sick pleco?

[ninja]

Hi,

On Labor Day I bought a 1.5 inch pleco for my 10gallon tank. I had a betta fish in there and the betta fish harassed it by niping and chasing him around the tank. I have removed the betta fish but now I noticed the pleco has a purple belly and doesn't swim around the tank like he did in the pet shop. Can his depressed behavior be because of the stress from moving and the betta fish. Is he sick?

Also I'd just like to add that I started cycling the tank the Thursday before I bought him, but I do 20%water changes daily and I used the gravel from the betta bowl to speed up the bacteria build up. And I am trying to feed him algae pellets once every two days but it doesn't seem that he's eating it.

Thanks

 

[Alien Anna]

You can't actually do Fishless Cycling of a tank in a week so whatever you did, you haven't cycled your tank, I'm afraid. A "cycled" tank is one in which the beneficial bacteria are already built up. converting ammonia from fish waste into nitrite, and nitrite into nitrate, and by the sounds of it, this hasn't happened in your tank yet.

Unfortunately, plecos are just about the worst fish to cycle with - they can't cope with the oxygen deprivation that occurs as ammonia and nitrite build up in an un-cycled tank. If you possible can, get some used filter media and gravel from an established tank and put it in your new tank - this will jump-start the cycle.

If he's a common pleco, I actually think your best bet is to take him back to the shop - common plecos grow to anything up to 2.5 feet, so it won't be long before he's out-grown your 10 gal. Good luck and tell us what happens.