Just Lost A Pleco

[Dan Steveo]

Hey guys, Not the best thing i've posted on here but i really need a second opinion,

I have had 4 bristlenose pleco's and one clown pleco for some time now. This morning i awoke to the largest of the bristlenoses upside down on the bottom.
His belly was huge, i mean like seriously bloated and from the top, his left side looked like something was sticking out under the skin, like a big bruise that swells the face...

I don't actually have nitrite and nitrate testers but my ammonia is 0.

One thing i've got on the mind is that, surely if this was a disease or water conditions, the clown loach, neon rainbows or tetras would have died first....

Right?

I have seen the clown loach pick on the other fish when they're around food, so i put some more in, is it possible he ate too much?

I've heard it before...

I've got some pics... They're not amazing and not the sort of thing you'd want to see but any advice would be appreciated.. see how his nose is curved over also, not sure why.

This is as i'm getting my expensive Blue Phantom Pleco tomorrow... And i'd probably murder someone if he dies, i'm sure its because there was too much food, there's plenty of bogwood and hiding places. i just don't get it.. and i'm deciding whether to replace him =[ or buy a different type of plec..


Thanks all.

 

[1077]

When in doubt,I usually opt for a sizeable water change.
you haven't by chance lost any neon's have you?. I ask this because plecos will scavenge on dead fishes, and possible bacterial pathogens can be transferred in this way.
Have also had male bristlenose that fought with other males and killed them although your fish doesn't seem to bear any damage that i could see.

 

[nanu156]

yeah I would suggest fighting and stress (plecos fight)

They don't tend to over eat and kill themselves in the gorge (I can leave wayy too much zucchini in the tank at night and they will just leave what they don't want behind)

In my tank dead fish don't last too long, the plecos tend to eat them pretty fast, that being said something else dieing and getting eaten sounds like a plausible solution.

So bring water with you to the LFS have them test it, then buy a test kit while you are there. My thoughts are this, if you can't/don't want to spend the money on the test kit don't spend 50-60usd on a blue phantom.

How many days ago did the phantom ship in? make sure the store has had him for over a week and make sure you see him eat before you take him home. He is wild caught, so some of them don't learn to eat prepared food additionally shipping etc really stresses them out.

Bring an insulated lunch bag to the store (the mini cooler kind) to put his bag in so he stays the same temp on the drive. after you add him cover the tank with a sheet and turn the lights out till tomorrow.

Again if they haven't had him in for a week DO NOT BUY HIM TODAY

 

[Dan Steveo]

Ok got it, i think they get theres from a local supplier, i'll make sure he eats, there's one that's been there for weeks He's apparently been reserved for ages, the plec was untouched, like he'd literally died 10 mins previous, i haven't seen much fighting, jut abit for food, i'll look out for some fights,

I'll get the test kits, might as well huh, i'm sure my dad has some tetrates for his pond i'll see

Haven't lost ny other fish though, so i doubt its from eating something dead...

 

[nanu156]

well the local supplier imported him from south america. Breeding is almost unheard of.

Again he needs to sit at the LFS for a week (tell em you are too busy to make it out there) they are fragile when they are under 4" I promise its best if he hangs there for a week

 

[Dan Steveo]

ok, thank you nanu, i can see how it's important... i'll make sure that the new arrival is there for at least a week...

 

[Kiara1125]

So, are any of your other fish (neons, etc.) missing?? I look at my tanks and count all of my fish daily, don't know why (i guess it's a habit). I know what each of my fish look like, even my neons have very subtle differences (behavior, size, etc.), and I count all of my fish daily to make sure that they are there. Sometimes I spend 10 minutes trying to find them all to count them. I look at all angles of my tank. Crazy, I know, but it ensures that I know that all of my fish are still alive. I even find all of my Platy fry, they each have different markings and places that they like to hide.

 

[nanu156]

UNLESS he will give you 14 days on the pleco then take him home, but I have found with expensive fish they are unlikely to give any kind of "if this dies" guarantee.

Since you didn't have the pleco for a super long time it is possible he had a parasite or something else wrong with him when you bought him.

Given that you had a death and are about to dump some serious quid into a fish (that would be best if left at the LFS for a few days imho) I would wait a week to get him that way you don't end up with a dead fish and out some serious cash.