L200 help needed

Kotty · Post by **Kotty** » 17 Sep 2003, 21:15

I bought a lemon spotted green pleco at the weekend. Since its been in my tank it has got some greyish brown stuff (can't get close enough for a pic) on each side of its head which is also on the join between the head and the frontmost fins.

It also has a slightly discoloured patched just behind the dorsal fin.

Any advice? I cant take this anymore every other fish in the tank is fine?!

magnum4 · Post by **magnum4** » 17 Sep 2003, 23:34

really need pic or better discription (no offence). first things whats you water like? is it still feeding?

mokmu · Post by **mokmu** » 18 Sep 2003, 00:13

*** Sorry about that Barb. Must have had a bad day the day I posted that. I had even forgotten about this post.

From what I have read from the skeptical aquarist:

http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/h ... ngin.shtml

"Treatments. Whatever medication route you decide on, the preliminary step is sanitation. You can do a few things to promote rapid healing yourself. For a start, you'll have better success with fungus cures if you precede them with a 50% water change, after siphoning out all loose mulm and debris. This reduces the dissolved organic content of the water. You don't want the medication to expend itself oxidizing organics in the water. Follow up a few hours later, when the water is clear of floating debris, with a thorough backflushing of the filter. And raise the temperature to 80Â°F--â?? not enough to stress the fishes--â?? because fungi grow more rapidly at cooler temperatures, which also slow fish metabolism."

http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/ich.shtml

"I've recently read that at lowered temperatures the vulnerable free-swimming stage can last as long as 96 hours: that's four full days! This might be a problem in a cool outdoor pond, but rather than drag out stressful treatment, you'll surely begin by raising the temperature in the aquarium. Adjusting the setting on the heater will do the job; don't try to raise or lower water temperatures faster than a couple of degrees an hour. Higher temperatures result in speeded-up metabolisms, both for the parasite and for the fish. Above a certain temperature (86oF is often quoted) the heat-sensitive parasite will be stressed. Its life cycle is interfered with, and it might even be killed. But if the host fish is also stressed, high temperatures can be counter-productive. You need to judge your individual species' tolerance for heat; a White Cloud Mountain Minnow or a Corydoras will be more stressed by heat than a Discus. Since at higher temperatures the water holds less oxygen, you might want to lower the water level enough to get some extra splash from the filter return."

Both state almost similar first-aid treatments.

Post by **Barbie** » 18 Sep 2003, 00:25

I've personally never seen greyish brown ich, nor is ich in any way related to fungus, so I'm not exactly sure how raised temperatures are going to treat the existing problem. The most important question is whether the fish is in a quarantine tank. If it is not, it definitely needs to be. If the spots have a fuzzy appearance, then you definitely need to treat with a medication that says it treats fungus. Anytime I have a problem in one of my tanks, I do a water change, just in case the problem is water quality related, of at least 30%. If you could take the fish out of the main tank and put it in a bucket or something like that to get a picture, you'd have a much better chance of getting a diagnosis that would help treat your fish.

Barbie

*sigh* and obviously I owe an apology to mokmu for having a differing opinion. That's the part I love about the boards, and also the part I dislike, all rolled into one problem. I would appreciate everyone being grown up enough to not be insulting though.

For future reference, editting your original post, rather than adding on to the existing thread makes it difficult to follow, and keeps it from being seen as a thread with active posts.

Kotty · Post by **Kotty** » 18 Sep 2003, 22:37

here is a pic, im afraid its not very good.

But you can just about make out the bit on his fin its like the green fur has gone and theres only brown underneath left

Water parameters amm 0 nitri 0, nirtr 15, ph 8 temp 78

Its still feeding

Kotty · Post by **Kotty** » 20 Sep 2003, 16:55

A better pic

Post by **Silurus** » 20 Sep 2003, 18:12

Looks like the fish is healing nicely. If you say its feeding OK, then I guess it successfully fought the infection by itself.

PlecoRising · Post by **PlecoRising** » 21 Sep 2003, 03:40

It might be a heating element burn. Perhaps your pleco likes to hide against it.

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 21 Sep 2003, 12:01

Those look very much like pleco bite marks to me. Perhaps the fish was bitten in the shop (was it in with other L200's - this would be quite understandable as they are know to bite if cramped). L200 are one of the hardiest L-numbers, so given good husbandry I would expect it to make a full recovery - just don't do anything drastic.

Jools

Kotty · Post by **Kotty** » 21 Sep 2003, 19:11

Thankyou for your responses, it had a hearty meal tonight of a cockle and an algae wafer and its acting fine.

Kotty

MackIntheBox · Post by **MackIntheBox** » 21 Sep 2003, 22:37

glad to hear its doing better. I must say that is a very beautiful Pleco

Kotty · Post by **Kotty** » 23 Oct 2003, 18:13

Just thought Id show you how happy she looks now

Kotty

MackIntheBox · Post by **MackIntheBox** » 23 Oct 2003, 20:09

wow, very nice pleco

glad to see she is happier and doing well.

L200 help needed

L200 help needed

Fully healed and as happy as Larry