Is There Something Wrong With My Plec?

[SecretlyaZombie]

I bought a male BN plec about two months ago and have barely seen him, he hides under his bogwood most the time. I feed him every other day one Tetra Pleco multi wafers. I haven't seen him eat one yet but I bury it in the sand, (not too deep) where he's hiding (so that the tiger barbs don't steal it) and it's gone every morning. Should I feed him more or less or more variety? I try giving cucumber but he doesn't come out for it, he's had peas every so often.

Today, he was swimming around the tank whilst the tank light was on which i've never seen him do, he wasn't bothered much when I came to take photos as I noticed his belly looked huge and there's a lump below it whichb I hadn't noticed before, I couldn't find a photo to compare it to another plec so I don't know if it's normal. I'm quite worried.

hope this is ok - posted in emergencies as well as i'm really worried.

 

[joselaz5780]

I don't know much about plecs, however i'll try to help. I would try doing a 50% water change and see how he does... He might be constipated? Feeding him the middle of a boiled pea can help, but i would wait for more replies of professionals to be honest with you since i don't know much about plecs. Let me know how it goes. Best of luck for your plec.

 

[SecretlyaZombie]

I don't know much about plecs, however i'll try to help. I would try doing a 50% water change and see how he does... He might be constipated? Feeding him the middle of a boiled pea can help, but i would wait for more replies of professionals to be honest with you since i don't know much about plecs. Let me know how it goes. Best of luck for your plec.

thanks for the reply, boiling peas this second. Doing some googling, I think it's because he's not had enough vegetable matter, I have given him some but probably not as much as I should have.

 

[moochy13]

definitely not normal, hoepfully just constipated, which peas should sort out. would definitely appreciated more than just tabs to eat though. try putting veg in at night near him if you knwo where he stays. once he gets tge taste for it, he might come out for it during the day.

 

[SecretlyaZombie]

definitely not normal, hoepfully just constipated, which peas should sort out. would definitely appreciated more than just tabs to eat though. try putting veg in at night near him if you knwo where he stays. once he gets tge taste for it, he might come out for it during the day.

thank you for the reply, I had given him a few peas every so often and seen him eat them, i'm upset with myself for not doing so more often. He wouldn't eat the cucumber but I hadn't tried leaving him in the tank with him over night. I 've left mushed peas in the tank, covered the tank up compeltely with lights off so that the tigers wont steal the food (they don't seem to when it's dark) and so that the pleco will more likely come out. Is there anything else I can try doing?

 

[xingumike]

Yeah that doesn't look good.

The peas are a good suggestion, not sure what else you can do at this point except cut all protein out of his diet for the foreseeable future

Good luck

 

[SecretlyaZombie]

Yeah that doesn't look good.

The peas are a good suggestion, not sure what else you can do at this point except cut all protein out of his diet for the foreseeable future

Good luck

thanks, I think he looks the same this morning.. I'm not sure if he had eaten any of the peas, could have been the barbs.. do you think it would be too stressful for him if I moved him to a smaller 35 litre I have spare so I can tell if he's eating? Thanks for any help.

 

[xingumike]

If you can move him easily and the parameters are the same (and you have a cycled filter for it) then could be worth a go.

Keep at it with the peas as well.

 

[SecretlyaZombie]

If you can move him easily and the parameters are the same (and you have a cycled filter for it) then could be worth a go.

Keep at it with the peas as well.

I've only just filled the tank up, 50% water from his current tank and 50% new. The tank has a different substrate and it says on the bag that it lowers the pH. The filter is cycled. Would it still be ok to move him? (once the temp has reached the same). I can test the parametres to see if they're similar..

The problem is, I can't feed him the peas because of the tiger barbs who will do anything for food. The plec just stays in his bogwood and when I turn the lights off, he comes out but I can't tell if he's eaten. That's why I think it would be helpful to have him on his own, so I can see if he's eating.

Thanks for your help.

 

[jbrock]

I have recently had the same problem and done a lot of research in to this matter, sadly for my BN it was to late.
It does look to be bloat me. Your best bet would be to move him to your 35l aquarium (if its cycled and you can catch him with out stressing him to much) doing daily water changes, place some bogwood in the tank feed him with peas and leave some cucumber in there for him.
You could also try treating him with octazin which people have had good results with.

Have you tested the temp, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate level of you tank?
What the current diet of your BN?

 

[SecretlyaZombie]

I have recently had the same problem and done a lot of research in to this matter, sadly for my BN it was to late.
It does look to be bloat me. Your best bet would be to move him to your 35l aquarium (if its cycled and you can catch him with out stressing him to much) doing daily water changes, place some bogwood in the tank feed him with peas and leave some cucumber in there for him.
You could also try treating him with octazin which people have had good results with.

Have you tested the temp, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate level of you tank?
What the current diet of your BN?

sorry for your loss.
The 35 litre is still warming up, seems to be taking a long time. Just tested the water, ammonia and nitrate both turned out clear but for the nitrite the result turned very slightly coloured (I use colour tests), the tank is 5 months matured. I'm doing a 50% water change in the big tank, I tested the water last time over a month ago and everything was 0. Could this have helped cause the pleco to become ill? ):

 

[xingumike]

Clear nitrate? As in zero? That's wrong if so

 

[jbrock]

nitrate is normally above 0ppm, and nitrite and anommina should be <0ppm, which water test kit are you using, are you sure your tank is fully cycled? is there live plants in the tank? poor water conditions and stress can be factors that cause bloat but more often than not it is diet related.
if there is a slight temp difference it shouldn't be to much of a problem aslong as you aclimitise your bn slowly as not to cause stress

 

[SecretlyaZombie]

nitrate is normally above 0ppm, and nitrite and anommina should be <0ppm, which water test kit are you using, are you sure your tank is fully cycled? is there live plants in the tank? poor water conditions and stress can be factors that cause bloat but more often than not it is diet related.
if there is a slight temp difference it shouldn't be to much of a problem aslong as you aclimitise your bn slowly as not to cause stress

I use nutrafin tests where you match the results with colour charts, these are the only tests I've tried, I know that alot of people use others tests which give more precise readings. The test for ammonia came out with completely clear water (meaning no ammonia according to the chart) and the nitrate looked clear too. I may try it again. The nitrite however looked very very slightly pinkish (meaning a very small amount of nitrate according to the chart). I fully cycled the tank in the first month and at first added 4 tiger barbs, then another 3 in the next week, (probably too soon I know). I hadn't added anything for a while after and I bought the plec about two months ago. And three mollies a week ago. There's always been live plants, amazon sword, water sprite and some sort of grass plant.

The new tank is still heating up, it seems to be taking a long time.. hopefully it will be ok by tonight to add him. Would any difference in pH be an issue? Should I test for this?

Thank you for your info.

 

[jbrock]

The ph of your tanks should be the same, as the water came from the same supply and you took 50% from the one to use in the other, but a test would hurt.
I would recheck your Nitrate Levels though and make sure Nitrite is <0ppm.
Once you have moved your BN, daily water changes and pea will help alot.

Glad to have been able to help, i hope you BN recovers