Pleco Problems

monkey djinn · Post by **monkey djinn** » 26 May 2007, 16:36

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post, i'm not sure where to go, i'm new and stupid.

I'm having problems with plecos. I've lost 3 in a row. Which is terrible.

The first was a Golden Nugget (about 2 inches long), which just didn't eat, it just sat up the corner for 2 weeks and starved to death. Despite offering it wafers, cucumber. He just seemed to have 'caved in'. I read that they don't like the transition if they are wild caught.

Then futher down the line, i tried a Red Sailfin Pleco (also about 2 inches). He lasted a month. He was eating the things i gave him, was very active always, up and down. Then on morning i got up and he was just dead. Stiff and lifeless on the bottom.

Finally I had a Royal Pleco. A most beautiful fish. At first he seemed happy and active. I offered him Courgette, cucumber, lettuce, wafers, peas, and there was plenty of wood in there for him to go at. But he never seemed interested, and after a few days sat at the back or top of the tank and didn't eat. I found him floating dead today. I feel awful.

Now, I check my parameters often. Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate all reading 0ppm. My pH is about 6.5, temperature 25. I do weekly 25% water changes.

It is a 120cm tank. Well planted. All my other fish are happy. I've 2 dwarf gouramis, 3 bleeding heart tetra, 8 red phantom tetra, 2 giant danios, an angel, 5 corys, 5 platies (who are having babies, as they do)and 6 neon tetra.

Any ideas??

Danno · Post by **Danno** » 26 May 2007, 17:32

take all the gravel out and boil it unless you are using reverse flow undergravel system then you must leave about 25% of it if it is a conventional flow sucking water out from under the plates than you can remove all of itand clean and boil it also it sound like you have a rock or stone in your aquarium that contains either copper or arsenic selenium is also toxic your water changes keep the other fish safe from the mineral in the water but plecostomi are industrious cleaners and they may be coming in direct contact with the mineral if all other factors are in balance and all else fails and you cant find a mineral problem then you coulhave a form of fungus in the tank some species will die and show no outward signs of the disease i lost one that way i had no idea until some of the other species came down with it and it was nasty treated with a number of differnt medicines ofr 3 weeks the last possibility is you are buying from a dealer that has stock contaminated with tuberculosis TB can kill your entire tank but im betting on the mineral thing Danno

monkey djinn · Post by **monkey djinn** » 26 May 2007, 17:47

Thanks for the reply Danno. I can try the boiling of the gravel. I have no rocks in there though. Only wood.

Danno · Post by **Danno** » 27 May 2007, 17:11

hey i forgot to ask how old is you tank ? you say you have 0 nitrates? cant grow much algae if that is the case an wild caught arent often able to eat mush else for some time they have to learn to take other foods and wile they are learning they need natural food to keep them going try black worms most of them like that and they wont foul the tank but remember to rinse them till the water is clean everyday before feeding and even if you dont feed and keep them in the refrigerator they will last a long time i can tell you how to breed black worms if you are ever interested just take a spoonfull put it in a net and let it dangle in the water they will crawl through into the water feed at night for the plecos benefit and you can even dump a spoon full on their head at night to get stubborn ones to eat remember some of them still wont eat in your presence so hide if you want to watch with the lights off and just a little bit of ambient light i have a butterfly pleco that i never saw eat a thing until i turned the light on once at 2 am in the tank room and unfortunately that is the only way i get to see him at all he hides during the day he was wild caught and a beautiful specimin they need places to hide to feel safe especially when they are nocturnal
hope yhid helpd Dan

monkey djinn · Post by **monkey djinn** » 27 May 2007, 17:22

Hey.

My tank is well established. It was running for a few years as a coldwater set up. Then i moved the goldfishes, and then planted up the tank, added a heater and left it running empty for about 4 months. Then added the platies to get it going again. There was an initial nitrate and algae bloom, and even now there is a goog covering on the back side and on some of the broad leaved plants.

I love pl*cos, but i'm really worried now about ever having another one.

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 27 May 2007, 20:00

Hi. Welcome to the forum.

Your readings of 0 nitrates seem a bit worrying. All established tanks should have some detectable nitrate. It is quite common to have dud test kits, so the other kits may also be wrong. Perhaps the filters are not mature and there is a ammonia/nitrite peak? How long has the tank been set up and what sort of filtration are you using?

Having said this, as your other fish are not affected, I would think this is probably not the cause of your problems.

I would suspect that you are purchasing plecs that have not been acclimated properly by the LFS. Often no effort is made by the shop to ensure the plecs are eating and given enough time to acclimate to the local water.

They can survive without food for a long time in the shop, but they can be weak and quickly die when added to a new tank.

I would purchase a common bristlenose or two before getting any more wild caught plecs. These are tank bred and very hardy, and will also be happier at the lower temperature of your tank.

Most wild caught plecs such as the ones you have tried prefer warmer water (27-30C). Water that is too cool reduces their appetite and weakens them, especially after import.

Make sure you can watch the fish feeding in the shop and that they are displaying natural behaviour (ie trying to hide).

Danno · Post by **Danno** » 28 May 2007, 08:24

Dont give up yet i agree with Raccco neat that he picked up on the nitrate thing too and agree with his summation of trying the bristle nose i wish i could get one i have wanted one for 20 years and can not get them where i live they are a fascinating fish
Danno if i can do anything more to help just post it love to help any way i can
Danno

monkey djinn · Post by **monkey djinn** » 28 May 2007, 11:03

Awww thanks guys.

They usually have bristlenoses in my a couple of my fish shops, so once i've looked at my tank, i think i'll look into getting one of those.

I'll let you know.

Gozza · Post by **Gozza** » 04 Jun 2007, 21:32

when you next go back to your local have a good look at their plecs. Have a look at their eyes do they look sunken? almost if the fish is wearing a helmet that is to large? if so there is a good chance it is undernourished. similarley try and look at the fishes belly and check if its looking hollow or not, these are good places to start looking when picking healthy catfish. Since your other fish are uneffected it is unlikly your catfish have heavy metal poisoning, boiling gravel will not prevent metal poisoning. I wouldnt recommend changing substrate unless you have exhausted all other options. I agree with racoll try testing the water with another kit, it would be worth having a poke around the filter just to check if its working alright.

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 05 Jun 2007, 00:36

The advise racoll has given is very good.

The suggestions to boil everything or that heavy metals are possibly involved are baseless.

It may occur to you that verifying that a pleco you are considering is eating in the shop would not hurt. A healthy pleco will eat when fed in the shop while you watch. If it does not, do not consider buying it. In short, take a clue from the reef fish keepers and demand proof the fish is eating before you buy it.
Even place a deposit on it and have them hold it another week and reverifying that it is feeding.
They are making plenty of money on one of these plecos and with extraordinary prices comes a greater burden of proof that the fish is well and is not too much to impose certain conditions on the transaction.

Practice with a common bushynose. If it does well then so will a healthy more exotic species. It is true that many of the exotic plecos require higher temperatures than most common community fish including bushynoses. ~28C or 83.4F is suitable for most.

monkey djinn · Post by **monkey djinn** » 05 Jun 2007, 18:55

Thanks for the advice guys.

I have got a busynose. Early days yet. He's been active, and eating algae and had a little nibble at some courgette and lettuce. I've taken the temp up a notch and checked my equipment. So, fingers crossed.

hfjacinto · Post by **hfjacinto** » 05 Jun 2007, 23:09

I once saw 3 snowball plecos for sale in one of the big pet places. They were on sale for $5.99 (a stupid price if I ever saw one). I bought all 3 and put into a quaratine 10 gallon tank that was sent up for over 4 months. I did 50% water changes every 3 days. The pleco's never ate and 2 weeks later all 3 died. I have on other occasions purchased other fish from large retail stores and in most cases the fish die within weeks to months.

There are 3 nicely stock LFS nearby and whenever I purchase fish from them they never die. I now try to get fish from small shops that I trust and I don't buy any expensive fish (over $10) that I don't see eating.

Good luck on your future fish purchases.

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