Theyre caused by one of the following things: If your pleco has a cloudy eye but acts normal, it will probably go away by itself. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything hes learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium. Unlike cory catfish, which breathe air and for whom its normal to gulp air, plecos dont normally do this. Today he is floating upside down in the top corner of the tank. One of our goldfish is sitting at the bottom of the tank and not moving. Poor conditions in the tank can contribute to infections. . The signs above have a lot of things in common. In some circumstances, plecos can get really aggressive towards each other. Its very uncomfortable for the plecos, and they might rub against objects in the tank in an attempt to find relief. (+ 11 Ways To Stop Your Pleco From Eating Plants), Breeding Bristlenose Plecos (With Pictures), Pleco Size: How Big Do Plecos get? An aquarium needs about 6 weeks to fully cycle before you add fish. If your fish is stressed, you may notice the loss of color in addition to the loss of appetite and abnormal swimming behaviors. You shouldnt count the fish out completely just yet, though. Many different types of illnesses will make fish feel lethargic. Theres nothing wrong with a pleco than has a rounded belly (its in fact healthy) but if it looks bloated, this is bad. I thought the pH controller was set okay so I wasn't too worried. 11 Signs Your Pleco Is Dying [+ How To Save It], Do Plecos Eat Snails? Ill go over how to tell if your pleco is dying, the underlying causes of those symptoms, and how to prevent them from dying in the future. Plecos that like to eat algae such as bristlenose plecos will need to be fed as well. Low immune system. 5 Tips for moving into your new Home with pets, [] injured while moving. Now he's a happy camper. Rotting fins is a sign that your fish have some type of bacterial infection. This disease is not contagious but should be treated or death will follow. You may see this in plecos that don't get enough to eat. A fish dying during the night doesnt necessarily indicate that something happened the very night that it died. ive heard a story of one spending a few hours on the carpet under a tank (jumper).. when he was found his skin was all dry and his owner thought he was dead but when he went to pick him up he moved.. so after a few weeks in a recovery tank he was back to normal During our latest move, Wataugachicken and I could'nt dislodge one of the bristle nose plecs from our largest chunk of driftwood. There are over 100 species of plecos, so it is essential to do your research to learn the best source of nutrition for your pleco species. Then the water got cloudy and that is when they started breathing heavy. But the water parameters are checking out okay. Alright, Ill try zucchinI and see if he likes it. When done cleaning he put them back in, minus the pleco that had jumped out of the bucket. I had similar problems when I had a faulty regulator. I quickly put in an airstone and within 5 minutes they were back to normal. Recently, I watched. Popeye can be caused by a few things. Fin rot is a common infection among aquarium fish. Did you add any new fish recently, particularly any wild caught or F1s? Plecs are also known to suck the slime coat off goldfish, causing injury and illness to the goldfish. You need to feed the fish the right type of food to keep them alive and healthy. Sometimes I will catch him moving about. Perhaps the heater stopped working and the water temperature dipped far too low. If you discover one of your fish has popeye, check the water levels to determine if that is the cause. Abdominal swelling can be caused by many things including the following: stress, tank conditions, and constipation. Physical damage. Do you see the gills moving at all or are they truly motionless? Pleco males usually fight to assert dominance and defend their territory. If there are no good bacteria, harmful levels of ammonia can build up quickly as plecos produce a lot of waste. He could still be in shock from the move. He's doing good now. Here are some of my favorite foods for plecos (make a selection suited for the species youre keeping). It's scared and it's stressed and it's hiding, because it's in a strange place after being caught and boxed up and moved. Plecos can stay in the same place for long periods of time, or move and go back without you knowing it. An air pump is optional, but recommended to prevent your pleco from swimming up to the surface to gulp air. Because of excitement, plecos can also breathe more rapidly after a water change. This is of course innocent. It very well might be dead if it doesnt appear to be moving at all. They are seriously chill dudes lol. 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. If you want to know everything about setting up a pleco tank, you can read our full guide on it. If you are worried, you can try to move the pleco with your hands and see if it swims away. One time a buddy was cleaning his tank and took all the fish out and put them in a bucket. A pleco cant survive off of algae and needs its own diet, apart from what you feed its tank mates. If an injury is to blame, then it might get better on its own if you keep feeding the fish and monitoring the tank conditions carefully. What should I do?! Hello, I have this pleco for like 6 months. Monitoring your water levels and performing weekly water changes will prevent this from happening to your fish. I haven't added any decor nor moved anything. If you want your plecostomus to be more active, one suggestion is to provide it with live plants and driftwood to use as hiding spots, feed it live insects and invertebrates, and offer it a variety of tank mates. There might not be anything wrong at all. My Pleco Catfish doesn't MOVE or eat and I'm worried. JavaScript is disabled. It might help you to figure out how to help the fish by doing some troubleshooting. Threw him in the tank anyway and it survived. My drop checker had pretty much all of the air OUT of the "exchainge" area, in it's place was water. It could be that the pleco is just old. Clean the gravel at the bottom of the tank with a gravel vacuum, and make sure any decorations are clean as well. You transfer water from the aquarium to the bag while slowly removing water from the bag. They will float uncontrollably to the top of the aquarium, turned upside down, while still being alive. He flaps his fins about once e Help, my guppy is lying on its back and isnt moving but is still alive. "We are living on this planet as if we have another one to go to". Another reason for a pleco not moving is that it is dead. Most of the day, he is there. Checking temperature and pH levels is also essential because the water needs to be at a pH of 7.0 to 8.0. You need to monitor the water parameters to keep things in check. Hes in a seperate bowl. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. This makes it easier for them to get bacterial infections. I feed my fish with a dim light on in the room so they are used to light and I can check them over for disease without disturbing them because they think it is the sun setting. Your pleco may be dying if it appears to have a bloated stomach. in 60 degree water less than 1\4" deep! This disease is called ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) and can be fatal if not treated. White spots on the body can be seen as signs of ich. Fish are fascinating creatures, and although some are easy to take care of, that doesnt eliminate the possibility of them developing a sickness. Fish laying on the bottom of the tank and breathing deeply require action as soon as possible. This can happen to one eye or both. Fish of the Month, Pet of the Month. The tank is now highly planted, and he's very fast. This could happen to any fish owner, so it is essential to understand the causes of these symptoms and how to treat them. If youre not taking good care of the tank, then the fish might die. Jun 21, 2005 #1 I have about a 3" pleco in a 10 gallon tank. One of the biggest myths is also that plecos clean your tank. Make sure to test your water if there are any abnormalities. Breeding bristlenose plecos is certainly an exciting thing to do. I have never seen any fish go through as much as this guy did for about 10 years and live. Maracyn Two is a product that you can purchase to treat fin rot. Depending on the species, feed a varied diet of both vegetables and protein-rich foods that sink to the bottom. Later in this guide, well go over the exact symptoms of dropsy. Below, youll see some of the common signs that show that your pleco fish might be dying. By entering this site you declare Thats because theyre quite withdrawn fish that dont want to show when theyre sick (otherwise, predators will notice). we should definitely get more hiding spots. My pleco is not sucking anything please help!!! If they are desperate enough, they will turn upside down in their search for food at the surface. Quarantining and giving medicine is the most effective way to cure this disease. Most of these signs of death are preventable by monitoring the water conditions and performing weekly water changes. Pleco turning white is one of the signs your pleco is dying Temperature, stress, food, environment, water or bullying all can lead to discoloration of plecos and eventually death. If your pleco is gulping at the surface or swimming up and down the tank to reach for oxygen, this is a severe problem. When affected by Swim Bladder Disorder fish will often lose the ability to properly swim. However, like any fish, they can develop sickness too. Hello guys, thx for your answer and sry for my late reply. If you can learn how to care for these fish properly, then they shouldnt be dying fast. Many conditions that have the potential to kill plecos can be fixed with the right treatments. The first thing you should consider is whether the pleco has died or not. It's a common pleco and it' Why is my betta sitting by the heater not moving. Perhaps it seems lethargic and it might even be laying on its side. Even the pleco was quite all right till yesterday. ), -Research nutrition based on specific pleco species, fin edges turn black or brown and look frayed, have white dots (another possible symptom of ich). My fish isnt moving. If the pleco is not moving but breathing, then there are several things that could be happening. If your Pleco has been hiding from you for a long time, it may be because the water in the tank is too cold. Pet stores often sell plecos as algae eaters or cleaner fish which is why you might think it doesnt need its own tank and can survive on leftovers/waste. Ketchup_Turkey 4 yr. ago. To revive a dying pleco, perform a big water change and make sure the water parameters are optimal. While there are a lot of similarities between plecos types, there are also a lot of differences in terms of care. This typically isnt the case, and some plecos dont even eat algae. You might notice the pleco fish swimming erratically. Pleco catfish are often kept in the aquarium hobby because, Plecos and cory catfish are two extremely popular catfish species, Pleco catfish are one of the most popular fish in, Pleco spawning Plecos are cave-breeders, and they spawn exclusively in, For a limited time, you can download our FREE pleco catfish ebook, 2022 KeepingCatfish.com - Privacy policy Webdesign by Websmart Websites. 1 - Loss of Color. He could still be in shock from the move. In addition, there are specific treatments you can purchase to help your fish suffering from diseases like rotting fins and ich. Why would a pleco fish stop moving entirely? A male with eggs/ babies may stay in the cave for several weeks without eating. Isolate the fish and then treat it to try to get the swelling to go down. You can feed the fish foods that are high in fiber to clear it up. Plecos turn white for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to: poor nutrition, disease, stress, or inadequate tank conditions. Plecos do not have scales and they tend to rot really fast when they die, so as was mentioned above, you. If he's alive and swims away why are you worried? I came over to his house about 4 hours later and noticed the plec was missing. Its also important to clean the fish tank and do regular water changes to avoid throwing the water parameters off. A forum community dedicated to Aquatic tank owners and enthusiasts. This can happen to any fish if it does not have enough oxygen in its environment, if it is too cold or hot, or if the water quality has deteriorated. Even the tiny three-inch long zebra plecos are carnivores. Quarantining fish is putting them in a closed-off environment for a couple of weeks, before putting them in your main tank. A healthy probably pregnant bristlenose pleco female. The impaired buoyancy in fish is caused by a malfunction of their swim bladder. Fixing constipation issues will be easy. Often, its very hard to tell whether your pleco is sick or not. Tank of the Month, Hi, my name is Sean, and Im the primary writer on the site. 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. Same my pleco only comes out when the lights are off and since ive got an enenemy (sorry if i spelled wrong) he just stays there and dosent move at ALL even in the day and the lights are off i guess he loves darkness an also cus hes hiding from my guppie named bob. Many things can cause stress such as poor water conditions, overcrowded fish tanks, and incompatible tank mates. Sick goldfish not moving but breathing/alive. It creates an environment where the disease cannot grow or spread. You must log in or register to reply here. It can take a few days for him to convinced one to lay eggs for him then he sits in the cave and fans them. Use an algae pad to clean the sides of tank, and siphon out the water left inside. You should be testing the water parameters regularly to protect the fish. Check the water quality and try to fix anything that is wrong. Also, you should make sure that he has a heater, filter, oxygen and all the basics. Plecos are supposed to be fairly hardy fish, other reasons why a pleco might start floating. 3. If the fish is breathing, its likely that its simply resting. This behavior can also occur when fish are exposed to high temperatures. If your fishs eyes appear to be bulging out of its head, it may be suffering from pop eye or exophthalmos. Stress. In order to keep your Pleco happy, you will need to ensure that the tank is heated and supplied with a filter. It still might take plecos a bit to feel bold enough to swim around. you read and agreed to the. You see, plecos are nocturnal fish that like to hide and rest during the day. My parents have a cockatiel who is 36 years old this year. You are using an out of date browser. This is perfectly normal behavior for plecos. If the fish is not moving, then there are no signs of life, such as breathing or eating, then it has likely died. Pleco catfish don't move a lot he started they're nocturnal. He is breathing, but he isn't moving. Are you watching him 24/7? If the plecos are in a community fish tank, then itll be important to ensure that they are kept only with compatible tank mates. Posted on Last updated: February 14, 2023. It is usually an injury if it only occurs in one eye. Ammonia and nitrites build up then bacteria build up to convert them into something less harmful to fish. Check your water parameters as this is the most likely cause. This gave me false readings that my water had hardly any co2 in it. There seems to be a lot of confusion about what, Most of the pleco species sold and kept in the. If your pleco is gulping at the surface, it doesnt have enough oxygen and is suffocating. 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). A lot of pleco types also benefit from driftwood in their tank.

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