Dying Rhino Pleco

[BullTerrierChild15]

My Rhino Pleco has never eaten any offered food except for glass algae, which he slowed down on eating, as well. Today, I found him at the bottom of the tank (He is usually sucking on the glass) with a very sunken in stomach. I have posted about this issue before here but wasn't able to find a solution myself. The pleco is now in a 5.5-gallon hospital tank where I just attempted to syringe feed as a last resort, only for all of the food to be spit out. He is still alive and breathing but only moves when needed. Is there anything else I can do, or is it too late?

As far as I'm concerned, I don't own any euthanasia equipment, and I'm not even sure if I can bring myself to do that.

Thank you.

 

[gwand36 152]

He is probably suffering. I would euthanize with clove oil ASAP.

 

[BullTerrierChild15]

He is probably suffering. I would euthanize with clove oil ASAP.

Thank you, I unfortunately don't have any clove oil.

 

[Innesfan34 18]

Thank you, I unfortunately don't have any clove oil.

It's available in most health food stores and many pharmacies.

 

[emeraldking16 67]

I can imagine that it can be hard to euthanize a fish. But try to do the most humane thing in this case. It's already been told what you can do. But if you're waiting for nature to decide when time of death will happen, this fish will suffer in the meantime.

 

[Jennet15 73]

May I ask how you use the clove oil please in case I ever need to do that. Do you just put it in to the water?

 

[BullTerrierChild15]

I can imagine that it can be hard to euthanize a fish. But try to do the most humane thing in this case. It's already been told what you can do. But if you're waiting for nature to decide when time of death will happen, this fish will suffer in the meantime.

I will try and get my hands on some, thank you.

 

[Essjay36 151]

To use clove oil, it is first mixed with water outside the tank. The fish is placed in a container of tank water and the oil/water mixture poured into the container with the fish. Clove oil is a fish anaesthetic which kills in overdose; I leave the fish in the container for a while to make sure it is dead before removing the body. Clove oil smells so you can't use anything it comes into contact with for anything else again, and I use rubber gloves to keep the smell off my skin.

From https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/fishkeeping-news/painful-fish-deaths-you-might-be-guilty

Current clove oil methods involve adding a dose of 400mg/l to water, and premixing it so that all of the oil has emulsified. The fish is then transferred to this water, after which it will lose consciousness within seconds, and breathing will quickly cease. Eventually the fish will succumb to hypoxia and die, though like other methods this can vary in timescale from fish to fish. It is recommended that the fish be left in the solution for at least two hours.

 

[TwoTankAmin30]

If you can get it fast I would try treating with flubendazole.

Flubendazole is an intestinal worm killer, an anthelmintic or vermicidal drug that
destroys or dispels parasitic roundworms and tapeworms and seems to be an effective treatment
against at least this one Cniderian. The recommended dosage was 1/2-teaspoon of 5% powder in
30 gallons of water. This dosage totally wiped out the hydra in about three days…goodbye
hydra!
The hydra-killing Flubendazole that I used in my office aquarium to eradicate hydra led
me to a larger realization. The “wasting” fish in that tank seemed to become cured when I added
Flubendazole to the water. Whoa! This was quite a remarkable revelation. My intent was to
remove the hydra and any possible nematodes and, to my surprise, the disease I have found to be
associated with a particular protozoan species was cured.

from https://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/FlubendazoleArticle.pdf

Dr, Harrison who wrote the above sells a few drugs for fish.

Flubendazole is active through adsorption into the fish’s skin and gills. The drug does not have to be eaten to be effective. This makes the drug useful for treating fishes which have quit eating due to irritation from infection of the throat and gut/

Flubendazole 5 % powder
Postage increased in late 2022. What was $7.15 is now $8.50
Best for eliminating Hydra. Treats protozoa wasting disease, serious treatment for Velvet, enternal and external parasites, 1/4 teaspoon of 10 % powder treats about 20 gallons of water for most parasitic Protozoa. Eliminate Carbon filtration during treatment. Change most of the water after 10 days.
Will not harm plants, Prolonged use will kill most all snails. ........

25 grams of 10% Flubendazole including Postage and paid through PayPal.com needs confirmation
50 gams for $43.50. Priority mail $9.75 paid though PayPal.
100 grams for $81.25. Priority mail $11.75 paid though PayPal.

Buy the above here https://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/ItemsForSale.html

Background and treatment methods for using here Flubendazole.PDF

Where in NY are you? I am in 10549 and have both Flubendazole and clove oil on hand. If you are close, I can lend you some of both.

 

[BullTerrierChild15]

If you can get it fast I would try treating with flubendazole.


from https://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/FlubendazoleArticle.pdf

Dr, Harrison who wrote the above sells a few drugs for fish.


Flubendazole 5 % powder
Postage increased in late 2022. What was $7.15 is now $8.50
Best for eliminating Hydra. Treats protozoa wasting disease, serious treatment for Velvet, enternal and external parasites, 1/4 teaspoon of 10 % powder treats about 20 gallons of water for most parasitic Protozoa. Eliminate Carbon filtration during treatment. Change most of the water after 10 days.
Will not harm plants, Prolonged use will kill most all snails. ........

25 grams of 10% Flubendazole including Postage and paid through PayPal.com needs confirmation
50 gams for $43.50. Priority mail $9.75 paid though PayPal.
100 grams for $81.25. Priority mail $11.75 paid though PayPal.

Buy the above here https://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/ItemsForSale.html

Background and treatment methods for using here Flubendazole.PDF

Where in NY are you? I am in 10549 and have both Flubendazole and clove oil on hand. If you are close, I can lend you some of both.

Thank you for the advice and the offer. I've used flubendazole before and I think I'll be fine getting some off of Amazon (Though thanks again!) I wasn't able to get the clove oil today so I will try treating first.

 

[BullTerrierChild15]

A new update:
The Pleco passed away. I was unable to track down my spare heater for the hospital tank, resulting in the tank's temperature to drop more than I anticipated. I will bury him tomorrow and do large water changes on all of my tanks. Thanks to everybody who helped me; I believe that this is one of the better alternatives, if not the best.

Rhino Plecos are fascinating fish, and I would recommend a healthy one to anybody that owns a large enough tank. I am going to try to find a new one ASAP (After Aquashella).

 

[TwoTankAmin30]

Sorry to hear that. I was hoping you might have a shot of saving it with flubendazole if there was enough time. It ia hard when we lose one of our bigger fish which we have had for a long time. Even though is is not the same thing with fish as with other pets like dogs or cats etc. which we can physically relate to. But we get used to the big guys we have had for years and losing one like that is never easy.

I have only ever buried one fish,, It was my biggest and longest helf clown loach. The next in line is still with me and about 1 foot long and plump. I assume it is a gal. I got it in 2003 at about 4 inches as a gift. It hs to be almost 25 years old now and with me for 23 years.

Again, I offer my sympathies for your loss.

 

[BullTerrierChild15]

Sorry to hear that. I was hoping you might have a shot of saving it with flubendazole if there was enough time. It ia hard when we lose one of our bigger fish which we have had for a long time. Even though is is not the same thing with fish as with other pets like dogs or cats etc. which we can physically relate to. But we get used to the big guys we have had for years and losing one like that is never easy.

I have only ever buried one fish,, It was my biggest and longest helf clown loach. The next in line is still with me and about 1 foot long and plump. I assume it is a gal. I got it in 2003 at about 4 inches as a gift. It hs to be almost 25 years old now and with me for 23 years.

Again, I offer my sympathies for your loss.

Thank you! It was somewhat of a relief for me. I think I bought it with a disease of some sort, but I put no blame on Absolutely Fish for that. I assume it was surrendered to them. I didn't have him for long (I got him on May 3rd, I believe), either, so I didn't have a very strong bond to him. It is of course still a bummer, but it may've been meant to be. Plecos are some of my favorite fish, but I can never keep them alive longer than half a year. I am hoping to break that pattern with my beautiful male Baryancistrus Beggini, which I bought around 3 months ago.

Sorry for your clown loach loss, too. Large ones are some of my favorite fish to look at, as I can't keep them in a 75. That's amazing how long yours has lived!

Thanks again for your help.