sick pleco

[tmkx3]

My pleco can't stay stuck when he tries he falls backwards. I put him in a hospital tank. What do you think is wrong? I usually treat with salt. Can I use this for a pleco? I have heard different opinions. I want to do what is the safest. My readings in the main tank are ammonia 0, nitites 0, and nitrates 2ppm. He also looks a little skinny. I feed him wafers but the other fish eat them also. Can he just be weak?How do you keep the other fish from getting the wafers?

 

[Durbkat]

Most likley he is just weak. What I did in the beggining when I first got my pleco is turn the light off when you feed him and put the wafer in right before you got to bed or when he's out and swimming around. But I can feed my pleco at any time of the day because he is about 5 inches long and when the other fish used to eat his food he would attack them by kinda like thrashing around the wafer and chasing them away. Now whenever I put a wafer in they get as far away from him when he comes out as possible. So good luck and if you want you can just put him in a hospital tank and feed him in thier to he gets bigger or stronger then put him back in the tank.

 

[IMCL85]

I wouldn't add too much salt if I were u, maybe half does of what u use to give normal fish. And usually I feed my pleco algae flakes I bought from LFS. They seems to like it.

 

[Durbkat]

They make flakes for plecos but wouldn't they float? Hey let everyone know how your pleco is doing.

 

[IMCL85]

ops I mean tablet not flakes

 

[Durbkat]

You mean wafer right? Opps never mind tablet and wafer is the same thing.

 

[Raz]

Chopped romain lettuce...great for all bottom feeders and plecos....

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I wouldn't add too much salt if I were u, maybe half does of what u use to give normal fish. And usually I feed my pleco algae flakes I bought from LFS. They seems to like it.

[snapback]902048[/snapback]​

Salt is very bad for plecs and other catfish and would only stress him out further, a watered down dose of melafix would be much better

 

[cyprinut]

Get some raw spinach leaves, or romaine lettuce and sink it with a big bag-clip. Plecos should always have a nice round belly.

 

[Gourami Girl]

i know what you mean about the other fish eating his food. i would put a chunk of cucumber in, weighted down. also i don't know if you have any bog wood in the tank as this is essential for them to eat, so they can break down the lignin in the algae they eat. i hope he's still around?!