My Common Pleco Has Just Died Mysteriously. Autopsy In Progress

[Carp4U]

MY COMMON PLEC HAS SUDDENLY TURNED UP ON TOP OF THE FILTER WITH ALL OF HIS FINS EATEN AWAY, HIS EYES CLOUDY AND UPSIDE DOWN. HE WAS FINE THIS MORNING. HE IS STILL ALIVE AND BREATHING. TANK SIZE 23 GALLONS PLANTED, ERODED FINS CAUSED BY OTHER FISH IN TANK (CROSBY GOURAMIS). TANK SIZE 23 GAL WATER FINE

He's died. Basically i wana find out what happened. Half an hour before he was on glass fine. Then he was on top of the filter with red blood streaks, torn fins and very cloudy eyes. He couldn't right himself his belly was very white.
Also, when he was first found we moved him to another tank upstairs which had calmer tankmates. He was still alive in here but died soon after.

Tankmates:
4 crosby (opaline)
1 male betta
7 guppies
Planted
23 gallon
temp: 70 ish
nitrite= 0
nitrate=40
last water change= last weekend.
been running for 2-3 months. Only one casualty (1 guppy)
Last fish added was the plec and the betta.
His size= 6 inches ish

No fighting taking place but crosbys seen picking at him when he was ill. He on the glass half an hour before. Then half an hour later, he was battered up! However i didn;t see him very clearly while on the glass but he looked fine.

R.I.P little guy =(

May we have the presence of the fish coroners and forensic fish scientists etc.

Thanks

 

[vonnie06]

if u had him in that size tank no wonder he died,common plecs can get 30" plus some can go bigger,you might want to check your nitrite,nitrate and annomia as these are proberly high as plecs give alot of waste.is any of the other fish showing any signs?

 

[Carp4U]

i have given nitrate- nitrite readings. No other fish are fine. He was only 6 inches. The rest of the tank is not overstocked.

 

[aaronnorth]

at the moment his size is ok, so not that, sounds to me as though he has taken a beating, and a bad one RIP

 

[Keithoms]

yeah, the tank size wouldnt have caused something like this.

 

[Davo86]

how can temp be 70ish? it either is or isn't? at any rate that is too low, i.e. barely 21C,

when was the last time a water change was done? if it is recent then it is possible that the results where higher and that would be a sufficient reason for the death.

ammonia reading?

blood streaks and cloudy eyes are both indications of bacterial problems, and usually this type of thing doesn't occur in good stable conditions.