HELP!!

[HelloG]

I think my pleco is sick. I have a green phantom pleco. He keeps swimming to the middle of the acrylic tank trying to suck or stick on, But he cant. He just slip off and falls down. Now he's laying at the bottom against the acrylic. Hes alive, but im worried. I used prime with aquarium salt during water changes.

My water conditions
Ph. 7.4
Temp. 75
Amm. 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5.0ppm

PLEASE HELP!

 

[HelloG]

Update: now he's laying on top the sand.. not moving... im worried hes dead...

any advice!?!?

 

[Warborg]

Maybe future advice... IMO, I don't think salt should be added during water changes. It will be fine when you have sick fish but to do it all the time(changing water) on freshwater fish isn't good.....Unless I misunderstood your post and you only did it once the pleco acted up, which if it's the case, carry on.

Hope your pleco makes it

Final note: I have seen plecos act this way with nothing wrong. Is he showing any damage to the body?

 

[monsterkeeper87]

I agree with warborg, salt is very bad for some fw fish, especially catfish, and plecos don't cope we'll neither, best advice is to do a big water change and hope he pulls threw good luck


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[HelloG]

He didn't make it guys. I had to leave earlier, and when i came home. He was in the different location, but on his back and no breathing. So he died. I want to get another one, but i dont want to kill it. If anyone could offer any advice on why it died. I would love to hear it.

So it normal that pleco's at time cant stick the acrylic?

Are you guy saying its mainly because of the salt in my water changes?

 

[Warborg]

Yes, he's a freshwater fish not saltwater

 

[HelloG]

but isnt a tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons good for most fish? I keep wild caught frontosa..

 

[Deep Blue Sea]

That's if the fish is sick to help it recover faster, not to do on a regular basis

 

[InfamousFishes]

I use aquarium salt after a water change on the pleco tank and there have been no problems

 

[Stormz]

Actually salt in pleco tank is quite subjective to each keeper's habit. I have kept pleco in a 5ft com tank but always I'll add in the salt to the sump tank and let it dissolve before running the water back into the tank. But Hellog's way might be a bit too much as the pleco might not be about too take the direct salt into tank method.