What to do? Pleco is dying or really sick

[smyth]

We have had this pleco "Oliver" :O) He is so cute he is sort of big the size of my hand. He has been with us for maybe 3.5 years. He is always the king of the tank. Now he is just lying in the corner of the front of the tank for two days. He has some shredding of his tail and some fins now. One of the other fish took a few nibbles at him

I am not sure what to do with him. This is our first sick fish that is just laying there sick. Could he just be old now? If he is going to die should we help him to end it? I can't watch my other guys eat him that would be aweful?
Can we save him at this point what do I do!?!?

 

[jo3olous]

We have had this pleco "Oliver" :O) He is so cute he is sort of big the size of my hand. He has been with us for maybe 3.5 years. He is always the king of the tank. Now he is just lying in the corner of the front of the tank for two days. He has some shredding of his tail and some fins now. One of the other fish took a few nibbles at him

I am not sure what to do with him. This is our first sick fish that is just laying there sick. Could he just be old now? If he is going to die should we help him to end it? I can't watch my other guys eat him that would be aweful?
Can we save him at this point what do I do!?!?

Fin Rot? What else is going on in the tank?

 

[smyth]

I am not sure if this is going to the right place..2nd time on the page

the rest of the tanks has lots of algae all the sudden last few days...I think it could be because oliver is not eating it? his eyes are cloudy...my husbands job to take care of the tank all though i just hooked up the vaccume and emptied 1/2 of it and filled it up and re did it...i know that was most likely too much water out and in...i just feel really bad...the other fish look good...there are only 3 others...we moved this tank 2 years ago this summer 5 hours they all made it and are great we did lose 2 fish in that last 2 years and just have not put any new ones in...i think we may over feed as well...i will stop that...
SOO having said that oliver is on the bottom not moving his mouth is moving that is the only way i know he is alive..tail might move as anther fish goes over top...
i just read cloudy eyes are due to poor water...or old age...i think it could be both he most likely has a bacterial infection?? what do you think?

 

[smyth]

should we go buy him a new small tank and treat him some how? can we take him to a vet?

 

[MissFishy]

You could take him to a vet if you feel that strongly about it. Make sure you call around to make sure the vet will see him. Big Vine on here took his Oscar fish to a vet a few years ago when he was sick. Unfortunately, things don't sound good for the pleco. Plecos live up to 20 years and commons grow up to 2 feet long, so if he's only 3.5, he isn't old enough to die of old age.

I'm going to ask for the regular battery of tests on your water, what are the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings. Tell me how long this tank has been set up, what you use to treat the water and what other fish are in there.

 

[bassguitarboy101]

yeah i think probably fin rot.

 

[micah2012]

I would like to know what you use in the tank, ie.. chemicals, salt? Anything new you can think of that youve done with the tank. I had a friend add some salt to his tank once 'cus he heard it's good for the fish. While this is true it's not good for pleco's and he died.