Young Common Plec Died, Wondering What I Did Wrong

[rami]

So my common plec which I have had for about 2-3 months has been acting rather sluggish for the past few days and died today. I just did a gravel vak/water change this morning and I don't have a full chem test kit so all I know is the ph is 7.8. I have been feeding him zucchini, so I doubt he starved to death.
In the fish emergency forum someone suggested that he might have died because he was eating let over flakes from the other fish and that they were too high in protein for him. I was just wanting to hear any other theories you guys might have seeing as I really liked him and want to get another one, but obviously I don't want the next one to die on me

 

[raptorrex]

So my common plec which I have had for about 2-3 months has been acting rather sluggish for the past few days and died today. I just did a gravel vak/water change this morning and I don't have a full chem test kit so all I know is the ph is 7.8. I have been feeding him zucchini, so I doubt he starved to death.
In the fish emergency forum someone suggested that he might have died because he was eating let over flakes from the other fish and that they were too high in protein for him. I was just wanting to hear any other theories you guys might have seeing as I really liked him and want to get another one, but obviously I don't want the next one to die on me

its hard to say, from your description. but i doubt the protein is to blame. they are after all, omnivores. so around 25% of their diet should be protein, anyway.


how long has the tank been cycled?

what size is the tank?

what stock are you keeping with it?

what filtration have you got?

if you could answer these questions it will make it simpler for us to give advice

 

[rami]

how long has the tank been cycled? the tank has been fully cycled a little over 3 months

what size is the tank? 20 gallons (US) long. Before I get told that my tanks is too small, the pleco was young, and the peopleat the LFS said that since people want big plecos for their tanks, I could trade him in once he got too big.

what stock are you keeping with it? 2 blue goroumis, 2 gold gourami, 3 paradise fish. I got the spotted pleco in early September, so about 2 months ago.

what filtration have you got? This is something I'm a bit concerned about. They LFS said that carbon filtration is unnecessary, so he sold ous an under-gravel filtration system with an jet head.

 

[raptorrex]

how long has the tank been cycled? the tank has been fully cycled a little over 3 months

what size is the tank? 20 gallons (US) long. Before I get told that my tanks is too small, the pleco was young, and the peopleat the LFS said that since people want big plecos for their tanks, I could trade him in once he got too big.

what stock are you keeping with it? 2 blue goroumis, 2 gold gourami, 3 paradise fish. I got the spotted pleco in early September, so about 2 months ago.

what filtration have you got? This is something I'm a bit concerned about. They LFS said that carbon filtration is unnecessary, so he sold ous an under-gravel filtration system with an jet head.

Filtration, may be, a problem. i have no experience of UGF. but things have moved on. especially with dirty fish like Plecos. perhaps something more like a good internal. even an external would be better. and i would say you are right about tank size. be careful. most people don't want big plecos, for the most part. even an LFS will only take it off you. 


i too would suggest carbon is not something to use, normally, in a freshwater tank. but am unsure why that taxed you.

 

[rami]

Alright, so I'll look into other forms of filtration. However, the more I think about it, I doubt that my pleco's death was caused be filtration problem. I did a water change that morning, and, while he was a bit sluggish, he was definitely alive.