Youll also need to fix issues with water quality in the tank while solving stress problems. Fix issues with the water quality and give the fish antibacterial treatments. He might be guarding eggs or trying to entice a female to breed with him. My husband's pleco often does this. Checking the tank conditions and monitoring the fishs behavior are things you can do to determine the cause of the swelling. Full Tank Mate Guide, Bristlenose Pleco Tank Size 101: Everything You Need To Know, Pleco Price: How Much Do Pleco Cost? You can feed the fish foods that are high in fiber to clear it up. Is Your Pleco Swimming Upside Down? (7 Causes of Swim Bladder Issues) Yes this normally happens with Plecos. If possible it would be advisable to move the pleco to a nursing tank away from other fish. This guy lasted about 10 years. Just laying on the bottom. Recently, I watched. Youll want to scoop the fish out of the tank and dispose of it. 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 are supposed to be fairly hardy fish, and this likely made you confident enough to purchase some even as a beginner. he sound fine, try touching himand he will probably swim away. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. My fish is alive and moving, but isnt breathing? Stress. This disease is not contagious but should be treated or death will follow. There might not be anything wrong at all. 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. Keep reading to know more. It is a disease that causes fluid build-up in the eye socket, resulting in the eyes protruding out of the socket. These fish simply arent active during the day. How long can a Pl*co survive out of water | AquariaCentral.com The water might be dirty or the parameters could be way off of what they should be. The first thing you should consider is whether the pleco has died or not. Why is my fish laying on its side at the bottom? Poor water conditions usually cause bacterial infections. It might be normal to see a pleco breathing but not moving. 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. Fish laying on its side in the bottom of the tank. 11 Signs Your Pleco Is Dying [+ How To Save It] | Keeping Catfish Aggression in fish leads to erratic swimming and crashing into the tank. Popeye can be caused by a few things. You should be changing 15% of the water on a weekly basis. Betta Laying on side not moving but breathing. The assumption is that plecos will simply eat the algae in the tank. Its normal for these fish to hide and be very wary of venturing out. Adding fish without acclimating them causes shock. 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. Im blogging mostly about freshwater and saltwater aquariums, fish, invertebrates, and plants. Even the pleco was quite all right till yesterday. Its also possible that nothing is wrong at all. My Pleco sits underneath the rock in my mini cave. !My betta fish isnt moving but he is alive. It is usually an injury if it only occurs in one eye. Or can he be savedlaying on side at bottom of tank, Betta laying at bottom of tank, not eating, pale, barely breathing. What kind of pleco is he? Sick goldfish not moving but breathing/alive. Mine doesn't get active til well after 10pm at night. A pleco might choose to remain very still and stay in the same spot all day. They clean algae, but they make a bigger mess in your tank. 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. Small anekdote: I have a tank of zebra plecos (L46) (the fish that costs $200+ a piece). If all he is getting is algae (either fresh from the tank or wafer form) he may not be feeling very good. My pleco is laying on his back and just moving his gills - Reddit You transfer water from the aquarium to the bag while slowly removing water from the bag. in 60 degree water less than 1\4" deep! This makes it easier for them to get bacterial infections. Below, youll see some of the common signs that show that your pleco fish might be dying. Make sure the tank has been cycled before introducing any fish to it so there are no dangerous spikes in the water. This makes it easier for them to get bacterial infections. Feeding your fish de-shelled peas or other foods high in fiber can help decrease the swelling. Plecos are breathing WAY too fast!! - My Aquarium Club Do Plecostomus Need A Filter / Air Pump? {Why Is My Pleco - HelpUsFish There has to be something wrong. Here are some tips on how you can notice a sick pleco thats possibly even dying. 7 Signs Your Pleco Is Dying and Needs Attention, The average life expectancy of plecos is between 10 and 15 years. Fixing constipation issues will be easy. You might even be concerned that the plecos are dying if things are going particularly bad. WHats wrong? Having more females than males also helps. Barely breathing! Plecos are supposed to be fairly hardy fish, other reasons why a pleco might start floating. While in fact, there are hundreds. 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. JavaScript is disabled. We are a family friendly community with an incredible resource of information for fish owners and enthusiast alike. The best way is to use a net or other implement to scoop them out of the water. How to Know when Your Goldfish Is Dying: 13 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow I found a great deal on a queen arabesque pleco this week, so it's at home now. He's doing good now. When a pleco lays motionless at the bottom of the tank it also means they might be getting beat up by other fish inside. Good luck. An aquarium needs about 6 weeks to fully cycle before you add fish. . 2005-2019 Monsterfishkeepers.com. Filtration is crucial to keep your water parameters optimal, as pleco catfish are big polluters. To test if your pleco is dead or not, you can try to touch it and see whether it reacts. It very well might be dead if it doesnt appear to be moving at all. Over the years I have kept many tanks, and have recently begun getting more serious in wanting to become a professional aquarist. Fin rot is caused by underlying conditions such as bacterial infection. You should be able to keep plecos alive for many years with proper care. Try touching the fish and see if it reacts. My pleco is sick. :( | Freshwater Fish Disease and Health Forum just keep an eye on him. A forum community dedicated to Aquatic tank owners and enthusiasts. If your plecos fins start to rot or decay, it is important to act quickly as this can spread to the fishs body. Htels & Rsidences de tourisme; tablissements recevant du public; Habitats individuels & collectifs; Amnagements extrieurs; Design, Mobilier & Tapisseries He (or she) is normally pretty active, being a good vacuum cleaner for the tank. If they are desperate enough, they will turn upside down in their search for food at the surface. If your Pleco has been hiding from you for a long time, it may be because the water in the tank is too cold. If the fish is hiding among the plants or in a cave and not moving, thats perfectly normal. Some even buy them specifically to try to keep the fish tank clean. It creates an environment where the disease cannot grow or spread. The fish might be very sick and it feels unable to move. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Most plecostomus species are nocturnal, meaning that they are more active at night than during the day. They are seriously chill dudes lol. Many conditions that have the potential to kill plecos can be fixed with the right treatments. JavaScript is disabled. If youre not taking good care of the tank, then the fish might die. We might get a modest commission at no extra cost to you. 11 Signs Your Pleco Is Dying [+ How To Save It], Do Plecos Eat Snails? Add an airstone if your filter doesnt create enough surface movement. When my pleco sleeps on his back, it is usually under a wood or in a dark spot, where he wont be bothered. What are some signs that your pleco is dying? On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything hes learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium. Are you watching him 24/7? Why Did My Pleco Die and How to Prevent the Fish from Dying? By entering this site you declare Sometimes I will catch him moving about. The eyes may appear cloudy or bloody if an injury is the cause. If the chain is broken, this creates dangerous circumstances. Poor water conditions, bacterial infections, and even injuries have been known to make this happen. Hi, my name is Sean, and Im the primary writer on the site. Cloudy eyes will be a sign that the fish is being kept in bad water. Most of the day, he is there. What kind of disease? You might need to do a better job of doing regular water changes. Of course, some of the fish might simply have genetic issues. Receive our FREE eBook by filling out the form below. Infections can be remedied by giving the fish medications. Good Luck. Come join the discussion about flora, fauna, health, housing, filters, care, classifieds, and more! Water quality problems will sometimes cause plecos to develop a condition known as cloudy eye. I read that they loved blanched vegetables, so I have given them a cucumber slice the last three nights for about an hour and then took it out. If it was dead youd know it, lol. The impaired buoyancy in fish is caused by a malfunction of their swim bladder. If the water condition and bacterial infections caused the situation, then youll need to fix those problems. Water parameters good? Vampire plecos need to be fed meaty foods such as shrimp and snails. While there are a lot of similarities between plecos types, there are also a lot of differences in terms of care. Plecos do not have scales and they tend to rot really fast when they die, so as was mentioned above, you. It could be related to water quality, malnutrition, or even other things in the tank that are causing the fish stress. Are there females in the tank with him? Most of them can be caused by poor water conditions in the tank. So I just went to put food in the fish tank. pleco During a water change, I also removed a decoration containing a 2" common pleco and placed all the decorations in an igloo cooler overnight[was installing an ugj system] to my amazement the next day while I was replacing the decor, low and behold there was my pleco in the bottom of the cooler, he had been in there for over 20 hrs. These are great fish and you want them to thrive under your care. He just started acting crazy the last couple of days. Poor water conditions usually cause bacterial infections. If this is the case do a 25% water change as soon as possible. In addition, there are specific treatments you can purchase to help your fish suffering from diseases like rotting fins and ich. When done cleaning he put them back in, minus the pleco that had jumped out of the bucket. 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. 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. Use an algae pad to clean the sides of tank, and siphon out the water left inside. Help!! Weve touched a little on improving the tank setup for your pleco catfish. Some will also cause fish to have a hard time breathing. Also having a water test kit for ammonia and nitrite will help greatly in knowing when to do water changes. Resting on the bottom of the tank or hiding in plants or other objects. Sometimes plecos will just float near the top of the tank when the oxygen levels arent sufficient. Now that weve gone over the symptoms, its time to find the cause of these problems. He does not even move if I touch him with a net, he just moves his tail a little. A swollen belly with pleco catfish is caused by constipation or even worse, dropsy. How is your pleco doing Vicki? 0. 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. JavaScript is disabled. Knowing what signs to look out for might allow you to turn things around before its too late. ), -Research nutrition based on specific pleco species, fin edges turn black or brown and look frayed, have white dots (another possible symptom of ich). Tap water contains chlorine and chlorimine that are toxic to fish. My pleco has started acting as if he's on fire! Clean the gravel at the bottom of the tank with a gravel vacuum, and make sure any decorations are clean as well. 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. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. Even the tiny three-inch long zebra plecos are carnivores. Bloodworms, brine shrimp, and even small amounts of vegetables can help your fish be more healthy. Youll also learn about why plecos might die so that you might be able to turn things around moving forward. I tried to prod him gently, but he still hasn't moved. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. These fish enjoy hiding and they often stay in the same place at the bottom of the aquarium. When the water quality is poor, it'll weaken the immune system of the plecos. 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. One time a buddy was cleaning his tank and took all the fish out and put them in a bucket. My fish is breathing slowly and is laying at the bottom of his tank on his side. I have heard of RTC living out of water for 45 mins!!! Plecos dying: its a sad sight and one of the questions I get asked most frequently. Some people may find their pleco to be more active if they feed it live worms or move it to a bigger tank. Theyre shy and somewhat reclusive and are usually content to hide in the corners of a tank. Always supply food in the presence of light to the baby fish. 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. Most of these signs of death are preventable by monitoring the water conditions and performing weekly water changes. Over the past couple of days hes stayed in a little cave all day and night. The Pleco is Bloated. 2 - Rotting Fins. You called it a he is it actually male? The cause of most of these symptoms stems from the water conditions. It can get habitual to the routine, and they follow the owner's hand movements. Turned out, that fish wasn't a female but the male had trapped the less dominant male and choked him (though there were plenty of caves). It still might take plecos a bit to feel bold enough to swim around. Jun 21, 2005 #1 I have about a 3" pleco in a 10 gallon tank. Loss of color, rotting fins, and white spots on its body are some of the common signs that a pleco might be dying. I also asked my lfs and he said they are MOST active at night. Huge plecos like this need A LOT of broccoli to survive ;). They like to hide normally so he is quite happy. There is a possibility that something happened in the tank, though. I feed my Plec bloodworm, cichlid diet, sinking pellets, flakes and he eats algae. If the fish is still alive, it should move when you touch it. Sometimes fish will get like this when theyre sick. One of the biggest myths is also that plecos clean your tank. Can I Keep A Pleco With A Goldfish? | My Aquarium Club If you dont already have some in your tank, consider putting in some real. Do Plecos Sleep? Do They Play Dead? [Explained] - eFishkeeping As long as they are damp or wet they can live for probably 20-30 minutes. Hallo everyone, I have a question concerning my 4 year old 10.6 inch pleco. Common pleco not moving after tank flush! Try to fix this issue by isolating the fish and fixing issues with the water quality. It was in a tank with Piranha and had scars on it, but after a while they left it alone. Since plecos are a type of catfish, they feed off of algae. Perhaps the heater stopped working and the water temperature dipped far too low. This post may contain affiliate links. He was just hanging there out of the water not moving. They take a full breath, in and out, about 6 times a second. Now the tank is in pretty bad shape (were working on it!) Disease can make fish sluggish and it can also cause them to stop eating. FishForums.net is one of the internet's oldest and premier Tropical Fish and Aquarium forums! Why Does My Pleco Always Hide and Never Come Out? - The Aquarium Adviser Pleco fish are amazing animals and very interesting for aquarists. A healthy probably pregnant bristlenose pleco female. Fish of the Month, Pet of the Month and more! Is it dying? certain species have apparently demonstarted the ability to absorb oxygen into their blood through their stomac by swallowing it. Youll want to try to touch the fish to see if it reacts at all. Poor pleco got nudged accidentally with the hose, though, and he's having a -really- hard time swimming. His very favorite food though is fresh raw zucchini. He may also fall sick due to anxiousness. Feed food before lights out and he is likely to come out when it is dark to feed. One day, I was excited to see the male had trapped the female in a cave, so I was expecting some babies.However, the next morning I waked up noticing the fish death in the cave. pleco not moving but breathing Pleco catfish don't move . If you want to know everything about setting up a pleco tank, you can read our full guide on it. 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. Many different types of illnesses will make fish feel lethargic. 7 - Dropsy 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. 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. Fish can only tolerate 5% water changes every couple of hours, so make sure that you leave enough time between water changes so that your fish does not go into shock. I still don't know for sure what happened, but I'm going to blame the CO2. You must log in or register to reply here. My parents have a cockatiel who is 36 years old this year. Poor nutrition might cause loss of color as well. Fish Lore is an amazon affiliate and some pages may contain links to aquarium related products on amazon: Affiliate Disclosure. 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. 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. Thanks, Tex Gal. Tank mates: one guppy, one otocinclus.. in a 20 gallon tank. I may not have had one of the happiest childhoods, but I am having one of the longest. He was struggling really hard, and ended up tipping upside-down, fighting his way up to the surface, and all kinds of things. He is still breathing, but he doesn't move when I approach him, only if I touch him. Breeding bristlenose plecos is certainly an exciting thing to do. whats wrong? Why is My Fish Laying On the Side? - Aquarium Hunter HELP! My pleco is going crazy! I don't know what's wrong. 7 Menacing Signs Your Pleco Is Dying - 2023 - Learn About Pet You are using an out of date browser. Make sure to test your water if there are any abnormalities. I think that it is nothing to worry about. Unlike ich or fin rot, there are no medicinal treatments for cloudy eyes, as the problem will solve itself when the cause has been determined and fixed (water conditions, tank aggression, etc.). Checking the water levels to ensure there are no harmful ammonia levels and correcting the problem with water changes will help your fish gain its movement back. He is just sitting on the bottom of the tank not moving or trying to eat anything. Foods that sink to the bottom where the plecos can eat them. Ich is a condition that involves the fish being infected by parasites. A sunken belly is the result of the gut flora dying off and even though these fish are very hardy, it will lead to death. i know hes alive because if i try and move him he will swim away, What do i do? Now he's a happy camper. 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. Young animals are sensitive to too much protein. Rapid temperature changes, irregular feeding schedules, and poor water conditions also contribute to stress in fish. In addition, you will want to quarantine the sick fish, as it is contagious and will spread quickly. When a pleco is stressed, it lowers its immunity and increases the risk of fast death. He flaps his fins about once e Help, my guppy is lying on its back and isnt moving but is still alive. How big of a tank do they need? There are other reasons why a pleco might start floating, but its possible that the fish could be dead. It could simply be that the pleco fish succumbed to an illness during the night. This means that this fish only comes out a. Then the water got cloudy and that is when they started breathing heavy. 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. The main pressure on the regulator has been dropping so I raised the main pressure in the regulator and then increased the bubble flow. We need the oxygen to flow and the current from a filter or movement of . Please help! 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. Its also imperative to regularly clean the fish tank.
