My Common Pleco Is Sticking His Nose Out Of The Water

[Durbkat]

I have a common pleco in a long 20g and am on the look out for a much bigger tank and a few days ago I started treating my black tetras with maracyn for there fin rot and now I've noticed there was a bubble nest on in the tank. So just now I was watching my pleco and he was sticking his nose out of the water sucking on the glass then when I got closer to the tank he blew alot of bubbles that went to the bubble nest. So is this normal or what is going on?

 

[Tolak]

Normal behavior. If you look at my 55 in your previous topic looking for plec pics, you will notice the non-standard lid on the right side of the tank. The original was broken by one of the plecs coming to the surface for air. The home made replacement got cracked in 6 months. I just leave the 2 pieces up there until they break it into more pieces. I find part of it on the floor every couple of months.

I've seen them hit the lid, you can hear it in the other room. I've seen them nail the crossbar so hard I thought they would need a nose job. Coming to the surface for a gulp of air & blowing out bubbles afterwards is normal for two of them, the third really doesn't do it that often.

Tolak

 

[Erised]

Though it is quite normal for plecs to do so, they don't usually start doing it out of the blues.
When treating the tank with any type of medication, it is adviced to add extra airpumps to the tank to keep the oxygen level up. If you haven't got 1 running yet, I recommend you get 1 in there at least during the treating times.

If you do already have one in there, and the plec is the only fish doing this, then I wouldn't worry about it. Plecs like corydoras can take oxygen out of the air and will do so when they feel they need it. Absolutely normal and natural behavior

 

[Durbkat]

No I don't have a air stone running because I have run out of tubing for the air stone but I do have the air pump. To bad I can't use it. Yes he is the only one doing it and it just starting doing it when I started treating the tank so I'm guessing these two things are related. But I did turn the power filter up to a higher setting since I couldn't run an air stone because before treatmeant it was only at half power because its to powerful for the tank but now its at 75% power. Also just to let you know today was the last day of the treatment but I had to skip yesterdays treatment because I only had one tablet left and I used it today.

 

[Durbkat]

Just thought I'd let you guys know that he has stopped doing it since the medicine treatment is over.

 

[Erised]

Glad to hear that Durbkat Hope the treatment worked and all your other fish are ok as well

 

[Durbkat]

Thanks. Well the other fish's fins healed somewhat but it would heal better if I could use salt but I can't because of the common pleco.