Royal pleco problems

A

AlaskaJammin

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 23, 2005
199
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Alaska
I have a 12 inch royal pleco that never seems to put on any weight permanently. He was slightly emaciated wheni purchased him six months ago and still has a sunken in stomach. When I feed his favortie foods like shrimp or potato he will gorge and his stomach will fill, but two days later his stomach is shrunken back in again. His eyes are normal and healthy, and he eats like a pig. Water parameters are all fine witha 6.6 ph and no ammonia or built up nitrates. I water change weekly and keep both moponi boglog and indonesians driftwood for him to chew on.
I examined his waste for any signs of parasites, but all I noticed was there seem to be a lot of air bubbles in it, and it doesnt break up, forming 6inch strands sometimes before breaking free. Anyone know whats going on here? If its internal parasites how is the best way to treat them? perhaps im missing something with the diet. He gets potato, veggie tabs, shrimp pellets, shrimp, crab, and a healthy diet of green algae I cultivate on my boglog. :confused:
 
davo

davo

Aimara
MFK Member
Jan 9, 2006
17,529
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England
i'll be honest, there doesnt sound like your doing anything wrong... hmmm. do you have a pic of it, and a pic showing the stomach
 
F

FishHeadSoup

Guest
sounds like everything is good....a pic might help!

maybe you just need to feed him more often???
 
WyldFya

WyldFya

Baryancistrus demantoides
MFK Member
Dec 23, 2005
20,791
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Moscow, ID
The only cause I can think of is that he is being robbed of his nutrients, ie. internal parasite. I have lost plecs to the same circumstances.
 
davo

davo

Aimara
MFK Member
Jan 9, 2006
17,529
39
132
England
ive heard people using garlic- apparently it can increase the appetite and a natural killer of internal parasites so you could look into that. im not sure though, as i've never had a pleco with them. i'll search around. royals are really fussy with meds and are easily poisoned with them when they become concentrated in algae and what not.
 
A

AlaskaJammin

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 23, 2005
199
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42
Alaska
Yeah I was thinking mabye a dip. Lol. I tried throwing a clove of garlic in there and he took a couple bites. I think I am going to try micng a puree with vegge tabs and letting it harden up to see what heppens. Ill get back to ya with results. Any other ideas are welcome.
 
WyldFya

WyldFya

Baryancistrus demantoides
MFK Member
Dec 23, 2005
20,791
67
132
Moscow, ID
You might try something I have been throwing around in my head. Basically do what you do for beefheart, but use veggies. cucumber, peas, garlic, and some zucchini. Food processor, and add vitamins. freeze and use as needed.
 
A

andregurov

Candiru
MFK Member
Apr 24, 2006
315
2
48
future wetlands, Louisiana
Prazi-pro is a deworming/defluking product distributed in the US by Hikari. Use according to directions, obviously. Be aware that the product is a derivative of Praziquentel (a dewormer used on large mammals) and may cause secondary problems related to gut fauna. I would advise garlic - although it seems more likely that your plec is simply not eating often enough. Their metabolism is incredibly fast (and not particularly efficient). It takes about 4-6 hours after eating to pass eaten food - compare that to 18-36 hours for most adult humans. What does this mean? They simply do not get enough nutrients from one-meal-a-day regimens. The statement "When I feed his favortie foods like shrimp or potato he will gorge and his stomach will fill, but two days later his stomach is shrunken back in again" is worrisome. Medicate as a last resort - plecs in stable tanks for 6 months should not have serious internal parasitic problems. If they did they would have died many months before ... good luck!

J
 
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