# HELP!!! Pleco is dying!!



## Fido (May 21, 2003)

My girlfriends sister's pleco started turning whitish before it died also. What does it mean, here are pics.

Also the nip on his nose is from my red devil...


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## Fido (May 21, 2003)

turning colors...not good


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

set-up a qurantine tank with perfect water, temp and all, and do like a 50% water change now and then like 2 days from or something, to protect the other fish that were in the tank

my knife fish did this before it died also


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## Fido (May 21, 2003)

sweet lu said:


> set-up a qurantine tank with perfect water, temp and all, and do like a 50% water change now and then like 2 days from or something, to protect the other fish that were in the tank
> 
> my knife fish did this before it died also
> [snapback]830317[/snapback]​


What is it though? Should I salt it again? I added 4 tablespoons of salt last night...


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

Filo said:


> What is it though? Should I salt it again? I added 4 tablespoons of salt last night...
> [snapback]830331[/snapback]​


they have different stuff at store, you can try salt, also melefax (spell) and then aquarium prducts makes different bottled forms and then are also pills to try this, id say it is fungi of something, post the topic though in the diese and health section


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Although I'm not a fan of medicines and chemicals, in this case I would use them instead of even more salt: pleco's, like all catfish, are not that tolerant towards higher salt levels, compared to the majority of f/w fish.
An already weakened pleco could be pushed over the edge with too much salt...


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## Fido (May 21, 2003)

Judazzz said:


> Although I'm not a fan of medicines and chemicals, in this case I would use them instead of even more salt: pleco's, like all catfish, are not that tolerant towards higher salt levels, compared to the majority of f/w fish.
> An already weakened pleco could be pushed over the edge with too much salt...
> [snapback]832285[/snapback]​


What causes this? Im thinking my water could be bad...from the tap. Because my girlfriend's sister's tank killed her pleco and it staretd geting the same fading spots. I dont want to salt anymore, so would Melafix do it?


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Hard to say, without parameters etc. Could be anything...

This is the new pleco (the hyphen one), right? New pleco's (especially wild-caught ones) do have a bigger chance to die prematurely, especially if they haven't been and 't been quarantained and acclimatized properly by the importer and/or pet store (Gold Nuggets are infamous for this, but not just them).
Does he have a sunken belly and/or sunken eyes when in the tank? If so, it'll be very hard to cure him, unfortunately, as it can be internal, bacterial, lack of food, and many things more...
The best you can do is keeping him alone in a quarantaine tank set up in a quiet place, with warm water (84-85 F), lots of currents, pristrine water, lots of cover, close monitoring, and then see how he does.


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## Fido (May 21, 2003)

Judazzz said:


> Hard to say, without parameters etc. Could be anything...
> 
> This is the new pleco (the hyphen one), right? New pleco's (especially wild-caught ones) do have a bigger chance to die prematurely, especially if they haven't been and 't been quarantained and acclimatized properly by the importer and/or pet store (Gold Nuggets are infamous for this, but not just them).
> Does he have a sunken belly and/or sunken eyes when in the tank? If so, it'll be very hard to cure him, unfortunately, as it can be internal, bacterial, lack of food, and many things more...
> ...


Water params PH 7.8, Ammonia-0, Nitrite-0, Nitrate-20-40ppm around there. He has plenty of food on the walls of the tank and fake logs. I have felt them they are slimey. I dont know what is causing this, but its strange. I would hate to lose a $15 fish.


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Filo said:


> Water params PH 7.8, Ammonia-0, Nitrite-0, Nitrate-20-40ppm around there. He has plenty of food on the walls of the tank and fake logs. I have felt them they are slimey. I dont know what is causing this, but its strange. I would hate to lose a $15 fish.
> [snapback]832475[/snapback]​


That's why I'd put him in quarantaine.
Oh, and slimey stuff on the walls and decor isn't quite the favorite food of pleco's - get that poor guy some real food, like veggies (cucumber, lettuce, egg plant, zucchini, peas) or some sinking pellets.


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## Northstar (Jun 19, 2003)

I would remove him from the tank until he heals. He's being harassed by your red devil and "stressed out". He's probably not eating very well with the Red D bothering him. After he heals, I would make sure that there are enough hiding places for him to retreat to.


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## janus (Oct 28, 2004)

I also had this once with one of my Pleco`s.
He did not survive.


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## redbellyman21 (Jun 27, 2004)

well is he okie filo? did he make it or not?


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## Fido (May 21, 2003)

redbellyman21 said:


> well is he okie filo? did he make it or not?
> [snapback]869614[/snapback]​


he is still living. but for some reason he turns grayish color and loses his natural black time to time and acts like he is gonna die. I dont get it cus for 2 weeks he has been in the lil 10g tank with some guppies...no stress. And yet he has good and bad days. I should have just bought a common, i heard they are more beefy.


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Filo said:


> he is still living. but for some reason he turns grayish color and loses his natural black time to time and acts like he is gonna die. I dont get it cus for 2 weeks he has been in the lil 10g tank with some guppies...no stress. And yet he has good and bad days. I should have just bought a common, i heard they are more beefy.
> [snapback]870126[/snapback]​


The one you have is closely related to the Sailfin Pleco (Gibby), and as hardy, so that's not the problem. If he stays troublesome, it seems like you got one that was weak/not well in the first place.
Pleco's changing colors isn't unusual - they adapt to their surroundings, and it also shows mood swimgs (a stressed or angered pleco looks different than one that is comfortable).

For now I'd keep him in his tank, and try to keep stress to a minimum - no lights, if possible remove the guppies, good amount of current, warm water (about 82F), tons of hiding places, and a steady supply of food (focus on greens first, like veggies or algae/spirulina pellets - once he seems to be doing better, you can add more meaty foods, like shrimp or carnivore sinking pellets).


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## Fido (May 21, 2003)

i have tried giving him cucumer and lettuce, he doesnt touch it. I tossed algae wafers, and he wont touch it. I think he just snacks on the slime around the tank, cus i dont know where he is getting food from...?? is this normal?


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