Sick pleco

sammich · Post by **sammich** » 09 Aug 2003, 20:55

A white hump has appeared on my pleco...I know there's something wrong, but I can't determine what it is.

What is wrong with my pleco? And is there any way to make it better?

Post by **Silurus** » 09 Aug 2003, 23:30

Do you have a better pic? It's not easy to see what the white hump looks like. If you cannot get a better pic, maybe a good description of the growth might do.

sammich · Post by **sammich** » 10 Aug 2003, 01:02

I posted an updated pic. I think it might be ich, because one of my gouramis in the same tank has ich-I've quarantined it though.

Post by **Silurus** » 10 Aug 2003, 01:09

Certainly looks like ich. Just make sure it's not the lymphocystis carried over from your cory.

sammich · Post by **sammich** » 10 Aug 2003, 03:08

I'm pretty sure it's not lymphocystis, since smaller white spots have been appearing on my pleco as well.

Once again, thanks for your help! I'm quarantining the pleco and I'll be giving it an ich treatment, along with putting a heater in the tank to get rid of the ich.

Connie · Post by **Connie** » 10 Aug 2003, 13:39

Ick looks like grains of salt and to me it doesnt look like someone shook a salt shaker on him so I would say it is not ick are you talking on the side of his head or by his mouth?
BTW if it doesnt look like ick I would treat for it as it is never a good idea to treat a fish for something it doesnt have, medications can be very hard on fish especially plecos.
Connie

Connie · Post by **Connie** » 10 Aug 2003, 13:40

BTW those white dots on his body look like his spines not a disease.
Connie

sammich · Post by **sammich** » 10 Aug 2003, 14:52

I checked the white stuff up close, and it actually looked like a lack of skin. Is there something that could have caused this?

DeLBoD · Post by **DeLBoD** » 10 Aug 2003, 15:01

Does he have tank mates?
It could just be abrasions from fighting or wedging himself in tight spots.
Otherwise a better picture would be needed to identify properly what is wrong with him, if it is a bacterial disease or parasites.

sammich · Post by **sammich** » 10 Aug 2003, 20:34

Yeah, he has tankmates. 2 cories and 2 gouramis, but I don't think they'd do anything to him. Perhaps he scraped it against his little cave. Oh well, I figure it would be best to quarantine him anyway.

Connie · Post by **Connie** » 10 Aug 2003, 22:13

I had a pleco with a white spot on his belly like that and it was from the rough gravel so it could be very possible he scraped it.
I would really put him back and just keep your tank super clean so he doesnt get fungus on that area.
Not sure how big the Q tank is but smaller tanks and much harder to keep clean then bigger tanks and it may cause more problems.
Connie

sammich · Post by **sammich** » 21 Aug 2003, 15:28

My pleco is alive and well. I still don't know what happened, though. One morning he was floating at the top of the tank, then I put the heater up to 85 degrees, he acts normal but has canged to a green/brown color, and now he's completely normal. I'm keeping him in the other tank now, since he was outgrowing his old one. Once again, thanks for your help-but I still don't get what happened to my pleco.