Help! Upside-down Sultan Plec? Bloated?!?!

[sillypony]

Hello.

I have a 55 gallon that has been set up since the end of september. Sand substrate, lightly planted. 9 danios, 9 tetras, 2 skunk corys, 3 queen loaches, L75 and L264 pleco. Ammonia and nitrite 0, nitrate <20 at all times, ph 7.6, 50% water changes once a week.

I have been having troubles with fish lately- right after I started dorming this semester, i lost a cory cat (it lost the ability to swim? i thought maybe it was injured, as it had a scar on this back and stopped growing. But im sure that was wishful thinking), 2 danios to unknown causes (dead when i got home for the weekend) and one danio dead to dropsy. This was over a two month span. I picked up some melafix for my betta (different tank) and decided to dose half doses sun and mon to the 55 gallon, in hopes of preventing further deaths. I was going to dose again today, and then do a water change (the directions recommended for new fish, at half the dosage level.)

However, today my sultan plec has taken to laying on his side, and or back. Its strange, and worries me.

Here's a pic... http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/galle ... 652&size=1


any thoughts?

LeeAnna

PS.. I captured him to get some pics. And I think he looks bloated. Can plecs get dropsy?

pics: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/galle ... /big/cat/2

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/galle ... hoto/44655

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/galle ... hoto/44654

[racoll]

Hi there.

We'd love to help you but we can't see the pics, as you have to be a member of the monsterfishkeepers site to see them.

You can upload to planet catfish or any other free upload service.

[sillypony]

oops. heres some. Im sorry for the poor quality, had to use my cell.

[Cristoffer Forssander]

He, or probably she, looks fine.
She is not so bloated that I would suspect barterial infection, probably just gravid with eggs.

My L241 and L240 lays on the bak sometimes... I have seen it with other species. Perhaps they are just relaxing as we can do...

I don't think you have anything to worry about!

Is you're pleco hyperventialting? If so... you pleco is sick and need medical care quickly!

Regards
Cristoffer

[sillypony]

she? really? i didn't think sultan's could be sexed with any real accuracy?

And he.. er.. she was not hyperventilating until i trapped her in the breeding box for pics. She didn't appreciate that.

LeeAnna

[Cristoffer Forssander]

Yes, they can be sexed with real accuracy, but they have to be a bit bigger. I think that you're fish is sexual mature!
The male have longer and broader head, långer and thicker pectoral fins with odontodes. Realy big males also get spines around the head.
Females is also, wide around the belly.

Have a look at L240 at planet catfish. There you have a image of both male and female from above... the sexual differences are the same for Sultan Plecos!

Cristoffer

[sillypony]

Thanks for the info!

All this makes me wishful for the space to get her a b/f. Lol.

LeeAnna