Worried about Boris

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Saer

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Hi

I am new to fishkeeping and have had my tank for approx 3 months. It is fully cycled.

Boris, my Bristlenose Catfish has been acting strangely for the last few days. We have had him for about a month, he has been very active, sucking on driftwood, plants and glass at all times of the day, he can usually be seen all over the glass all the time occasionally hiding under the driftwood. He is fed Plecostomus tablets usually. Recently he has been sitting by the top of the heater with his mouth wide open, not sucking anything, just sitting there wedged between the glass and power cable. At first, I thought he was stuck but he moved when I went to move the wire. He came straight back to the same spot as soon as I put the lid back on the tank.

I haven't seen him eat anything for days, he never sticks to anything anymore, he has stopped sitting in the corner mostly and has taken to balancing on the leaves of the plants, it is as if he cannot keep himself up, although he can swim to the surface, sometimes he looks like he is trying to sucker onto the glass but cant and slides down then go back to the plant. He sits on the leaves with his mouth open, fins fanned, and his head raised up as if he is trying not to touch anything with his mouth, occasionally swimming to the surface, possibly for air. When I switch the lights on in the morning, he doesn't appear to have moved from where I left him the night before.

I gave him cucumber last night which doesn't appear to have been touched.

Not one of the other fish appear to have any problems at all, they are all fine.

Tank size: 24 gallons
pH: 7.6
ammonia: 0.25
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 0
Testing was done this morning, have since done a 50% water change.
tank temp: 78f
Has a heater with a cover on, bubble curtain, and filter.

Planted tank with various types of plants.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 50% Weekly, it is a dirt planted tank so there is some sediment floating about still not yet settled from the water change earlier.

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Only Seachem Prime at water changes.

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): Betta and Khuli Loach and some new plants.

Exposure to chemicals: None that I am aware of other than Seachem Prime.

I am at a loss and cannot find anything about what this might be, any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

I have added a photo
IMG_1035.jpg
Capture.PNG
Capture1.PNG
 
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24 gallons is too small for any kind of pleco (excluding otocinclus catfish) and your tank is uncycled, 0ppm nitrates and 0.25ppm are signs that your tank is still not cycled.
I'd recommend you doing a 50-75% water change to see if he perks up, and I also would recommend you to not only feed algae wafers or any other commercial foods but also to feed him some thawed veggies like cucumber, de-shelled peas, zucchinni and spinach.
For the tank size, I would either get a 30 gallon (114ltr) tank and prevent him from stunting or give him to your lfs.
 
Hi

I am new to fishkeeping and have had my tank for approx 3 months. It is fully cycled.

Boris, my Bristlenose Catfish has been acting strangely for the last few days. We have had him for about a month, he has been very active, sucking on driftwood, plants and glass at all times of the day, he can usually be seen all over the glass all the time occasionally hiding under the driftwood. He is fed Plecostomus tablets usually. Recently he has been sitting by the top of the heater with his mouth wide open, not sucking anything, just sitting there wedged between the glass and power cable. At first, I thought he was stuck but he moved when I went to move the wire. He came straight back to the same spot as soon as I put the lid back on the tank.

I haven't seen him eat anything for days, he never sticks to anything anymore, he has stopped sitting in the corner mostly and has taken to balancing on the leaves of the plants, it is as if he cannot keep himself up, although he can swim to the surface, sometimes he looks like he is trying to sucker onto the glass but cant and slides down then go back to the plant. He sits on the leaves with his mouth open, fins fanned, and his head raised up as if he is trying not to touch anything with his mouth, occasionally swimming to the surface, possibly for air. When I switch the lights on in the morning, he doesn't appear to have moved from where I left him the night before.

I gave him cucumber last night which doesn't appear to have been touched.

Not one of the other fish appear to have any problems at all, they are all fine.

Tank size: 24 gallons
pH: 7.6
ammonia: 0.25
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 0
Testing was done this morning, have since done a 50% water change.
tank temp: 78f
Has a heater with a cover on, bubble curtain, and filter.

Planted tank with various types of plants.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 50% Weekly, it is a dirt planted tank so there is some sediment floating about still not yet settled from the water change earlier.

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Only Seachem Prime at water changes.

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): Betta and Khuli Loach and some new plants.

Exposure to chemicals: None that I am aware of other than Seachem Prime.

I am at a loss and cannot find anything about what this might be, any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

I have added a photoView attachment 105540View attachment 105541View attachment 105542

Hi. Have you checked in case there's something wedged or stuck in his mouth?

Keep an eye on that ammonia spike, especially with a pH above 7.
 
Thank you for coming back to me, I should confirm that is 24 UK gallons, so 28 US gallons or 107 Litres so only 6 litres short of what you are suggesting, would 6 litres make that much of a difference?

I did a 50% water change this morning and it has made no difference. As mentioned in my post, he is fed cucumber already but he doesn't touch it, I will try broccoli.

I cannot see anything wedged in his mouth but it does seem to be fixed on the one position. I will keep checking.
 
Thank you for coming back to me, I should confirm that is 24 UK gallons, so 28 US gallons or 107 Litres so only 6 litres short of what you are suggesting, would 6 litres make that much of a difference?
It'll always give him 6 more liters to swim in :)

Is he able to move his mouth?
 
It'll always give him 6 more liters to swim in :)

Is he able to move his mouth?

Thank you for coming back so quickly, I will get him a bigger tank on Monday, thinking 200L, might as well go bigger rather than slightly bigger.

I am not sure, looking at him I am not sure he can move it, do they usually close their mouths? I have only ever seen him sucking on things or sitting on the bottom before, his mouth is permanently open, and he doesn't seem to be able to sucker on to anything, he just slides down when he tries but mostly he looks like he is trying to keep his head up and his mouth not touching anything.

This is him right now, he isn't stuck on the glass, he has wedged himself between the wire and the glass again whilst keeping his head away from the glass.


IMG_1037.jpg
 
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107 litres is plenty big enough for a BN pleco. Mines in a 105 ltr. As long as your tank as a base of 60cm x 30cm and above which yours is going to have he/she will be fine for space.
 
I'm assuming that he doesn't get stuck to the glass like he should.. I'm thinking about some deformity or a lack of something in his mouth, his mouth does look hollow a bit.

Does his mouth look like this? :
(Sorry about messy sand)
7D175438-729C-4EEE-B3DA-F523AB619A8E.jpeg
 
He used to suck onto things, he would suck about all day. I have been watching him for a while trying to get a good look but he is hiding up the corner. I have taken some better pictures, (I didn't want to upset him, but I took one with a flash to see if it helped). he doesn't look in a good way, his mouth does look different but I can't tell if that is because there is no pressure on it because he isn't stuck or if it is genuinely different.

The pic with the flash looks like he is all battered on the belly which I couldn't see in normal light. Looks like he has been in the wars.
IMG_1061.jpg
IMG_1061.jpg
IMG_1047.jpg
 
When do you normally feed you pleco?

Id try him with a good quality veggie round/algae wafer instead of the tablets or at least alternative with veg 1 or 2 days a week. Give him some variety.

I feed him a plec tablet every night, he used to go straight for it but now he ignores it, and cucumber once a week. I put bloodworms and brine shrimp in for the others twice a week, I don't know if he would eat those. I'll get some other things for him to try, in the meantime, I have some algae wafers with Spirulina ill try him with.
 
107 litres is plenty big enough for a BN pleco. Mines in a 105 ltr. As long as your tank as a base of 60cm x 30cm and above which yours is going to have he/she will be fine for space.

That is a relief, I wouldn't want to harm him, I might still get the bigger tank, I was all excited for an excuse to get another one :)
 
I was all excited for an excuse to get another one :)
Just like me ;)

I honestly don't know why your pleco doesn't get stuck on his mouth like a normal pleco, but if he doesn't get stuck on his mouth then he must be starving.
@Colin_T , maybe you know what's wrong with their pleco?
 
He used to suck onto things, he would suck about all day. I have been watching him for a while trying to get a good look but he is hiding up the corner. I have taken some better pictures, (I didn't want to upset him, but I took one with a flash to see if it helped). he doesn't look in a good way, his mouth does look different but I can't tell if that is because there is no pressure on it because he isn't stuck or if it is genuinely different.

The pic with the flash looks like he is all battered on the belly which I couldn't see in normal light. Looks like he has been in the wars.View attachment 105545View attachment 105545View attachment 105546
Belly does look sore, almost looks like he/she may of gone too near a heater.

Possible growth of some kind. Colin will be best to answer on possible illness.

Id just keep the water as clean as possible for now. :)
 
Thank you all for your thoughts, there is definitely some issue with his sucking.

We did have a bare heater until a week ago and I replaced it with one with a cover on it so that could be what happened to his belly.

We have Manado substrate which says is fine for bottom dwellers so would be surprised if it was that.

Would adding some stress coat help do you think? With the belly at least? It says it can help repair damaged tissue.
 

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