While there are a lot of similarities between plecos types, there are also a lot of differences in terms of care. When you try to touch the fish, its going to react and swim away. Regular water changes and cleaning the tank will also help your Pleco stay healthy. In general these catfish aren't very demanding when it comes to space requirements since they share bottom levels of tanks or just rest on large plants and, as mentioned above, adult specimens grow to 13 cm in length (approximately 5 inches), moreover females grow smaller than males. Its normal for these fish to hide and be very wary of venturing out. Here are some tips on how you can notice a sick pleco thats possibly even dying. Tank of the Month, If you discover one of your fish has popeye, check the water levels to determine if that is the cause. Most likely, the fish have fin rot due to poor water conditions in the tank. What kind of pleco is he? When a pleco is not moving it can be a sign that the water has gotten too polluted or it is lacking food. Check to see if anything is causing the fish stress. We found him on the carpet under his bed and it looked pretty dead. Fix issues with the water quality and give the fish antibacterial treatments. he sound fine, try touching himand he will probably swim away. If possible it would be advisable to move the pleco to a nursing tank away from other fish. Check your water parameters as this is the most likely cause. When you dont treat this disease, it can cause the fish to lose vision or even lose the eye. A forum community dedicated to Aquatic tank owners and enthusiasts. I think that it is nothing to worry about. Youll also need to fix issues with water quality in the tank while solving stress problems. Youll want to fix issues with the oxygen levels being too low. The better stores will do, so in that case you dont have to. This can be a sign of an internal infection due to injury or the food its been eating. Also having a water test kit for ammonia and nitrite will help greatly in knowing when to do water changes. How To Know whether your pleco is dying, and the solutions for it. Hello, and thanks for visiting Avid Aquarist! Abdominal swelling can be caused by many things including the following: stress, tank conditions, and constipation. Yes this normally happens with Plecos. 11 Signs Your Pleco Is Dying [+ How To Save It], Do Plecos Eat Snails? I have had him in this tank and the fish with him for over a year. A swollen belly isnt a good sign. Your pleco may also be stressed due to their tank mates. Also, does he have any places to hide? By entering this site you declare Just as "Avaselene" has mentioned, Cories do it all the time. I have seen bottom dwelling loaches just get very pale and colorless when there is too much CO2 in the water. A pleco dying is often the result of bad information and lack of knowhow about the species. A filter is a must. If the water condition and bacterial infections caused the situation, then youll need to fix those problems. The Pleco is Bloated. Unlike cory catfish, which breathe air and for whom its normal to gulp air, plecos dont normally do this. Some will also cause fish to have a hard time breathing. Checking temperature and pH levels is also essential because the water needs to be at a pH of 7.0 to 8.0. Both stress and poor water quality can make it more likely that the fish will get infected. We might get a modest commission at no extra cost to you. if he is acting strange i would try to get him in a small treatment tank with lots of oxygen, dose a general med and salt would be a good start till you can figure out what is wrong with the little fella. He just started acting crazy the last couple of days. Physical damage. It can also be due to stress, so separating the bloated fish from its tank mates will ensure a stress-free environment for your pleco to recover. If you cant see the gills moving, this suggests that the fish is truly dead. When a pleco fish dies in the fish tank, itll stop moving and itll float. I tried to prod him gently, but he still hasn't moved. The fish might be very sick and it feels unable to move. You can get something called Stress Coat at the pet store, it basically removes any chlorine that may be in your water, it has also been proven to reduce fish stress. If you have an aquarium with plecos and/or snails at, Many aquarists doubt they can keep plecos and shrimp together. I had this fish gang for 2 years together now, with only minor When a pleco is stressed, it lowers its immunity and increases the risk of fast death. For a limited time, download my pleco catfish ebook below on how to care for these beautiful animals. You might need to address water quality issues. If your pleco has a sunken belly, its starving due to malnutrition. Since plecos are a type of catfish, they feed off of algae. Use a fish net or scoop to touch the fish gently to test whether its alive or not. Plecos are often wrongfully accused of eating and destroying plants. The cause of most of these symptoms stems from the water conditions. Diseases and Treatment. One of the biggest myths is also that plecos clean your tank. They love to eat, and you should try to feed them as much as you can. (By Species), Breeding Pleco Catfish Guide With Pictures, Cory Catfish And Plecos Tank Mate guide, Do plecos bury themselves? This situation can be turned around if you act fast. However, a stressed pleco catfish can be recognized by a few things: A stressed pleco is most likely the result of an insufficient tank setup, bad water quality and or conflicts with other fish or plecos. Make sure to add plenty of caves and natural hiding spaces if you keep multiple males in the same tank. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything hes learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium. Maracyn Two is a product that you can purchase to treat fin rot. This happened all of a sudden. Silly fish. Its a quite common sight: a pleco laying on its back. Why is My Pleco Not Eating? Moving forward, it should be easier to look out for problems with the fish. Make sure the tank has been cycled before introducing any fish to it so there are no dangerous spikes in the water. What does it mean when a pleco fish dies overnight? If youre not taking good care of the tank, then the fish might die. Try to fix this issue by isolating the fish and fixing issues with the water quality. Is the fish dead or is it really sick? If you arent regularly testing the water using a pH balance testing kit, then youre going to have a harder time keeping the fish alive. There are other reasons why a pleco might start floating, but its possible that the fish could be dead. If you give them a variety of hiding spots, a variety of plants, and a variety of tank mates, your pleco will most likely be happier and more active. Plecostomus is a type of suckermouth catfish that excretes massive amounts of waste. I may not have had one of the happiest childhoods, but I am having one of the longest. Goldfish Laying on his side, breathing ever 15-30 secs. This is the main reason why we cycle aquarium tanks. There is a possibility that something happened in the tank, though. Change the Tank Water Frequently. All Rights Reserved. Experts Answer, How To Raise Pleco Babies (Full Guide With Pictures), Cory Catfish Tank Mate Guide (+ 11 Best Tank Mates For Cory Catfish), The Ideal & Healthiest Diet For Cory Catfish, Odd Corydoras Behavior & Stress Explained (Full Guide). In pursuit of becoming a professional, I also want to inspire as many people as I can to pick up this hobby and keep the public interest growing.Read more about Sean.Please join also my Facebook group. Home Aquatic Problems & Solutions Why is My Pleco Not Moving? For example, a temperature fluctuation could have killed the fish. The pleco has stayed motionless in the same spot and position for a few weeks and I started wondering if it was dead so this morning I took a net and stuck it near him and he freaked out, swam around and went back to the same spot. Now that weve gone over signs your pleco is dying, the most likely causes and solutions, its time to prevent it from happening in the future. Make sure to ask your fish store whether they have quarantined the fish already. Its a sign that something is wrong, and you might need to make some changes. You transfer water from the aquarium to the bag while slowly removing water from the bag. Especially if they are in the breeding season. Nighttime is when these fish can take their time exploring their tank to find food, which they often do by keeping their skin touching the substrate (or other objects in the tank). My pleco is laying on it's side still breathing but not movi By entering this site you declare Foods that sink to the bottom where the plecos can eat them. My name is Jeff, and my goal with this site is to share everything I've learned over the years about caring for aquatic life. Hello, I have this pleco for like 6 months. Over the years I have kept many tanks, and have recently begun getting more serious in wanting to become a professional aquarist. we should definitely get more hiding spots. It was a bristlenose pleco. Threw him in the tank anyway and it survived. Acclimation is floating the bag and slowly adding tank water to the bag to adjust the fish to your tank water. Regular water changes are an important part of fish tank maintenance. Just like any other fish, a pleco needs its own specified diet. How can I make my plecostomus more active? Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are three crucial parts of the nitrogen cycle of aquariums. Contests including the Tank of the Month, A fish dying during the night doesnt necessarily indicate that something happened the very night that it died. Unless you are bying a large (when grown on) species of pleco who is to say that it's a baby, unless this is visualy obvious. A swollen belly with pleco catfish is caused by constipation or even worse, dropsy. You are using an out of date browser. The signs above have a lot of things in common. I had a pleco who lived out of water for 12 mins! 7 Signs Your Pleco Is Dying and Needs Attention, The average life expectancy of plecos is between 10 and 15 years. The fish could have been on the verge of death for some time. When a pleco lays motionless at the bottom of the tank it also means they might be getting beat up by other fish inside. I have a fish who is laying at the bottom of the tank breathing rapidly whi My betta fish is laying at its side at the bottom of his tank and looks like hes struggling to My fish is laying on the bottom of the tank still breathing, Oscar laying on one side and only breathing (not moving at all) since morning. Pleco Not Moving but Breathing. I would watch him closely, make sure he eats. Cloudy eye is caused by bacteria and if your pleco is under stress, has had an injury, or lower immune system it can come up. Hallo everyone, I have a question concerning my 4 year old 10.6 inch pleco. Nutrition might be playing a role in the fish dying as well. If not he likely is moving when you are not around, most pleco are very shy (without a ton of hiding places and a shyer personality can make the pleco even more reclusive), some species are worse for being out and about than others. API Liquid Super Ich Cure is another product you can purchase to treat ich. you read and agreed to the. My male sits in his cave or in front of it to attract the ladies. Checking and monitoring the levels, temperature and pH will ensure the tank has the proper conditions for your pleco. In addition, there are specific treatments you can purchase to help your fish suffering from diseases like rotting fins and ich. Youll also learn about why plecos might die so that you might be able to turn things around moving forward. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Its also possible that nothing is wrong at all. It is usually an injury if it only occurs in one eye. Are there females in the tank with him? Although a cloudy eye most likely isnt deadly, it is an indicator that something is wrong and should at least be examined. Plecs are also known to suck the slime coat off goldfish, causing injury and illness to the goldfish. Are you watching him 24/7? I don't know what ever happened to him, but he was ONE TOUGH FISH. It still might take plecos a bit to feel bold enough to swim around. If your Pleco has been hiding from you for a long time, it may be because the water in the tank is too cold. You shouldnt count the fish out completely just yet, though. Check the water quality and try to fix anything that is wrong. If this is not taken care of, it will cause your fish to die. Any recent additions to the tank, or changes made in decor or anything? I know Elbert, that handsome fellow over there in my avatar really loves shrimp pellets and occasionally freeze dried blood or tubifex worms. If your pleco fish doesnt appear to be moving, youre likely going to be incredibly concerned. Feed your pleco a varied diet, that meets the species needs. Fin rot is a common infection among aquarium fish. In some circumstances, plecos can get really aggressive towards each other. Today, I found him lying on his back on the floor of the tank but he is still alive. 2 - Rotting Fins. Weve touched a little on improving the tank setup for your pleco catfish. I thought the pH controller was set okay so I wasn't too worried. Or can he be savedlaying on side at bottom of tank, Betta laying at bottom of tank, not eating, pale, barely breathing. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. This is normal behavior when the fish is just introduced to a fish tank. If you want fish that are livelier during the day, youd be better off looking for a different type of fish.

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