Pleco Help

[GatorJ]

I have an 8 year old pleco (only had him a little over a year) hes about 9 inches. Well as of yesterday he does not seem right, when sucking on the glass he leaves half of his body on the floor, is always kinda off to the side now, he is not up at the top of the tank at all, and just not active at all. HIs body looks fine, hes missing a little finnage on his top middle but sides and tail look good. I have other fish in the tank and no one else appears to be acting differently.

Tested the chemicals today with my api freshwater kit :
ph 8 normal
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 30

55 Gal

I could isolate him to a 10 gallon, but i know thats so small for him but is there anything i can do treatment wise? Hes so cool, we open the tank up and he will come eat from our hands just so gracefully... its sad

 

[snowflake311]

Start by doing a nice big water change making sure to clean as much junk off the bottom as you can. I would do a 40%-50% water change and see if that perks him up.

Have you added any new fish? Any fish that might be picking on him? How is his color does he look stressed my Plecos will get pale or blotchy when stressed out.

 

[GatorJ]

Start by doing a nice big water change making sure to clean as much junk off the bottom as you can. I would do a 40%-50% water change and see if that perks him up.

Have you added any new fish? Any fish that might be picking on him? How is his color does he look stressed my Plecos will get pale or blotchy when stressed out.

Ok will do a water change today, I thought we were going to lose him last night because his belly is like sunken in . Hes still alive though. No new fish have been added and nothing has changed maintence wise. Besides not being active and now the sunken belly he is looking just a tad pale but other thant that he looks great.
Hes not eating though because as I said hes not really moving and never comes to the top of the tank to eat.

 

[indigoj]

I presume you have been feeding him sinking algae wafers etc?

 

[GatorJ]

I presume you have been feeding him sinking algae wafers etc?

Yes well drop algae wafers in once every 2 days, and they eat flakes once a day. Once in awhile i treat with frozen blood worms at night.

 

[WILDER]

Sunken belly can be bacterial, internal parasites.

Does he look skinny aswell.

Signs of internal parasites are.
Long stringy white poo, or clear mucas poo.
Worms prutruding from the anus.
Enlarged anus to red inflamed anus.
Sunken in belly.
Fish will look skinny or bloated.
Bent spine sometimes.
Fish will sometimes swim on its side.

If no signs of internal parasistes I would treat with a bacterial med.
Also research the fish diet needs.

 

[GatorJ]

Sunken belly can be bacterial, internal parasites.

Does he look skinny aswell.

Signs of internal parasites are.
Long stringy white poo, or clear mucas poo.
Worms prutruding from the anus.
Enlarged anus to red inflamed anus.
Sunken in belly.
Fish will look skinny or bloated.
Bent spine sometimes.
Fish will sometimes swim on its side.

If no signs of internal parasistes I would treat with a bacterial med.
Also research the fish diet needs.

Are you saying the food I am feeting him is not good enough? Should I be doing something differntly?

So if its an internal parasite what do you reccomend you said if its not an internal than you would treat???
His fins are starting to look ragged, I have isolated him to the 10 gallon and giving him some treatment..

 

[WILDER]

Depends which type of plec it is. Some eat veg and wood. its best to research the fish diet needs.

If the fish is showing no signs of internal parasites I would use an internal bacteria med instead.

 

[GatorJ]

Since moving to the 10 gallon I have noticed his breathing is alot slower and rythmetic instead of fast all the time, hes on the glass and is looking alot more active already not on his side etc. Also his stomach seems to be back to normal not sunken in.

However being in the smaller tank we have been able to monitor his "poo" lol, and it is long and stringy with some white, not all but there is some...

"If the fish is showing no signs of internal parasites I would use an internal bacteria med instead" > that doesnt make sense to me is it because if he had internal parasites then the internal bacteria would do more harm?

Again he looks like hes getting better... so thoughts?

 

[pippoodle]

definately best to identify the type of plec it is some are carniverous (spelling?)

I would treat him with an internal bacteria med - and get a positive ID for the pleco

A 9" pleco is going to have a big appetite - my 9 inch common pleco eats daily and he eats and poops lots (like all plecs) - took a while to get the amount of food right for him - 1 or 2 algae pellets every couple of days wont be enough to sustain a 9 " pleco

If he is a veggie pleco - they love cucumber , courgette and butternut squash
If he's a carniverous pleco - i feed mine bloodworm , greenlipped mussle and earthworm pellets , carnivore wafers aswell as live and frozen meaty foods

 

[GatorJ]

He looks just like the one in this picture, just a common pleco.

[URL="http/www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Common_Plecos_Hypostomus_Liposarcus.php"]http/www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Common_..._Liposarcus.php[/URL]

So is he herb or carn? everything i read on them makes it sound like hes veggie plec.

 

[pippoodle]

if he's definately a common plec then he's a veggie plec

so algae,spirulina wafers or pellets , courgette , cucumber , butternut squash , sweet potato , peas , pleco stick - all good for him - make sure you also have bogwood

 

[GatorJ]

Thanks, I will work on his diet as I have other common plecs in other tanks.

So hes still looking kinda ruff, only meds i have are for ich/common sickness so I was going ot stop at fish store today is there somthing specific for internal parasite?

 

[indigoj]

if he's definately a common plec then he's a veggie plec

so algae,spirulina wafers or pellets , courgette , cucumber , butternut squash , sweet potato , peas , pleco stick - all good for him - make sure you also have bogwood

Many plecs are actually omnivores, the 'common plec' definitely tends to like a meatier diet the larger it gets so feeding a wide variety food is usually best - algae wafers, fresh veg and earthworm pellets are a good basic diet with blood worm or prawns as a rteat.

 

[GatorJ]

Food check

But how should i treat him or is he just on his way out? Again fins are looking deteriorated, poo does show some signs of whiteness / mucas.