Problem keeping L172a alive

[anewbie]

I purchased 5 L172a from two very reliable sources and over the past 2 months they have slowly died off. The aquarium is a 450 gallon (8 feet long and 4 feet wide); the water parameter is around ec 180 (tds 90); kh 1-2 gh 3-4 and nitrate near 0. There are fair amount of live plants and large amount of driftwood. Temp is around 78. Current is modest from the sump. Stocking includes the following:
pair of domestic angels
4 tank raised laetacara curviceps
3 whiptail catfish - one lamontichthys llanero and 2 rineloicaria eigenmannni
8 young (around 1.5 inch) geophagus alto sinu (gold dust)
2 domestic angelfish
~4 young (around 2-3 inch) L128
~15-20 sterbai (around 1/2 wc and 1/2 tank raised)
~25 rummynose tetra (H. bleheri) mostly wc
----
None of hte other fish 'cept for one 1/2 inch sterbai have died and they generally seem to be doing fine with decent growth on the blue phantoms over the past 2 months as well as some of the young sterbai.
--
If I had to guess it looks like the L172a are starving to death but i'm not sure if they require very strong current or if there is a problem with feeding or water conditions. I was going to order a few more but have decided not to until i figure out what condition is causing them to die.
-
As for diet i mostly feed combination of fluval bug bite; sera tropical flakes; omega-one catfish pellets; hiraki pellets ; Zucchini.
-
I read up on this species before purchase as to temp, water condition et all but i must have missed something. I realize that most pleco are found in areas of very strong current but i didn't see anything that suggested they required very strong current.

[aquaholic]

If starvation is suspected, I would add some raw shrimp meat or mussel into their hiding spots at night.

Preferably in their own smaller species only tank for a few months so you can monitor them properly.

[sturiosoma]

I purchased 5 L172a from two very reliable sources and over the past 2 months they have slowly died off. The aquarium is a 450 gallon (8 feet long and 4 feet wide); the water parameter is around ec 180 (tds 90); kh 1-2 gh 3-4 and nitrate near 0. There are fair amount of live plants and large amount of driftwood. Temp is around 78. Current is modest from the sump. Stocking includes the following:
pair of domestic angels
4 tank raised laetacara curviceps
3 whiptail catfish - one lamontichthys llanero and 2 rineloicaria eigenmannni
8 young (around 1.5 inch) geophagus alto sinu (gold dust)
2 domestic angelfish
~4 young (around 2-3 inch) L128
~15-20 sterbai (around 1/2 wc and 1/2 tank raised)
~25 rummynose tetra (H. bleheri) mostly wc
----
None of hte other fish 'cept for one 1/2 inch sterbai have died and they generally seem to be doing fine with decent growth on the blue phantoms over the past 2 months as well as some of the young sterbai.
--
If I had to guess it looks like the L172a are starving to death but i'm not sure if they require very strong current or if there is a problem with feeding or water conditions. I was going to order a few more but have decided not to until i figure out what condition is causing them to die.
-
As for diet i mostly feed combination of fluval bug bite; sera tropical flakes; omega-one catfish pellets; hiraki pellets ; Zucchini.
-
I read up on this species before purchase as to temp, water condition et all but i must have missed something. I realize that most pleco are found in areas of very strong current but i didn't see anything that suggested they required very strong current.

I would try feed sinking algae based foods, I like NLS algae max, and are you feeding sufficiently, and what is your ph.

Jeanne

[anewbie]

My ph is around 6.9; ec is 160 (tds 80) and kh is around 1.5 - 2.0.