Possible Causes Of Death In Bn Plec?

[Amunet]

I just checked in our 28gal today and noticed that the BN pleco was dead. It must've died yesterday but I didn't notice b/c I just thought it was scrounging for food on the bottom of the tank, but when I noticed that it was still in the same spot today, well, it was obvious that it was either very sick or dead.

Other than the usual white stuff that dead fish get on them, it didn't look like it had anything wrong with it. Belly wasn't sunken in or bloated, no visible wounds, nada.
I'm fairly certain it was a young fish when we got it b/c no whisker things were visible when we bought it and they were still pretty short.

Just checked water stats, all are in ideal ranges. Ammonia & Nitrite both at 0, Nitrate 10, no pH swings. All other fish are healthy and active.

Didn't notice any weird behaviour in the pleco. From what I saw when it was out, it was eating and moving around as normal. It ate algae wafers and flake food that floated to the bottom. Not sure if it ate the frozen bloodworms or not though.

This is probably just gonna be one of those "who knows" kind of things, but just thought I'd ask anyway to see if anyone had any ideas on what could've caused this to happen.
And if it matters, I'm fairly certain that the pleco was female. From what I read about their whiskers, it had them in spots where a female gets them.

 

[WILDER]

Don't know to be honest.
Signs of a bacterial infection with no symtoms are usually being pale or darker in colour, being listless and lethagic, and sometimes not eating.
Sometimes you notice that the fish struggling to get of the bottom of the tank and sinking back down.
Not much to go on really bless her.
R.I.P.

 

[jwddboy]

Do you have bogwood in there? They need that for digestion.

Have you medicated recently or done a waterchange in a different container?

Some products contain chemicals that do not affect other fish but that can kill plecos. I have even heard of plastics that leech chemicals into water that does not affect other fish but will harm plecos.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[Amunet]

No bogwood, I was under the impression that it wasn't necessary. I mean it's great to have if you have it, but not necessary to have.. if that makes any sense.
She was perfectly fine before though. Even early yesterday, I saw her swimming around where she usually did, didn't look sick at all, then last night, saw her on the bottom. I didn't think anything of it b/c that was a spot that an algae wafer had landed and crumbs were still there, so just thought she was eating.

I use the same buckets that I always use. Same dechlorinator. No meds in the tank.

*shrugs* It's just frustrating to lose a seemingly healthy fish for an unknown reason.

 

[flash22]

Had a queen arabesque die the same way eathing fine one day dead in the grass the next morning. no signs what so ever. so i put it down to some sort of internal problem

 

[WILDER]

Hard to say really.
Bless her how long did you have her.

 

[Amunet]

Maybe 4 or 5 months. I can't really remember when we got her, but we didn't have her for that long.

 

[WILDER]

Sadly fish just die for ot apparent reason showing no signs that there was anything wrong.

 

[drobbyb]

::waves at the fellow South Carolina member::

Sadly pleco's die sometimes with no signs like the others have said. If you plan on getting another one get a piece of driftwood just to be on the safe side. It dosen't have to be much.

 

[Amunet]

We went to Petsmart tonight and I was going to get another, maybe 2 but they didn't have any more BN's. Oh well... maybe another time I guess.

Bleh.... just sucks so much, poor fishy.

Thanks everyone for the input