Is my Pleco ok?

[Justine]

Hi
I'm a complete newbie to fish keeping so please bear with me!
My partner's pleco has patches on him. I wondered if this is normal as it doesn't look normal. But my knowledge at the moment is poor. I'm googling a lot and am confused with the conflicting advice.
Also, I think it's a gold nugget pleco, could someone advise me on this also?
Many thanks!

[Justine]

It didn't upload photo!

[bekateen]

Hi Justine,

That pleco is not called a gold nugget pleco (which is something else and is much more expensive). It is a gold spot common pleco,

Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus

.

As for the spots you are worried about, I confess I can't really see them in the photo (unless you are referring to the normal spotting pattern of the fish) because the fish is concealed by the plants. A better photo will be needed.

Cheers, Eric

[pleco_breeder]

I'm going to assume that you're referring to the lighter colored blotching pattern on the fish, won't be sure till better pic is available. However, it is common for this genus, and multiple others, to have lighter patches when stressed. I can see this particularly well just below the dorsal fin where the darker color and lighter patches seem to contrast best in the current pic. Although it's impossible to say the exact reason, as mentioned above, it's common for this to happen when these fish are stressed. Unless there are other disease symptoms which show up, I wouldn't be excessively worried about any immediate threat. However, would likely do a bit more frequent tank maintenance to see if the problem wouldn't resolve itself. It is usually something rather simple, and even slightly altered chemical parameters or a sudden change of temperature can cause it.

Larry Vires

[Ltygress]

I have a very sneaking suspicion that the patches are just stress coloration, and that you can help him de-stress by giving him a cave. The fact that he's out by a plant and - from what little I can see - doesn't seem to have a place to hide, means he's probably just stressed to be so visible. Plecos are mostly nocturnal, and prefer to hide during the day while they "sleep".