Dead pleco?

[superc]

I have a 60 gallon tank with a Koi (about 7 inches) and two Plecos (sucker fish). All has been well for months. This morning the larger Pleco (it was about 9 or 10 inches and it seemed fine yesterday) was found on the tank bottom near the filter inlet quite dead. His normally spotted coloration was now very faint and he had small amounts of blood coating his sides and belly. No visible wound was found when the blood was patted off with a towel. I have had both Plecos since they were only two inches long and expected them both to possibly reach 20 inches or so. There had been no fights observed and all seemed peaceful. The Koi eats floating pellets while the Pecos get an algae wafer or two every few days. Are there any sudden death Pleco diseases that are accompanied by bleeding?

 

[Synastic]

Whoa! So sorry to hear that, that sounds bad. I hope someone along can come and help so I am giving this a

*BUMP*

P.S.

to the forum.

Also, you might wanna post a couple of info like,

Water Parameters
Any new fishes?
About how long has tank been running?

 

[nightlife20]

wow sorry to hear that..


welcome to the forum

 

[superc]

The tank with its current occupants has been running about eight months. The two Koi was pulled in from my pond for the winter (Northeastern US) because last year (winter 02/03) only four of seven survived the pond freezing solid and the day before the move I saw a heron standing in the pond and then there were two. His cohort went a few days after the indoor move and I suspect gravel or transition shock got him. Thinking the remaining one might get lonely I bought the plecos (which were then tiny). In the spring I got lazy and kept all inside. The water is from the same well I use for drinking water and is the same stuff used to fill the artificial pond all was started in a few years ago. A little lime in it, but that's all. (Yes, it has been tested periodically). The PH is low. Ammonia is monitored with bi weekly litmus testing and a bio alert stickon. The usual white cloudiness every three or five days causes frequent water changes. Under a microscope the cloudiness seems to be a micro organism (mostly ameoba) bloom. Changes of water control that. There is a Cascade brand filter pump, but months ago I gave up on the expensive and quickly fouled sponges that we are supposed to buy and use glass wool (which is much cheaper) instead as the primary medium and a bag of 50/50 mix of rosin & charcol to give good bacteria a place to live. The filter inlet was extended back in January with a hose to the bottom. Observation showed that was where the crud collected and a bottom inlet sucks up what an upper inlet can't. The pump box itself is cleaned every two weeks. The glass wool is replaced whenever it gets dirty looking. There were no observed problems before suddenly finding one of the Plecos dead and bloody. Needless to say, I am not a happy camper and want to know what happened.

 

[tstenback]

sorry to hear about your pleco.

Sounds like one turned on the other. not very often do plecos die that quick, they are very tough fish and as they are nocturnal i am guessing that for some reason they had a scrap last night and may have smashed itself into the lid ao something else in the tank. What are the nitrate readings in the tank as i have found that sometimes plecos go a little bonkers if this level gets too high and it could have damaged itself that way too.

 

[superc]

You may be right about a fight. The remaining Pleco didn't look right. Previously they had both been doing the up and down the side of the tank climb, slow somersaults and the ilk (durn they are graceful when they want to be). After I removed the dead one the survivor's skin faded to white and it just lay on the bottom with it's fins folded and didn't eat. Last night I took a chance and stressed it just a tad by removing it and the koi and thouroughly cleaning the whole tank then doing a 100% water replacement before returning them. I added a little salt (about a teaspoon). I don't think the Koi even noticed anything happened. The Pleco in question lay still when replaced (as he had before the cleaning) so I left a little food in there and left. This afternoon most of his pebble coloring has returned (still has a small white patch) and he has eaten a little of his algae wafer. He swims around on the bottom a little but is a lot less active than he was the day before I found the big one dead. He (she?) has unfurled his fins and I am taking that as a sign of improvement. I never heard of Plecos fighting to the death of one before and am still mistified as to if that is what happened (as well as what could start such a brawl). However, the primary event is the other guy seems to be improving. Was it just rest he needed, or was the tank scrubbing beneficial? We will never know.