Pleco Help!

[BeautifullyNichole]

I just bought a baby pleco last Friday. He is all black and can't be bigger than a few inches. Ever since I put him in my new tank(that's cycling) he hasn't left behind the filter. I'm Afriad he isn't eating. I moved him out from behind the filter
To get to his algae pelets but he shoots right back. I turn the light out when I go to bed but I check on him all throughout the night but he dosent move from out behind there. I dont
Know if it's because he is really small, or the tank is cycling or what? But I'm terrified.

 

[Bazaman]

what are your water stats? normally fish are not put in until a tank is done cycling. you can put fish in and do a fish in cycle but it is a lot more work and if i remember right i believe it needs daily water changes for a fish in cycle.

 

[BeautifullyNichole]

Well I could either do a fishless cycle or cycle with fish(which I chose to do.) I dont know my water stats

 

[phoenixgsd]

fish in cycles are not the end of the world, however its essential you have a liquid based test kit to do so without hurting or killing your fish, API master is the most common, there are several must do's and donts for fish in cycling, you must have a test kit, you mustnt add too many fish, you must do large daily water changes ect ect, its all here http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/ have a read, what size tank do you have and is the plec to only thing in there, also when did you last do a water change? plecs are poop machines which will produce alot of ammonia in the water and as your filter isnt yet cycled he could be in trouble as you havnt tested the water i would suggest a water change ASAP

 

[raptorrex]

I dont know my water stats

then you cant do a cycle, fish in or not!

a pleco has no place in a cycling tank!

take that fish back and star again, properly.

 

[gundamcichlid]

Hi

How big is your tank? any other fish in the tank? does the other tank mate look ok?
What kind of filter are you using? how long have the tank been running?

In the mean time try to get your hand on seachem prime.
Try to do 50% waterchange slowly. add some prime when you do water change.
Get also a cycle from Hagen to increase the beneficial bacteria in the tank
Also get yourself a freshwater test kit or bring your water tank to the local fish shop and ask the shop to test the water for you.

Another method to increase the beneficial bacteria is get some media that has been cycled. if you have a friend that has tne tank cycle, swap 30% the new media with your friend tank, this will not harm your friend tank and ask him to half the feeding in the next 2-3 days.

Good luck

 

[bmonki]

do you know anybody who could look after him while your tank cycles? it really would be much quicker and simpler to do a fishless cycle.

personally i did a fish in cycle - but i was only using small fish that dont produce much waste - the amount of poo my plecs produce would have probably spiked my ammonia like mad - i was doing DAILY 90% water changes just to keep the ammonia levels in check - then when nitrites began showing it upped to twice a day sometimes... and as i say my fish at the time were not waste machines like my plecs are

my fish in cycle took 3 1/2 months, i lost fish that i had become quite attached to, and it was a pain in the a** doing all those w/c's. seriously if you can find someone to look after your fish while you do a fishless you'll be glad of it and it'll cycle much quicker. I was also only feeding every 3rd day to reduce ammonia levels.

you definitely need a liquid drop test for at least ammonia and nitrites, you'll use this for fishless and fish in so its a must. both of these need water changes of as much as possible if anything over 0.25ppm shows (infact anything over 0ppm for the nitrites) if your doing fish in to avoid hurting your fish.

how big is your tank? what kind of plec is he?

oh yeah - prime is fab

 

[phoenixgsd]

then you cant do a cycle, fish in or not!

a pleco has no place in a cycling tank!

take that fish back and star again, properly.

i feel your wording is a little harsh, shes a new member,who followed the wrong advice, as most of us did when starting out