Baby Pleco Not Eating! (Emergency)

[fishfinderdave]

hi, 4 and a half weeks ago i bought a small baby white stripped pleco.
i already have one common pleco who eats fine, will eat what ever goes in the tank food wise.
when i bought my first pleco i was feeding him on the pleco waffers. which he was happy to eat...
however the new pleco will not touch the things...he refuses to eat them, he wont even eat left over flakes off the bottom, he wont eat daphnia or
bloodworm or any of my live plants!

my fish love their food but he wont touch any of it...he hasnt eaten in ages....and his stomach is starting to cave in....can i save him before he dies?

ive always done regular water changes and ammonia checks.

ive placed a peice of prawn into the tank which has been snapped up instantly by my common pleco, who seems happy to share it with the other fish...he seems to enjoy it...but again....not so for my small pleco
is there any human foods i can try that will save him...
he cost me £22.00 lol...so i dont want it to die!

any help will be appreciated
thanks!

 

[star4]

It sounds like territorial with the common plec he is not letting the little one eat, if possible move the baby to another tank to see if he eats as he was ok when you first got him. Commons (from my experience) will nudge other plecs away from food.

 

[fishfinderdave]

thanks.
thing is....he is willing to share his food with the other fish...the tank is big enuff for the both of them...and i place food in at each end of the tank..so there is enuff for both fish...
my bigger plec sits at one end..and the smaller at the opposite side...
thanks anyway

sorry one more thing....i dont have another tank....

 

[fishfinderdave]

ive just placed a peice of prawn right infront of the smaller pleco to see what happens...as he's away from the larger pleco and is hidden behind plants, and a feature...

 

[WILDER]

Size of tank in gallons or litres.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

Is he spitting his food out.
Does he look pale or darker in colour.
What does it look like when he goes to the toilet.
Is the anus enlarged or red and inflamed.
Does he act listless and lethagic.

I think I would issolate him to a tank of his own.
Do you have an issolation tank.

Does the pleco need wood in there diet.

 

[fishfinderdave]

180 litres is my tank size.
my fish stocks are as follows: (x1) dwarf gourami
(x1) kissing gourami
(x1) golden gourami
(x6) male and female swordtails
(x1) angel fish
(x1) common pleco
(x1) unkown pleco

i havent even seen the pleco go to the toilet...coz he's not eating anything.
he dont spit his food out...coz he dont eat anything to start with.
nothing rong with the fish's #14### lol
he is a mild grey in colouration.
the same colour which i bought the fish.
he moves around the tank a fair bit..but not a huge amount.
he mostly stays sitting on the peice of bog wood provided for him and my other pleco.
if the pleco needs wood in its diet ther is plenty of wood in the tank for him to eat but he wont.
my stats usually get printed onto paper for me by my local aquatics shop..and ive thrown my last away.
will do another test and get bck to you on this matter.

 

[WILDER]

Can you issolate him.

Try soaking his food in garlic juice. To stimulate appetite.
I would also try a bacterial med.
There nothing to lose at the moment.

 

[fishfinderdave]

"garlic juice" lol ...grim! does this actually work?
what bacterial med do you reccomend?
unfortunatly i cnt issolate him.....
will be adding a picture of my baby plec very soon.

 

[WILDER]

Need location for a med.

United States.
Marcyn Plus.

UK
Esha 2000, or anti internal bacteria med by interpet.

Yes garlic can stimulate the fish to eat.

 

[fishfinderdave]

no need....took the fish back

it never did eat in my tank, and due to moving to kent shortly...2morrow infact
i took him bck to the shop.
and replaced him with another pleco...a royal pleco this time.
thanks anyway

 

[WILDER]

Thanks for the update.
Bless him.