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I dont know why or how, but I found him at the cave of his driftwood today and noticed he looked different. I threw down some shrimp pellets that he loves and has been eating all long and it didn't catch his atttention. I decided to poke him with a long chopstick I have and he was dead.

I had him for about 3months now, he was always eating the shrimp pellets and looked hardy, especially for a pleco that is very flat in nature, he loved to eat and had somewhat of a noticeable stomach. I stayed to watch because he is very nocturnal and shy and only eats when the lights are out, so I know he was fed well.

I checked amonia and PH levels and all are okay. Temperature is kept at 78deg F which is a 2 degree drop from what I usually keep it at winter time at a constant 80deg F. Since its summer time now the tank always shifts within a degree or two but I cant think of anything I did wrong. He was about 4" long from head to tail and I do not know how old he was when I bought him at my LFS. Was it just his time up or what else can or should I check for.

He shared the tank with a large sailfin pleco and each stayed in their own cave.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

@Barbie

Thank you for your prompt reply. I answered all the questions I could. I do not know what nitrate or nitrite levels are, nor how to test for them, nor do I have a kit for testing them. I have a test tube for testing amonia which I add 8 drops of a liquid and if any of it turns yellow that means there is ammonia in th etank. There was none, the water stayed clear. The PH was at a nice 7.0 at equilibrium according to my chart, maybe give or take +/- 1 because these tests are all dont by eye. But the coloe was a nice aqua green/blue which indicates ~7.0
y tank size is 10 gallons and no other fish nor other pleco exprerience anything wrong. I not not have my air filter set up anymore but I think there is enough air because when would watch him he never breathed fast and heavy. Thats the most info I can give, all housing id based on sunken drift wood. I do water changes like once a month about 20% and all the fish I have are: 2 hatched fish, 3 khuli loaches, 1 albino Cory, 8 tetra neons, and one sail fin pleco.

nothing special, but you have a small tank... and it is better to change water more frequently... like if you have 40L, than you change 10L every week... your fish will be more healthy, and this will stop this kind of bad things...
regards
jeff

Soda, I have to concur with Jeff. You need to be doing about 30% waterchanges at least once a week with that heavy a fishload in a 10g tank. I'm sorry you lost your plec, but honestly, you really need a larger tank, and to be doing more waterchanges.

When you do your waterchanges, do you "clean" the filter, as well? You shouldn't. You should just rinse out the filter innards in the water you remove when doing the waterchange.

How large is the "large" sailfin plec? Gibbys can get over 18" if they are cared for properly, and are given enough room to grow. Please please think about getting at least a 4' (could be anything from a 30Long to a 40breeder to a 90 standard) tank for your gibby!

Hi everyone and thank you for the prompt replies. I wish I could have a larger tank but physical perimeter restriction on my room simply wont allow it. I will try more freqeunt water changes, although both pleco's did well with my rate I had before.

Why do you say I shouldnt change the filter or clean it with water changes. I have a penguin 170 and according to the instructions I am supposed to rinse it with every water change. It uses cartridges.

About the sailfin, yes he is getting a bit too large and I know the tank is a bit crowded for him but that is only for the winter. Most of warm weather climates he enjoys my Pond which is roughly ~1500gallons and he gets much much larger after being in that. I take him out wintertime just to be safe. Although one winter I couldnt find him and he did survive under the ice, I was amazed.

I would appreciate if someone could explain what nitrate and nitrite levels are and how to check for them, or if it is even important to do so.

Thanks for all the help. Now thast my tank is actuallu kinda empty, no pleco's at all in there, I think I might try looking for a zebra pleco. I used to have one before but gave it away as a bday gift. Although they are hard to find now, I knwo they don't grw large and my 10gallon tank would suffice its needs.

Thanks again everyone.

Ok, to start off, whether or not they seemed to be doing well on the previous water change routine, they probably weren't so hot, because after all one ended up buying the farm.

As for cleaning the filter, the reason you don't clean the filter every water change is because beneficial bacteria grows on the filter media, and helps keep the tank "cycled". Look up more on that if you still don't understand.

Yes you should get a bigger tank, or give away your sailfin.

Nitrate and nitrite levels are an indication of water quality in the tank. Cycling a tank involves getting a tank to have beneficial bacteria that will convert poisonous nitrite into much less harmful nitrate, etc. etc. Nitrite being present can and easily will kill many fish, nitrates need to be kept low with water changes, gravel cleanings, etc. For a more detailed explanation, you can also research cycling again.

I really would not put a zebra into that 10g, you are pretty heavily overstocked now as it is. Not to mention that zebras can be very iffy about wanting high water quality, which it is doubtful you will be able to maintain in a 10g with that many fish.

Hope this helps.

Well, to start off I will be starting a new routine of water changes every 2 weeks of 30% and I purchased a gravel vac to clean the gravel weekly. I also dug out my old air pump and got a micro fine air bubble ceramic stone. Hopefully this will help oxygenate the tank more.

I spoke to the manager at my LFS and I was told if there is no amonia present in the tank tha I shouldn't bother to test for nitrate or nitrite. He told me it was a cycle that started after amonia is present. Is this accurate?

I understand that the reason most people don't clean the filter is because the bacteria colonies that gather there help reduce amonia by eating it, but I though the entire reason of the Penguin BIO-WHEEL was for this purpose and that is never cleaned. So rather the cartridghes are cleaned in its place, and the BIO-WHEEL supports the bacteria. Am I wrong?