Another Pleco Death :(

[Rorie]

Ok, i can keep everything from discus and cardinals, to bristle nose plecos. But when ever i get a fancy pleco, it seems to die! Why?!

I got three a month ago. One died a week after i got it. No idea why.

A week ago i added the royal to my most mature tanks as i was satisfied it was eating etc fine. But i just got home to find it dead! It looked fine visually, normal looking stomach etc. But i knew it was dead as it was sitting at the front of my tank!

My tank is planted, has loads of hiding places, and only has basic fish such as tetras, corrys etc. Never had a single problem with this tank until now!

I know plecos can often die if they don't eat...but i thought this one was!

What can i do to try and stop them dying?! Thats now 4 plecos in the last year i have had die!

 

[Tizer]

Is this the tank that was running CO2 that now isnt running co2?

Have you done many water changes since the change? monitoring PH and such? What is the temp set at? Did you ever feed vegetables or drop algae wafers into the tank at night when dark?

 

[Rorie]

nope, this is the low tech one that i don't touch haha. 50% water change once a week and thats it. It looks amazing haha. everything in the tank is happy - i have dannios spawning often etc.

all my parameters are fine, and all the other fish are doing fine

 

[Tizer]

Possible lack of food? Many places for them to hide? People walking past the tank often spooking him?

 

[Rorie]

he had plenty of places to hide. and i made sure i put the food in i have seen him eating at night. His belly was not concaved though which is a sign of starvation....so i don't think its that

 

[creeker]

Why 50% water change per week? Might be a contributing factor. I would limit the water change to max 25%.

 

[Rorie]

50% water changes are normal. Its a requirement in a lot of planted tanks with frets to keep the balance right.

daily large water changes are also normal. I do a 50% with my breeding tanks every day!

 

[creeker]

50% water changes are normal. Its a requirement in a lot of planted tanks with frets to keep the balance right.

daily large water changes are also normal. I do a 50% with my breeding tanks every day!

I would just be wary of so much change. Fish like a relatively stable environment. I suspect whatever is throwing your balance off and making you change that much water that often is really the causative factor in the plecos death. Are these wild caught plecos? Even more reason to keep the environment more stable. Just throwing this out there for consideration, trying to help you figure this problem out. I could see the big changes in your breeding tanks, to simulate rainy (breeding) season.