Getting worse
- Thread starter izzie
- Start date
Did you test for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and ph?
Could be bacterial, I took a plec from a pet store and he had red and white areas on him.
Have you got a tank to hold him in on his own preferably with no substrate but with a cave to hide in?
All i can suggest is isolating him, adding salt at 1 level teaspoon per gallon and keeping the water clean and aerated.
What kind is he, how big, how long have you had him, when did all this start, what have you done for him so far and whats his set up?
Could be bacterial, I took a plec from a pet store and he had red and white areas on him.
Have you got a tank to hold him in on his own preferably with no substrate but with a cave to hide in?
All i can suggest is isolating him, adding salt at 1 level teaspoon per gallon and keeping the water clean and aerated.
What kind is he, how big, how long have you had him, when did all this start, what have you done for him so far and whats his set up?
NO, NO NO!!!!! Plecos HATE salt because that stresses them out because they are scaless fish and that would only make the pleco even more sick. Just put some stress coat in the isolated tank and wait for someone to reccommend some medicine.
Have a look at this durbkat and tell me what i did that was wrong?
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=95489&hl=
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=95489&hl=
Yes he does. 
Anyway i wouldnt tell someone to do something unless i had done it myself.
Does your plec look like mine did izzie.
Anyway i wouldnt tell someone to do something unless i had done it myself.
Does your plec look like mine did izzie.
And I wasn't talking about you blackangle don't cry. I have seen on this forum where other people asked if they should use salt and other people said no because their scaless fish and that would stress them out further.
cyprinut
Fish Fanatic
5 yrs ago I saved an 8" common hypostomus with salt. Yes, I know catfish and salt are a bad mix, and not normally recommended.
But this beautiful fish was dying fast- losing his ability to swim properly. He kept floating upside-down to the top of the tank, then struggling to swim back down. He was as good as dead if I did nothing. On the advice of a respected forum member at a board long since gone, 1 tablespoon aquarium salt per 5g/21litres, predissolved in water was added slowly over about 18 hours. Within 3 days, this big cat was happily sucking on romaine lettuce and swimming normally again. I did a couple of water changes during the next week, and the condition never returned. I eventually gave him to a lfs when he reached 11 inches.
I'm not advocating salt for every sign of trouble, especially with catfish, and I hope I don't get chewed out by the loach fans for posting this. It's my experience, not a recommendation. I just don't think it's too polite to holler NONONO and then tell someone don't cry.
But this beautiful fish was dying fast- losing his ability to swim properly. He kept floating upside-down to the top of the tank, then struggling to swim back down. He was as good as dead if I did nothing. On the advice of a respected forum member at a board long since gone, 1 tablespoon aquarium salt per 5g/21litres, predissolved in water was added slowly over about 18 hours. Within 3 days, this big cat was happily sucking on romaine lettuce and swimming normally again. I did a couple of water changes during the next week, and the condition never returned. I eventually gave him to a lfs when he reached 11 inches.
I'm not advocating salt for every sign of trouble, especially with catfish, and I hope I don't get chewed out by the loach fans for posting this. It's my experience, not a recommendation. I just don't think it's too polite to holler NONONO and then tell someone don't cry.
dwarfgourami
Fish Connoisseur
I think we are talking here about two different things here:
a) keeping salt permanently in a tank with catfish (not recommended as it will damage their kidneys)
B) using it medicinally as a last desperate resort
The first option is obviously not a good thing, in a sense the second isn't either, but in a desperate case like this, it may be better than doing nothing.
If you think about it, a lot of the medicines we get from the doctors are not particularly good for us either, in fact they may damage our bodies. I have a friend who's just done chemotherapy, no doubt that has done a lot of damage to her body, but it was a choice between that and letting her cancer spread.
In the case of your pleco- well, he's going to die if you don't do anything, so thb I'd take the risk.
If you post in the catfish forum, I think you will get people bearing out blackangel's recommendations; I know Inchworm has done salt baths for cories in desperate straits, even though she would normally tell people not to put salt in a cory tank. Maybe a salt bath might be a better option?
a) keeping salt permanently in a tank with catfish (not recommended as it will damage their kidneys)
B) using it medicinally as a last desperate resort
The first option is obviously not a good thing, in a sense the second isn't either, but in a desperate case like this, it may be better than doing nothing.
If you think about it, a lot of the medicines we get from the doctors are not particularly good for us either, in fact they may damage our bodies. I have a friend who's just done chemotherapy, no doubt that has done a lot of damage to her body, but it was a choice between that and letting her cancer spread.
In the case of your pleco- well, he's going to die if you don't do anything, so thb I'd take the risk.
If you post in the catfish forum, I think you will get people bearing out blackangel's recommendations; I know Inchworm has done salt baths for cories in desperate straits, even though she would normally tell people not to put salt in a cory tank. Maybe a salt bath might be a better option?
My suggestion was for as long as the disease/condition lasted and the salt was in for around two weeks and he didnt seem to react to it at all. I think salting to .2% is about the limit though and no higher for the hardier plecs.
I'm sorry everyone I shouldn't have said no no no I was just going by what I heard. And the reason I said don't cry to blackangel was because she put that smiley face that had the crying face on it so I thought she was crying because of what I said.
It just shows you have to be careful what you write though or it will be taken the wrong way. I used the wink after to show i wasnt really that upset. So sorry if that was taken the wrong way too. More of this and less of that me thinks. Just shows how things are taken.
Sorry if i upset anyone too, wasnt my intention. not
can we go back to the plec now?
and less of that me thinks. Just shows how things are taken.Sorry if i upset anyone too, wasnt my intention.
not can we go back to the plec now?
Similar threads
Most reactions
-
331 -
163 -
146 -
143 -
140 -
129 -
96 -
95 -
80 -
76 -
70 -
68 -
64 -
57 -
45