Why Do My Plecos Always Die And How To Keep Plecos From Dying? - AG 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. They can also take advantage of other opportunities that come with darkness, like avoiding predators. 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. Baby plecos have been known to die when the water temperature fluctuates too much. Come join the discussion about flora, fauna, health, housing, filters, care, classifieds, and more! These are great fish and you want them to thrive under your care. Clean your fish tank. 3. He could still be in shock from the move. This can happen to any fish if it does not have . Another result of starvation might be aggression, or your pleco sucking on the slime coat of fish like we sometimes see with goldfish. Receive our FREE eBook by filling out the form below. He is breathing, but he isn't moving. In some cases, it might even be as extreme as males killing each other. However, if your pleco is dying: They may exhibit unusual or distressed behavior, such as rapid breathing, lethargy, or loss of appetite. He was just hanging there out of the water not moving. This is of course innocent. If possible it would be advisable to move the pleco to a nursing tank away from other fish. Tank mates: one guppy, one otocinclus.. in a 20 gallon tank. It was a bristlenose pleco. How long can a Pl*co survive out of water | AquariaCentral.com You must log in or register to reply here. Check to see if anything is causing the fish stress. 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. Take action by doing water changes and adding an air pump. You dont have to reach into the tank and touch it with your bare hand. How is your pleco doing Vicki? Vote. Many different types of illnesses will make fish feel lethargic. He said that probably it was aged quite a lot. This happened all of a sudden. They take a full breath, in and out, about 6 times a second. Fish are fascinating creatures, and although some are easy to take care of, that doesnt eliminate the possibility of them developing a sickness. This makes it easier for them to get bacterial infections. We are a family friendly community with an incredible resource of information for fish owners and enthusiast alike. Plecos are notoriously difficult to remove from a tank, its not uncommon for people to spend hours trying to find the perfect device or method to catch this fish. The hardest test for a Pleco keeper is to get the Pleco addapted to his new home. Good luck. Breeding bristlenose plecos is certainly an exciting thing to do. I have seen this behavior once before and today, its happening again. They do things at night and youre not going to see them scurrying about much when the sun is out. He is still alive. Having more females than males also helps. he sound fine, try touching himand he will probably swim away. Touch the fish and see if you can get it to spring up. Here are some of my favorite foods for plecos (make a selection suited for the species youre keeping). Plecos are freshwater fish that need to live in water that is between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius (72-82F). What should I do?! This is normal behavior when the fish is just introduced to a fish tank. When done cleaning he put them back in, minus the pleco that had jumped out of the bucket. I know one of my tetras had mouth fungus and I used aquari-sol and it took care of the problem. When a pleco lays motionless at the bottom of the tank it also means they might be getting beat up by other fish inside. Just a thought Sayuz. Vampire plecos need to be fed meaty foods such as shrimp and snails. You might need to address water quality issues. Ich is very contagious and can be fatal, so removing the sick fish from the tank is important if other fish inhabit the same environment. When a pleco is not moving it can be a sign that the water has gotten too polluted or it is lacking food. My pleco is laying on his back and just moving his gills - Reddit Sometimes fish will get like this when theyre sick. Its a sign that something is wrong, and you might need to make some changes. If this isnt the case, check your water parameters for a nitrite spike. Not related but kind of funny: I also have a Whiptail Catfish, if you're worried about fish that don't move, don't get one, they will just sit there even if another fish sits ontop of them or you touch them or anything. Often, its very hard to tell whether your pleco is sick or not. I like your, I found it interesting when you explained how you'd bond with your pet snake and improve recognition. If they are desperate enough, they will turn upside down in their search for food at the surface. Often, people use aquarium salt to treat this issue, but you can always consult an exotic veterinarian if you have questions. They arent necessarily fish that will swim around and show off for you during the day under normal circumstances. Do not . It frustrates me that when you look up information about plecos, people speak about plecos as one species. There is a man that works at Petco who actually knows what he is doing, and when my friend asked about getting a common pleco for her 75g, he said he only recommends them in a 150 gallon tank or more to fully thrive. His very favorite food though is fresh raw zucchini. It is usually an injury if it only occurs in one eye. Some will also cause fish to have a hard time breathing. You might need to do a better job of doing regular water changes. Feed your pleco a varied diet, that meets the species needs. Most of these signs of death are preventable by monitoring the water conditions and performing weekly water changes. Sometimes plecos will just float near the top of the tank when the oxygen levels arent sufficient. I still don't know for sure what happened, but I'm going to blame the CO2. An oxygen deficit is caused by one of the following reasons: A lack of oxygen should be reacted to immediately with a big water change and the addition of an airstone. If your pleco is stressed, it may exhibit some of the following behaviors: Hiding is a natural defensive response for many fish. API Liquid Super Ich Cure is another product you can purchase to treat ich. Pleco Not Moving but Breathing. Over the years I have kept many tanks, and have recently begun getting more serious in wanting to become a professional aquarist. It could be related to water quality, malnutrition, or even other things in the tank that are causing the fish stress. Keeping pleco catfish in an aquarium can be a good. There are other reasons why a pleco might start floating, but its possible that the fish could be dead. Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are three crucial parts of the nitrogen cycle of aquariums. I had a big common pleco that lived for over 10 years in a 30 gallon tall along with. Unfortunately, this is not true. If your plecos dont seem to be doing so well, then youre probably disheartened. Pleco catfish don't move . If he's alive and swims away why are you worried? Its very plausible that plecos can die due to not being fed properly. Nitrite is the most dangerous, and should always be at 0 ppm. Abdominal swelling can be caused by many things including the following: stress, tank conditions, and constipation. we should definitely get more hiding spots. HELP! My pleco is going crazy! I don't know what's wrong. Use an algae pad to clean the sides of tank, and siphon out the water left inside. Ammonia and nitrites build up then bacteria build up to convert them into something less harmful to fish. Why is My Pleco Not Eating? So I just went to put food in the fish tank. If you offer them a place where they can feel safe, such as a dark spot under an ornamental plant, they will often come out to visit with you. When a pleco fish dies in the fish tank, itll stop moving and itll float. You might even be making the mistake of thinking that plecos can subsist entirely on algae in the tank. The tank is now highly planted, and he's very fast. My guppy is laying on its side at the bottom of the tank and still moving. I drop an algae wafer in every other day and he usually jumps right on it but since he stays in his little all the time now Im not sure if he eats it. If you dont already have some in your tank, consider putting in some real. Click here. Common pleco not moving after tank flush! Threw him in the tank anyway and it survived. You transfer water from the aquarium to the bag while slowly removing water from the bag. Juts curious - as I was doing a water change today and about 10 minutes into it I noted my true Albino Bristlenose Ancistrus wedged in between my rock wall - and my overflow box at the top of the tank. This can be a sign of an internal infection due to injury or the food its been eating. However, many times, the death of a plecostomus is avoidable by some simple changes in their care. An ammonia spike is one of the most likely causes of the sudden death of your pleco or other aquarium fish. Low immune system. Youll also need to fix issues with water quality in the tank while solving stress problems. Read on to learn about the signs and symptoms, the causes, and treatment options for your pleco. What are some signs that your pleco is dying? Plecos are often misunderstood because they dont like to be shown off, which makes sense given their wild origins. 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. Weve touched on the diet already, but heres some more in-depth information. This can make it very tough for the fish to swim around normally. There are various products that might treat it but as for your best option on products I don't know. Make sure the tank has been cycled before introducing any fish to it so there are no dangerous spikes in the water. Hes in a seperate bowl. 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. There are actually many signs that show you that plecos are in rough shape. Fixing constipation issues will be easy. If your Pleco has been hiding from you for a long time, it may be because the water in the tank is too cold. As I said, the other fish are showing no signs of stress. A healthy probably pregnant bristlenose pleco female. Pleco upside down and breathing but not moving : r/Aquariums - Reddit This is perfectly normal behavior for plecos. If your pleco is breathing more rapidly, it can be because of various reasons: Make sure to test your water parameters for a nitrite/ammonia spike as this extracts oxygen. Add an airstone if your filter doesnt create enough surface movement. My pleco just pretty much hangs out in the same spot almost all day, as Gee mentioned they're nocturnal. Swim Bladder Disorder: How to Tell if Your Floating Pet Fish Is Dead The white spot on it's eye sounds like some type of fungus. Hello, and thanks for visiting Avid Aquarist! Fish Lore is an amazon affiliate and some pages may contain links to aquarium related products on amazon: Affiliate Disclosure. I have seen bottom dwelling loaches just get very pale and colorless when there is too much CO2 in the water. It could simply be that the pleco fish succumbed to an illness during the night. I think you can see him in my signature pic. 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. He does not even move if I touch him with a net, he just moves his tail a little. You can feed the fish foods that are high in fiber to clear it up. Plecostomus is a type of suckermouth catfish that excretes massive amounts of waste. Like fin rot, Ich may appear due to poor tank conditions. Fin rot is a common infection among aquarium fish. Youll want to scoop the fish out of the tank and dispose of it. For plecos, most types need a tank thats 30 gallons in size, but there are smaller species (like bristlenose & clown plecos) that can live in a 20-gallon tank. LL, yes I just moved, but the pleco has been in this water for almost a month. Mine is also out at night. An aquarium needs about 6 weeks to fully cycle before you add fish. I'm not entirely sure the kind of pleco as I didn't buy him but I think he is a common pleco. #3. You called it a he is it actually male? A pleco dying is often the result of bad information and lack of knowhow about the species. It might need a bit more time to get used to its new environment. Ensure you follow the package instructions to ensure proper dosing for your fish. Youll want to try to touch the fish to see if it reacts at all. Quite often bottom dwellers do just sit and not move. Plecos turn white for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to: poor nutrition, disease, stress, or inadequate tank conditions. It can hard to know whether your pleco is stressed, as theyre quite withdrawn fish. White spots may appear on your fish if it is sick. Put the torch on dim and slowly turn it up and the Plec is there. "We are living on this planet as if we have another one to go to". If your pleco is sleeping: They will typically be in a motionless or relaxed position, with their fins and gills not moving as much as usual. Mine in the day is under a log and will only come out if there is food. Disease can make fish sluggish and it can also cause them to stop eating. Both stress and poor water quality can make it more likely that the fish will get infected. He is still breathing, but he doesn't move when I approach him, only if I touch him. By entering this site you declare Just like any other fish, a pleco needs its own specified diet. This parasitic infection causes white spots to appear all over the fish. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Silly fish. Clean the gravel at the bottom of the tank with a gravel vacuum, and make sure any decorations are clean as well. As weve discussed briefly, starvation is a very common death cause of plecos. When the water quality is poor, it'll weaken the immune system of the plecos. Many conditions that have the potential to kill plecos can be fixed with the right treatments. He is starting to show his age but. Now he's a happy camper. 5 Clear Signs Your Pleco Is Dying - Fur, Wings, & Scaly Things Lastly, before or during spawning, plecos can breathe more rapidly since this is energy-consuming. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. You might even be concerned that the plecos are dying if things are going particularly bad. Sometimes plecos that can't breathe well will float near the surface of the water. He just started acting crazy the last couple of days. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Also, algae is starting to grow on the glass so I dont think that hes roaming around much at night either. I have never seen any fish go through as much as this guy did for about 10 years and live. It very well might be dead if it doesnt appear to be moving at all. The water might be dirty or the parameters could be way off of what they should be. Fish laying on its side in the bottom of the tank. Make sure to test your water if there are any abnormalities. How to Tell the Age of a Cockatiel (Age Chart Included! A swollen belly with pleco catfish is caused by constipation or even worse, dropsy. Infections are usually caused by the various bacteria and parasites that may be present in the tank. I doubt this is the issue, but my pleco was acting odd, curving and swimming like he was intoxicated flying from one side to the other, no CO2, regular parameters, but I checked the temperature, like yours mine was breathing up a storm, but I raised the temp 4 degrees up and he was fine my temp dropped to 72, and he was going bananas, but after about 20 minutes I guess he caught a warm front and hugged the heater damn near. When a pleco lays motionless at the bottom of the tank it also means they might be getting beat up by other fish inside. Thats because theyre quite withdrawn fish that dont want to show when theyre sick (otherwise, predators will notice). If the fish is unable to move, you'll need to be its gills for a while. When one of us would pack it in for a while we would pass this one pleco to another person. The fish could have been on the verge of death for some time. Just laying on the bottom. A fish that doesnt react to being touched is probably dead. Plecos are breathing WAY too fast!! - My Aquarium Club This can be caused by many things, such as poor water conditions, stress, or poor nutrition. Today he is floating upside down in the top corner of the tank. This process involves floating the bag on top of the tank. Typically, loss of color is associated with poor tank conditions. If the temperature of the water gets too low, then that could kill them. Can I Keep A Pleco With A Goldfish? | My Aquarium Club No matter what we did, he would'nt come out. Acclimation is floating the bag and slowly adding tank water to the bag to adjust the fish to your tank water. If there are no good bacteria, harmful levels of ammonia can build up quickly as plecos produce a lot of waste. Can Betta Fish Live With Guppies And Tetras? Monitor your fishs feeding to ensure he is eating. To have a healthy Pleco fish, owners should keep assessing all these factors and keep maintaining a quality life for the Pleco for it to survive. I don't have a picture but he looks kind of like this: Since he is a common pleco he is going to grow too big even for a 90 gallon (plus the waste he produces), if you would like we can help you pick out a medium sized pleco that will fit in with your other fish if you are willing to rehome your current pleco. What's wrong with him? My Pleco Catfish doesn't MOVE or eat and I'm worried. I don't want to lose him but I don't want him to suffer. One or both eyes might wind up being covered by a white or gray slime. Fast forward to the next day. Hopefully, this will never happen in your fish tank. Take any remaining fish out of the water and keep them somewhere safe. He flaps his fins about once e Help, my guppy is lying on its back and isnt moving but is still alive. All you need to do is solve the issues that are making the fish sick. Unlike cory catfish, which breathe air and for whom its normal to gulp air, plecos dont normally do this. Are you watching him 24/7? Whatever was wrong has seemed to be fixed as he's now behaving like normal. Sick goldfish not moving but breathing/alive. You need to feed the fish the right type of food to keep them alive and healthy. Yes this normally happens with Plecos. you read and agreed to the. If your pleco's fins start to rot or decay, it is important to act quickly as this can spread to the fish's body. It was not just one of my plecos but several. Your fish may be suffering from ich if their skin appears to have white dots that look like salt or sugar flakes. To deal with any such situation, you should have the contact of a veterinarian in your new [], @Elise, yes I'm pretty sure that's normal I'm no professional and have not had one yet but I just have, My friend is considering adopting a unique pet he could showcase to his guests when they visit. (+ 11 Ways To Stop Your Pleco From Eating Plants), Breeding Bristlenose Plecos (With Pictures), Pleco Size: How Big Do Plecos get? Nitrate is considerably less dangerous, but should be lower than 30 ppm, and above 50 is the danger zone. Why is My Fish Laying On the Side? - Aquarium Hunter Ensure that youre feeding the fish appropriately. However, like any fish, they can develop sickness too. Although water conditions are the primary cause of these symptoms, low water temperature can also be a cause. Once mouth and gills are open, you'll need to resuscitate the fish by flushing water over the gills and there are a few ways of doing this. Rotting fins is a sign that your fish have some type of bacterial infection. When plecos are just getting used to a new environment, theyre going to be rather skittish. Your pleco needs immediate care in both cases. If your pleco fish doesnt appear to be moving, youre likely going to be incredibly concerned. Make sure that you dont have improper tank mates in the fish tank with your plecos. Check the tanks temperature to ensure it is between 72 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. You can make acclimating to the tank easier for the fish by taking the time to float the bag before putting it in the tank. Full Pleco Breeding Guide (Everything You Need to Know). Youll also get a bit of information about why these signs are occurring. The Plecos never attack the food of other fish during such sessions. He might be guarding eggs or trying to entice a female to breed with him. I think that it is nothing to worry about. You see, plecos are nocturnal fish that like to hide and rest during the day. 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. I have heard of RTC living out of water for 45 mins!!! 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.