Ive put this first on the list because its probably the most frequently made a mistake. Just keep an eye on him. How long have you had the tank? It could also mean that the fish is constipated, though. White spots on the body can be seen as signs of ich. How is your pleco doing Vicki? Hello, and thanks for visiting Avid Aquarist! However, they still require feeding two times a week to have a balanced diet. Plecos living in an environment with other fish could also be stressed. Rotting fins is a sign that your fish have some type of bacterial infection. Hopefully, this will never happen in your fish tank. You dont have to reach into the tank and touch it with your bare hand. Put him in the 10g quarantine tank, along with the current population (3 lemon tetras, 2 bronze cories, one oto). Clean your fish tank. Very bad water conditions might even directly kill the fish. If it was dead youd know it, lol. Stress will make fish stop moving and acting normally, too. (Per Species Guide), The 7 Biggest Giant Pleco Species You Didnt Know About, Do Plecos Eat Plants? If you have a nitrite spike in your aquarium, it will make the fishes red blood cells unable to carry oxygen, leading to it suffocating. Plecos need to be kept in fish tanks with high oxygen levels. Fish laying on its side in the bottom of the tank. I have heard of RTC living out of water for 45 mins!!! This can happen to any fish if it does not have enough oxygen in its environment, if it is too cold or hot, or if the water quality has deteriorated. Mine in the day is under a log and will only come out if there is food. The best way is to use a net or other implement to scoop them out of the water. You might even be making the mistake of thinking that plecos can subsist entirely on algae in the tank. Plecos that like to eat algae such as bristlenose plecos will need to be fed as well. Is there a way to tell if a pleco fish is about to die? Poor pleco got nudged accidentally with the hose, though, and he's having a -really- hard time swimming. Plecos are freshwater fish that need to live in water that is between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius (72-82F). It very well might be dead if it doesnt appear to be moving at all. Supply food for the other fish during the day. Do Plecostomus Need A Filter / Air Pump? {Why Is My Pleco - HelpUsFish If your pleco is breathing more rapidly, it can be because of various reasons: Make sure to test your water parameters for a nitrite/ammonia spike as this extracts oxygen. If there is no reaction, then the fish is truly dead. One of our goldfish is sitting at the bottom of the tank and not moving. These are great fish and you want them to thrive under your care. 3. Hi, my name is Sean, and Im the primary writer on the site. What should I do?! Also, you should make sure that he has a heater, filter, oxygen and all the basics. I went and asked to the shop from where I got that pleco. Since plecos are a type of catfish, they feed off of algae. Checking and monitoring the levels, temperature and pH will ensure the tank has the proper conditions for your pleco. Are you watching him 24/7? Also, does he have any places to hide? Typically, loss of color is associated with poor tank conditions. Do not . Quarantining and giving medicine is the most effective way to cure this disease. At the petstore, which of course is just a pet store. They should be living for a very long time under your care. Same my pleco only comes out when the lights are off and since ive got an enenemy (sorry if i spelled wrong) he just stays there and dosent move at ALL even in the day and the lights are off i guess he loves darkness an also cus hes hiding from my guppie named bob. Experts Answer, How To Raise Pleco Babies (Full Guide With Pictures), Cory Catfish Tank Mate Guide (+ 11 Best Tank Mates For Cory Catfish), The Ideal & Healthiest Diet For Cory Catfish, Odd Corydoras Behavior & Stress Explained (Full Guide). So i cranked it up. Cloudy eye is caused by bacteria and if your pleco is under stress, has had an injury, or lower immune system it can come up. You might not be feeding them enough either. You also have to keep in mind that theyre nocturnal. There are various products that might treat it but as for your best option on products I don't know. Why would a pleco fish stop moving entirely? On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything hes learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium. If your plecos seem to be losing color rapidly, then its a sign that theyre dying or getting very sick. Unless you are bying a large (when grown on) species of pleco who is to say that it's a baby, unless this is visualy obvious. We found him on the carpet under his bed and it looked pretty dead. This disease is called ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) and can be fatal if not treated. To test if your pleco is dead or not, you can try to touch it and see whether it reacts. Stress. I know one of my tetras had mouth fungus and I used aquari-sol and it took care of the problem. I love my animals. He is still alive. Theyre caused by one of the following things: If your pleco has a cloudy eye but acts normal, it will probably go away by itself. If you cant see the gills moving, this suggests that the fish is truly dead. My leopard gecko is not moving and I am really worried Is the fish dead or is it really sick? I quickly put in an airstone and within 5 minutes they were back to normal. If there are no good bacteria, harmful levels of ammonia can build up quickly as plecos produce a lot of waste. Diseases and Treatment. Loss of color is a common sign that something is wrong with your plecos. Plecos are breathing WAY too fast!! - My Aquarium Club This is normal behavior when the fish is just introduced to a fish tank. It looks like he is taking his last breaths in only a day and that too without showing any symptoms of any disease. The most common cause of this is poor water conditions. Keeping an eye on the water parameters and cleaning the tank regularly will help to prevent things like this from happening. This can be a sign of an internal infection due to injury or the food its been eating. A pleco dying is often the result of bad information and lack of knowhow about the species. If all he is getting is algae (either fresh from the tank or wafer form) he may not be feeling very good. AquariaCentral.com, a division of Monster Aquaria Network, LLC. If you catch some of the signs early enough, then itll be possible to turn everything around. Or can he be savedlaying on side at bottom of tank, Betta laying at bottom of tank, not eating, pale, barely breathing. pleco During a water change, I also removed a decoration containing a 2" common pleco and placed all the decorations in an igloo cooler overnight[was installing an ugj system] to my amazement the next day while I was replacing the decor, low and behold there was my pleco in the bottom of the cooler, he had been in there for over 20 hrs. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything hes learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium. The better stores will do, so in that case you dont have to. Although a cloudy eye most likely isnt deadly, it is an indicator that something is wrong and should at least be examined. When a pleco lays motionless at the bottom of the tank it also means they might be getting beat up by other fish inside. You see, plecos are nocturnal fish that like to hide and rest during the day. Plecos live in environments with temperatures between 72 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. I read that they loved blanched vegetables, so I have given them a cucumber slice the last three nights for about an hour and then took it out. Are its gills moving or does it appear to be motionless? Pleco upside down and breathing but not moving. Highly recommend algae wafers. We have a separate article all about Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ich), so be sure to check it out. I like your, I found it interesting when you explained how you'd bond with your pet snake and improve recognition. If the pleco doesnt respond to you moving it around but still breathes, you have to provide it will clean water as soon as possible and test your water. My fish is breathing slowly and is laying at the bottom of his tank on his side. It was a bristlenose pleco. All you need to do is solve the issues that are making the fish sick. My Pleco Is Laying On It's Side Still Breathing But Not Movi Rapid temperature changes, irregular feeding schedules, and poor water conditions also contribute to stress in fish. A lot of pleco types also benefit from driftwood in their tank. You might need to address water quality issues. Quarantining fish is one of the most forgotten things in the hobby. Most Plecos are nocturnal and we don't get to see them eat. A fish that doesnt react to being touched is probably dead. When done cleaning he put them back in, minus the pleco that had jumped out of the bucket. pleco not moving but breathing It still might take plecos a bit to feel bold enough to swim around. Check to see if anything is causing the fish stress. Quite often bottom dwellers do just sit and not move. Fin rot is caused by underlying conditions such as bacterial infection. I tried to prod him gently, but he still hasn't moved. It can take a few days for him to convinced one to lay eggs for him then he sits in the cave and fans them. How big of a tank do they need? Tap water contains chlorine and chlorimine that are toxic to fish. Plecos are supposed to be fairly hardy fish, other reasons why a pleco might start floating. Home Aquatic Problems & Solutions 7 Signs Your Pleco Is Dying and Needs Attention. Some plecos will swim upside down because they want to eat the food on the surface of the water. Keep reading to know more. A forum community dedicated to Aquatic tank owners and enthusiasts. 11 Signs Your Pleco Is Dying [+ How To Save It] | Keeping Catfish Isolate the fish and then treat it to try to get the swelling to go down. Cause (+ Cures) for a Fish That's Floating Upside-Down But is Still Many different types of illnesses will make fish feel lethargic. Home Aquatic Problems & Solutions Why is My Pleco Not Moving? If you want your plecostomus to be more active, one suggestion is to provide it with live plants and driftwood to use as hiding spots, feed it live insects and invertebrates, and offer it a variety of tank mates. Water parameters are good. You may see this in plecos that don't get enough to eat. Poor water conditions usually cause bacterial infections. 7 Menacing Signs Your Pleco Is Dying - 2023 - Learn About Pet Im experienced in the fishkeeping hobby for many years. Water quality problems will sometimes cause plecos to develop a condition known as cloudy eye. For a limited time, download my pleco catfish ebook below on how to care for these beautiful animals. He might be guarding eggs or trying to entice a female to breed with him. Malnutrition can also lead to constipation, especially when too much protein is fed. It is an extreme problem with oxygen to have, but it can occur if you don't do a good job maintaining the tank. If they are desperate enough, they will turn upside down in their search for food at the surface. Depending on the species, feed a varied diet of both vegetables and protein-rich foods that sink to the bottom. If your pleco is gulping at the surface, it doesnt have enough oxygen and is suffocating. My Pleco Catfish doesn't MOVE or EAT? - YouTube This behavior can also occur when fish are exposed to high temperatures. Plecos are notoriously difficult to remove from a tank, its not uncommon for people to spend hours trying to find the perfect device or method to catch this fish. Often, people use aquarium salt to treat this issue, but you can always consult an exotic veterinarian if you have questions. I feed my fish with a dim light on in the room so they are used to light and I can check them over for disease without disturbing them because they think it is the sun setting. Are there females in the tank with him? He (or she) is normally pretty active, being a good vacuum cleaner for the tank. Problems such as fin rot and pop eye can be dealt with so that the fish can get better. Many conditions that have the potential to kill plecos can be fixed with the right treatments. Turn lights off and put in some bloodworm or something and then come back in five minutes with a torch. ive heard a story of one spending a few hours on the carpet under a tank (jumper).. when he was found his skin was all dry and his owner thought he was dead but when he went to pick him up he moved.. so after a few weeks in a recovery tank he was back to normal During our latest move, Wataugachicken and I could'nt dislodge one of the bristle nose plecs from our largest chunk of driftwood. If your pleco has a cloudy eye but acts normal, it will probably go away by itself. ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH? However, a stressed pleco catfish can be recognized by a few things: A stressed pleco is most likely the result of an insufficient tank setup, bad water quality and or conflicts with other fish or plecos. Silly fish. In pursuit of becoming a professional, I also want to inspire as many people as I can to pick up this hobby and keep the public interest growing.Read more about Sean.Please join also my Facebook group. This makes it easier for them to get bacterial infections. The best way to prevent your Pleco from dying is to feed them a variety of food and provide at least 10 gallons of water for them every day. Adding fish without acclimating them causes shock. If an injury is to blame, then it might get better on its own if you keep feeding the fish and monitoring the tank conditions carefully. It can be caused by elevated ammonia levels in the tank or an injury that resulted in a bacterial infection. Why is My Pleco Not Eating? A swollen belly with pleco catfish is caused by constipation or even worse, dropsy. The average life expectancy of plecos is between 10 and 15 years. My Pleco Isnt Moving | My Aquarium Club When you dont treat this disease, it can cause the fish to lose vision or even lose the eye. Another option is giving it an Epsom salt bath, which will help remove the fluid build-up in the fishs abdomen. Below, youll see some of the common signs that show that your pleco fish might be dying. Check out the FishForums.net Monthly They will eat some algae but they need more than that to stay healthy. Vampire plecos need to be fed meaty foods such as shrimp and snails. To revive a dying pleco, perform a big water change and make sure the water parameters are optimal. Can be seen here, incuding specific details and how-to's on some of my special features. For example, a temperature fluctuation could have killed the fish. This can happen to one eye or both. They like to hide normally so he is quite happy. Plecos arent known death, although they sometimes sleep on their backs which gives this impression. This gave me false readings that my water had hardly any co2 in it. If he's alive and swims away why are you worried? Regular water changes and cleaning the tank will also help your Pleco stay healthy. i have heard reports of them lasting quite a while out of water. Its also possible that plecos will lose color when experiencing significant stress. Aggression in fish leads to erratic swimming and crashing into the tank. Especially if they are in the breeding season. Use a fish net or scoop to touch the fish gently to test whether its alive or not. Usually, rapid breathing is caused by some pollutant or toxic in the water. Just like any other fish, they need a certain environment to feel good. Ammonia and nitrites build up then bacteria build up to convert them into something less harmful to fish. When using tap water you need to use tap water conditioner. My Pleco sits underneath the rock in my mini cave. Touch the fish and see if you can get it to spring up. My pleco just pretty much hangs out in the same spot almost all day, as Gee mentioned they're nocturnal. Ketchup_Turkey 4 yr. ago. A healthy probably pregnant bristlenose pleco female. Poor nutrition might cause loss of color as well. It's scared and it's stressed and it's hiding, because it's in a strange place after being caught and boxed up and moved. My Pleco Catfish doesn't MOVE or eat and I'm worried. If the fish is unable to move, you'll need to be its gills for a while. Most plecostomus species are nocturnal, meaning that they are more active at night than during the day. I would be more concerned if I touched him and he didn't swim away. Home > Plecos > Care > 11 Signs Your Pleco Is Dying [+ How To Save It]. I think that it is nothing to worry about. You may also notice your pleco laying at the bottom of the tank or chasing the other fish around. I doubt this is the issue, but my pleco was acting odd, curving and swimming like he was intoxicated flying from one side to the other, no CO2, regular parameters, but I checked the temperature, like yours mine was breathing up a storm, but I raised the temp 4 degrees up and he was fine my temp dropped to 72, and he was going bananas, but after about 20 minutes I guess he caught a warm front and hugged the heater damn near. Pleco catfish are often kept in the aquarium hobby because, Plecos and cory catfish are two extremely popular catfish species, Pleco catfish are one of the most popular fish in, Pleco spawning Plecos are cave-breeders, and they spawn exclusively in, For a limited time, you can download our FREE pleco catfish ebook, 2022 KeepingCatfish.com - Privacy policy Webdesign by Websmart Websites. I have another one and don't want to lose both. The Plecos never attack the food of other fish during such sessions. We and our partners share information on your use of this website to help improve your experience. Ich is very contagious and can be fatal, so removing the sick fish from the tank is important if other fish inhabit the same environment. This disease is not contagious but should be treated or death will follow. Plecos are a type of tropical fish that need a heated tank with a filter. Infections can be remedied by giving the fish medications. Your pleco may be dying if it appears to have a bloated stomach. Bristlenose plecos are unique fish with unique needs and preferences. Most likely, the fish have fin rot due to poor water conditions in the tank. Moving forward, it should be easier to look out for problems with the fish. Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his familys fish tank. Youve learned so much about signs that your plecos are dying. If you give them a variety of hiding spots, a variety of plants, and a variety of tank mates, your pleco will most likely be happier and more active. Checking your tanks levels and temperatures will help you determine if the tanks conditions are unsafe for your pleco. My Albino catfish does this all the time. A fish dying during the night doesnt necessarily indicate that something happened the very night that it died. Feeding your fish de-shelled peas or other foods high in fiber can help decrease the swelling. Do Plecos Sleep? Do They Play Dead? [Explained] - eFishkeeping My pleco is laying on his back and just moving his gills - Reddit How to Keep Baby Plecos Alive? 11 Facts You Should Know - WhyPetFish.com Most of the day, he is there. There are over 100 species of plecos, so it is essential to do your research to learn the best source of nutrition for your pleco species. 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