its nose and it is covered in mucous to help it heal. The fish might have grazed it on a rock or something in the tank.
There also appears to be blue green algae (Cyanobacter bacteria) on the gravel. The can cause problems to fish that are in contact with it. Reduce the dry food, increase water changes and gravel cleaning, increase water movement and aeration. Try to physically remove as much of it as possible.
-----------------------------
WHAT TO DO NOW
Wipe the inside of the glass down with a clean fish sponge. This removes the biofilm on the glass and the biofilm will contain lots of harmful bacteria, fungus, protozoans and various other microscopic life forms.
Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week. The water changes and gravel cleaning will reduce the number of disease organisms in the water and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in. It should also help get rid of the blue green algae.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.
Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Wash the filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water and re-use them. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn. Cleaning the filter means less gunk and cleaner water with fewer pathogens.
Increase surface turbulence/ aeration to maximise the dissolved oxygen in the water.
Add some salt, (see directions below).
Monitor the fish and post more pictures if it gets worse.
-----------------------------
SALT
You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt) or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.
Keep the salt level like this for 2 weeks.
The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria, fish, plants, shrimp or snails.
After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.
When you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.
When you first add salt, add the salt to a small bucket of tank water and dissolve the salt. Then slowly pour the salt water into the tank near the filter outlet. Add the salt over a couple of minutes.
The fish has damaged its nose and it is covered in mucous to help it heal. The fish might have grazed it on a rock or something in the tank.
There also appears to be blue green algae (Cyanobacter bacteria) on the gravel. The can cause problems to fish that are in contact with it. Reduce the dry food, increase water changes and gravel cleaning, increase water movement and aeration. Try to physically remove as much of it as possible.
-----------------------------
WHAT TO DO NOW
Wipe the inside of the glass down with a clean fish sponge. This removes the biofilm on the glass and the biofilm will contain lots of harmful bacteria, fungus, protozoans and various other microscopic life forms.
Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week. The water changes and gravel cleaning will reduce the number of disease organisms in the water and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in. It should also help get rid of the blue green algae.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.
Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Wash the filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water and re-use them. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn. Cleaning the filter means less gunk and cleaner water with fewer pathogens.
Increase surface turbulence/ aeration to maximise the dissolved oxygen in the water.
Add some salt, (see directions below).
Monitor the fish and post more pictures if it gets worse.
-----------------------------
SALT
You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt) or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.
Keep the salt level like this for 2 weeks.
The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria, fish, plants, shrimp or snails.
After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.
When you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.
When you first add salt, add the salt to a small bucket of tank water and dissolve the salt. Then slowly pour the salt water into the tank near the filter outlet. Add the salt over a couple of minutes.
I know you have way more experience than me, but as I look at the photo closer it looks to be a wound with an infection with mucus... Not just a wound and mucus. Again, I know you have a ton more experience, I am just one to ask questions on things.
It's a bit hard to tell from the angle of the fish but if it has fungus as well as mucous, the salt should treat it. The most common fungus seen on fish is Saprolegnia, which looks like white fluff sticking out from the damaged tissue.
One of the things about salt is it kills minor fungal, bacterial and some external protozoan infections. So even if the fish has a minor bacterial or fungal infection in the wound, the salt should help stop the infection and give the fish a chance to heal.
Cleaning the tank water and gravel more regularly (daily for a week or so) can help by reduing the number of disease organisms in the water and the combination of salt and a clean environment can usually help, and chemical based medications won't be needed.
Cleaning the filter also helps. The aquarium water is constantly filtered through the filter media/ materials. If the media is full of gunk (rotting fish poop), then it can increase the number of disease organisms in the water. By cleaning the filter (squeezing the media out in a bucket of tank water), you remove most of the gunk and the aquarium water will be cleaner and have fewer disease organisms in it.
One of the things about salt is it kills minor fungal, bacterial and some external protozoan infections. So even if the fish has a minor bacterial or fungal infection in the wound, the salt should help stop the infection and give the fish a chance to heal.
Cleaning the tank water and gravel more regularly (daily for a week or so) can help by reduing the number of disease organisms in the water and the combination of salt and a clean environment can usually help, and chemical based medications won't be needed.
Cleaning the filter also helps. The aquarium water is constantly filtered through the filter media/ materials. If the media is full of gunk (rotting fish poop), then it can increase the number of disease organisms in the water. By cleaning the filter (squeezing the media out in a bucket of tank water), you remove most of the gunk and the aquarium water will be cleaner and have fewer disease organisms in it.
Do you have you another pleco in the tank? If so, it will be a female that didn't like the proposal this guy made. He will get over it.
Yes, both of you are correct. If it's still an open wound, fungus can occur. But yes, the mucus seems to do it's job already. It's always a matter of time if that part, once it's healed, will have it's original color back or not.
Oh yes, before I forget... Welcome to TFF, Bep972... 
The603
Fishaholic
Welcome to the forum.
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