Help! I have a stuck pleco!

adela · Post by **adela** » 15 May 2003, 18:45

I have a large (~10") common pleco that I'm trying to transport to his new 100 gallon tank. I netted him to move him to a bucket (add new water to bucket, wait, repeat, etc, then add him to new tank ... ) But he's managed to get himself stuck on the net in his mouth-sucker region. First I thought he was just sucking on it, but now he appears to be trying to break free and can't .

Any ideas? My only current plan is to move him, net and all into the new tank. If he is sucking on it, perhaps he will let go ...

Any ideas? I really want to help the poor guy. THe moving has him stressed enough as it is.

Adela

Post by **Silurus** » 15 May 2003, 18:57

First thing to do is to cut the net. You will lose the net, but at least the fish would be free.
Put it in the new tank and let it calm down before you attempt anything else.
After that, you can try making it less active and slowly try to work the net loose.
It might also be a good idea to wait for a while....sometimes the piece of stuck netting might work loose and come off (it has happened to me before).

adela · Post by **adela** » 15 May 2003, 19:05

Thanks, Silurus!

(by the way, I think I have only asked like 3 questions here, and I'm sure you have always answered! I super-super appreciate it! The web site is great, but it's the knowledgeable people that make it so useful)

I've cut the net and left him only with a small peice. He flailed a bit as I was cutting which was a bit nervewracking - I didn't want to snip that dorsal fin by accident!

Anyway he's quiet now - we will wait and see. He may not be a rare species, but he's still a beautiful animal, and it would be really awful to lose him.

Adela

T · Post by T » 16 May 2003, 00:43

This happened to a friends pictus cat.The pieces of net will fall off but just watch for infection as fungus set in on the pictus where the net was.

Berger · Post by **Berger** » 16 May 2003, 04:15

This happened to me as I was moving fish and setting up tanks yesterday. 2 pictus and 1 striped raphael got stuck. One 1 pictus couldn't get his way out so I cut the net..he's very happy now

adela · Post by **adela** » 16 May 2003, 18:06

He's since lost his peice of net on his own and removed it from the tank - phew. Hopefully no harm done - he looks no worse for wear.

Thanks again!

Adela

Post by **Shane** » 16 May 2003, 19:59

Adela, In the future do not use a net. It is much easier to move any pleco over two inches by just grabbing it. My two big Panaque L 333 have been moved so many times this way that they do not even react any more.
-Shane

adela · Post by **adela** » 16 May 2003, 20:16

In the future do not use a net. It is much easier to move any pl*co over two inches by just grabbing it

He panics if he sees me in the room, let alone if I would try to grab him ... I would be far too aftaid that a wet slippery pleco would flail right out of my small hands and across the floor!

I eventually moved him into the new tank by just scoopin him up in a large ice-cream bucket - less stressful for both of us.