Help My Plec (photos Included)

[courageous_stumbling]

Hi, thanks in advance for any responces - I'm terrified my fish is suffering and I dont know what's wrong with him! I have a 48in x 12in x 15in tank that sits at 26 degrees in soft water (North Scotland) I've not checked the PH recently because I cant get to a pet store with my work just now but the PH has never been off when I've tested before.

I have a bubble stone in the tank and I dont add chemicals unless a fish is ill and normally this works just fine - but I cant get this plec better and it's been about 2 weeks. After I first gave him general tonic for sitting at the bottom of the tank looking abnormally slugish, he didnt get better. So after another 4 days I added Aquariu, Treatment (8) Anti fungus and finrot because I notice small specs of white on his scales and his fins were getting thin. A few days after that his back started to curl and he lost the ability to swim and balance (although not like swimbladder - he'd stay at the bottom but move with the current and end up on his back and side etc) Another dose of medicine and and things started to look up - he was swimming and lost the white spots and now another few days later and he looks like he's at deaths door, the wee scar I assumed happened when he was incapablt of balancing seems to have grown and he's lost all the colour along his back. It's horrible to see and I hate to think he's in pain, I've had him for 5 years!

He's in a tank with a bigger plec, kissing gourami, gourami and a parrot fish - none of whom are new to the tank!

I've added pictures below, please click on them to look and let me know if you can diagnose him so I can medicate him. Thank you so much for any help you can give - Im desperate!!!!

Fiona.

 

[WILDER]

To behonest he not going to make it to much going off bacteria infections pilling up.
You say he bent do you mean the spine or does he curl round.

 

[courageous_stumbling]

His spine twists him so he makes a U shape, it's not happening so much now - but I thought he was dead on a few occasions because he looked stiff and contorted into the bent position - but he is alive. I hate when this happens, I want to give him a hug and make him feel better - but all I can do is watch and try to help with chemicals I dont really understand! Anything I can do to out him at ease, like a painkiller for fish? Oh, thats dumb.... I really hate this!

 

[WILDER]

When fish are dying they can go stiff, to be hoenst he's not well, i think i would end his suffering, sorry.
He could infect the tank not worth the risk.
I had a plec go this way and he died.

 

[courageous_stumbling]

Thanks alot for your advise, I dont mean to be rude please dont get me wrong..... I simply couldnt kill him - it's something I just couldnt do, it's selfish I know..... I just couldnt. I think what I'll do is get my hands on a small tank - anything that will hold him and keep him medicated. I'll ask someone to buy a small tank for me tomorrow while im working then I can give him peace and rest - I've got an old heater somewhere.... give him the best chance to recover or at least give him some comfort. I dont think he'll make it through the night to be honest, I'll keep an eye on him for now. Thanks again for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it.

 

[WILDER]

I know its not easy and you have every right to try and save him, good luck.

 

[black angel]

What kind of plec is he with? Most plecs get territorial and can fight or be harangued to death.
Does he feed at all as he looks really thin going by the dorsal bone? What are you feeding? It looks like septiceamia to me and I think stepping up water changes and keeping the bottom clean as well may help.
If you can move him to another tank then try and get a 20 gallon and dont medicate. Keep the water really clean and he may pull through.
I bought a male bristlenose with really bad septiceamia and maybe heater burns and I got him through with keeping the water really clean.

A;so, if a plec refuses to eat you can try him on a slice of raw potato

What do you have for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph?

 

[WILDER]

Wow didnt even notice the pics sorry.
He is in a bad way, to get him better you are talking about an antibiotic and that looks to late.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I with Black Angel that he does indeed look very skinny, what do you feed him (if anything) and how often? If he is going to have a fighting chance at over comming the bacterial infections, he needs to get some suitable foods in him.
A med called Pimafix can treat the infections- as bad as his infections look, i am more concerned about his weight loss as this looks bad and there could be numerous reasons for it.

 

[WILDER]

Hie's got a deformity with the bending and weight loss, and all the other symtoms I beginning to think internal parasites to fish tb.

http/www.4qd.org/Aqua/disease/tb.html

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

The bending in the spine is most likley due to the weight loss, which can happen in bad cases of skinnyness in pleco's. Internal parasites or internal bacteria can both cause weight loss of course though in fish, pleco's are no exceptions.

If the pleco is still eating, there's still hope, however if it refuses to eat when its obviously starving, then this is usually this is a sign of doom with pleco's.

 

[WILDER]

Well there both bad news anyway, bless him.
Check the anus to see if it's enlarged or red and inflamed, and what does it look like when he goes to the toilet, though that might be hard if he's not eating.

Just want to ask have you lost any fish that have gone thin and shown deformaties.

 

[Marshall..]

I am sorry to see your fish this way but I really don't think he will survive, and you will only prolong his suffering.If you can not euthanase the fish yourself do you know anyone who will do it for you? sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.Some plecs require bogwood in the aquarium by the way they rasp away at it and I believe it supplies them with nutrients. sorry you are upset.

 

[joey]

Your fish has mouth rote or it got into another fight with a fish before. B)

 

[courageous_stumbling]

I have another plec (The Dude) thats the same as him but bigger and he's too lazy to cause any problems, he can give him a nudge now and then but I couldn't believe this would be his work. And he is in perfect health, they eat nutrafin tropical fish flakes, some bloodworm pellets and nutrient pellets that I bought from the local fish shop (they come on clear bags so I cant tell you much more than that, sorry)
I've never lost a fish in this manner and he does look a bit thinner than normal but he's always had a much bigger head than normal proportions, its the way he grows I think. (He's grown quite alot recently)

@Tokis-Phoenix - OF COURSE i feed my fish - why on Earth would you think I wouldnt?!?!?! I'm sorry but I dont understand why you asked if I feed my fish anything at all? Implying I dont care for my fish is a bit redundant in a thread where I'm asking for help to cure him! Anyways I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with me about Pimafix and I'll ask about it tomorrow.

I'll be first to admit Im not up to all the technical stuff about fish I know how to do the general maintenance an aquarium of fish requires but I come to you asking for help because this one is beyond me and I want to learn all I can to try to help him - so thanks again for all your time in replying to my post. I've kept fish for over 10 years (since I was 13) this is the worst thing I've seen. However, he's looking alot better today, the white on his back has retreated and he's swimming upright round the bottom of the tank, I've seen him take at least 5 spurts which is more than normal for him. Couldnt get a spare tank today but I have an hour to play with tomorrow so I'll be heading into the big pet store in Aberdeen.

septiceamia and TB both seem right from what Im reading of the symtoms - I'll do a bit more research tonight. The tank is actually due for a change of water but I wasnt keen on putting the Janitor (my plec) through the distress. Would I be better to change it to clean up the water?

His anus looks normal and I've not seen him go to the toilet recently, I'll try the potato but wont the starch get into the water and cause problems? How do I feed him a slice, just place beside him? How long can I leave it in there?

No other fish have ever had these symptoms.

Truly, thank you all for your time! I appreciate it.