My Plec Died Today

[Minni3]

Yesterday night I noticed that he had a swollen stomach. I assumed that it was constipation from the algae discs so I cooked some peas, peeled and then squashed them. This morning I woke up to see that he was moving around like normal so I thought he was all better - even though his stomach was still swollen. I left for work at 7am and came back at 6pm to find him dead...lying on the bottom and partly decomposed . He was only 1.5 inches long and still a baby. I had to do a complete water change after I buried him.

Did he actually have constipation? Was there nothing that I can do? Should my other fish be fine?

 

[chipper_222]

Sorry to hear that Minni....keep an eye on your water stats, s'pecially after doing a complete water change.

 

[jollysue]

I'm sorry, Minni.

Tell me about the algae discs. Was this an herbavore Plec?

I ask about the algae discs because I have never heard of algae discs causing constipation. A steady diet of bottom feeder omnivore or carnivore discs might constipate an herbavore like a BN or a common.

 

[Minni3]

He was a brittlenose plec, a common one.

 

[jollysue]

Were the discs herbavore or omnivore? If they are herbavore, it is unlikely that they caused constipation. It would be like eating veggies. There are 3 kinds of bottom tabs/discs or any fish food: herbavore, omnivore, carnivore. It took me awhile to learn the difference.

 

[Minni3]

It's was spirulina algae discs...

35% protien, 5% fibre, 4% fat, Max. Moisture 8%

 

[jollysue]

Haha Well that pretty well settles that.

I am sorry about the plec. I have had mixed results raising young Plecs to juvie adult status.

 

[Minni3]

Settles what? I don't understand ... >.<!

 

[jollysue]

I'm sorry: answers my questions about the discs--they are herbavore/algae discs.

Did you have other fish with the plec? Constipation would not be caused by the algae discs, imo.

 

[Minni3]

Yes a betta