What Up With My Pleco

blang · Post by **blang** » 06 Jan 2005, 15:12

I purchased a BN Pleco for my 15 gallon tank less than a week ago. He does nothing besides sit behind the thermometer. I have plenty of algae and driftwood in the tank. I have given him wafers and zuchini and I don't think he is eating anything. I have gone into the room at night to see if he has moved and he hasn't. I thought maybe he was stuck so I bent the thermometer a bit figuring he would run but he didn't move. He is breathing and sometimes slides down or up an inch or so but that's it.

What's his problem? All my other fish are fine and no one seems to be bothering him at all. Please help.

Post by **Barbie** » 06 Jan 2005, 15:21

At the top of this forum, there is a sticky that says "read this before you post". Could you please give us the information that it asks for there? It will give us a much better chance of actually being able to help you.

Barbie

blang · Post by **blang** » 06 Jan 2005, 15:51

15 gallon tank (Tall Eclipse)
Set up for about 5 months
Ammonia 0, ph 7.4, nitrites 0
Weekly water changes with vacuuming
Driftwood, cave, plastic plants and gravel
76 degrees

2 platys
1 dwarf platy
2 mollys
3 red-eye tetras

Last fish added was this pleco, less than a week ago. Let me know if you need any further information. He is about 2 inches from head to tail.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 06 Jan 2005, 16:08

I wouldn't guarantee that he's not moving... Just because you can't sneak up on him, doesn't mean that he's not out there when you're not watching. These fish are really clever at discovering approaching "dangers". They usually find a place to hide, and will "escape" back to this place whenever they feel threatened, which may be when it hears footsteps approaching. You could try sitting near the tank with subdued lighting (and lights off in the tank) for a while...

Now it may of course be that he's actually not very active, which can be caused by stress for instance.

Is the stomach of the fish reasonably full, or does it look starved? If the stomach is hollow, it MAY be that the fish has shut down from some sort of stress, either when being transported to your tank, or even before it got to the fish shop. Some fish do not recover from severe stress.

Barbie usually recommends feeding food that has garlic flavour. I'm not sure with the details, but I think Barbie may be along soon and can give more details.

Water/temp/companions doesn't sound like there's anything wrong.

One thing: These fish like oxygen-rich environment. What do you have as filter/circulation? Maybe you can get it more active by getting some more oxygen in the tank, perhaps add an air-stone or powerhead.

--
Mats

blang · Post by **blang** » 06 Jan 2005, 16:50

I guess "Spot" overheard me talking about him and came out for about 15-20 minutes. He wasn't moving much but at least he came out. I left the room for awhile and came back and he was already back in his hiding spot. He doesn't look hollow but I will watch out for that.

I visit the tank about 50 times a day so eventually he should get use to me.

The LFS gets their BN's from a local breeder so I know he doesn't travel far.

Post by **Barbie** » 06 Jan 2005, 16:56

I soak food like hikari algae wafers in garlic as an appetite stimulant and to help reduce their parasite load a bit. It works pretty effectively, as long as they aren't too far gone when you start it.

The fact that he's choosing to hide behind a heater, usually means that he doesn't feel "comfortable" hiding in anything else in the tank. They can burn the bejesus out of themselves this way, so you might rearrange your furnishings a bit to give him a home he feels comfortable under. If that doesn't work, temporarily move the heater around every day until he gives up on sticking with it.

As long as he doesn't look sunken, I wouldn't panic. Just make sure you feed him a few times a week after dark and keep an eye on his condition.

Barbie

blang · Post by **blang** » 06 Jan 2005, 19:07

It's not the heater he's hiding behind, it's the thermometer.

Post by **Barbie** » 06 Jan 2005, 21:48

As in a stick on? I thought it must be a heater because I hadn't seen a thermometer large enough a fish could hide behind it? As long as he's not in danger of getting burned, I wouldn't worry then. Sorry for my confusion

Barbie