Please Help...pleco Problem...

[Midnight6333]

I just bought a Hypostomus plecostomus suckermouth catfish last night...Its about 3 or 4 inches (I think)...I also bought 3 female guppies...I put them in a small tank...so that i could quarantine them for a few days before putting them in the big 10 gallon tank...I had the tank lid open to stop the large amount of bubbles from forming at the top...I went to bed...(the tank is in my bed room)...When I got up I checked on my fish...I have 6 tanks...3 10 gallons...3 small tanks...everyone was there but catfish...at first I thought it was killed by the guppies and they ate it (which had happened to me before...but with a lot of guppies not 3 and the catfish was very small) but he was a big catfish and there is only 3 guppies so if they did mange to kill it there would be some sort of carcass...then it hit me that it could have jumped out....and if it did my cat who was in the room all night could have got it...I looked all over and then found it laying still...I picked it up and it was all dry and stiff...I was going to go wrap it in a paper towel and bury it but the next thing I knew was it was squirming...I quickly put it in another small tank (with the lip on)...then I thought it was dead because it was just floating there...it didn't even look like it was breathing...so I left it in there for a few minutes and came back and it was now sucking on the tank again....it been about an hour and a half since I found it on the floor...

I don't know if it is hurt...my cat is normally good with fish (in the tank) and other small animals like mice, hamster, frogs...but he’s still a cat...

I want to know if there is anything I should do?
Anything I should treat it with?
any problems that may occur because of him being so dried out?
Is there anything I should look out for?

 

[furryrabbit]

plecos are known for there ability to survive through the odds - and with any luck yours should too - i make sure not to let my two cats anywhere near my tanks - lid or no lid

 

[WILDER]

I would add some stress zone to his tank, as when the slime coat drys out it does alot of damage, he might not make it, as it depends on how long he was out of the tank, i would get the aeration going in the tank.
Good luck bless him.

 

[KathyM]

I've heard of plecs surviving this kind of thing, so here's keeping fingers crossed!

Seriously though, if he does make it, he needs a much bigger tank or rehoming though. Hypostomus sp. are rarely sold as "commons" any more, and the one you've bought is probably (99% for sure) liposarcus pardalis ("common plec"). they grow mahooooosive (18"-2ft not being uncommon).

I'll be keeping everything crossed that he makes a good recovery!

 

[Midnight6333]

Thank you for replying! =)

I've had all sorts of fish for years and my cat never tried to get them...although I've never had a fish jump out of there tanks...

I looked at him more closely and he seems to be ok...I don't see any wounds....and he’s acting normal again....

Where can I find stress zone? and how do I get the aeration going in my tank?

I don't know if he’s a Hypostomus plecostomus suckermouth catfish...I just bought him at Walmart...so he probably is a liposarcus pardalis...I don't remember what the name on his tank was...I have 2 other smaller ones...Not in the same tank...there each in there own 10 gallon tank...and I plan on moving him to his own 10 gallon tank as soon as i'm sure his well enough...is the 10 gallon tank to small?

I'll Just keep my figures crossed...

Thanx again

This isn't a picture of him...but he look like this:

 

[WILDER]

Glad he's ok must be tough little thing, whats your location for the stress zone.

 

[Midnight6333]

U.S. - New York

 

[WILDER]

Meant stress coat not stress zone.

http/www.aquatichouse.com/Water%20Condit.../StressCoat.asp

 

[Midnight6333]

Ok...Thank you

 

[KathyM]

Liposarcus pardalis needs probably a 6ft x 2ft x 2ft minimum in the long run, but looking at that pic, he doesn't look like one (although it's hard to tell).

I would really recommend going to Pleco Fanatics and getting him IDed, but there aren't many (if any) plecs that will fit in a 10g tank, sorry.

http/www.plecofanatics.com/forum/

 

[Midnight6333]

Ok...here are his pictures I just took...as i siad before that picture wasn't his but one i found that look close to him:

Edit : I posted a topic at that website to....

 

[Midnight6333]

Some more pictures....

 

[Midnight6333]

When I go to Walmart agian I'll look at the name...I guess

 

[WILDER]

You could try here, but you will be up alnight.
http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/com_list.php#b

Or post the fish pics in the catfish section under pleco, or pm cfc as he does know his fish.

 

[KathyM]

Where did your original picture go? That was a little clearer than these.