Need help with plecos

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Dosume

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 25, 2015
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I took over the tanks in my home when they weren't properly cared for and I haven't done well.

I did research. I read they were piggies so a big filter was needed.

I bought a double filter with a big roller.

My 9 year old brought home a gold fish without asking. Until two weeks ago, I had no idea gold fish were cold water fish.

I read and was told by a pet store I needed to clean the tank often because the plecos and gold fish were piggies. So, I did that and added Amquel when the water ph was high.

My fish got sickly.

The gold fish died. The plecos and convict seemed listless.

At work, I have a customer who is knowledgable on fish and lizzards. He told me I didnt need to change the water often and when I did only a very small amount. He said my tank my crash.


My husband called me at work and said the water smelled sour (I had changed it 3 days earlier...possibly the amquel?). He changed the water which caused the convict to come around. The plecos move but seem listless and have these white things and strings hanging off them.

Is there anything I can do for my poor plecos? I do not have a second tank. It broke as we were moving.

I thought the plecos were fine as I saw them moving then go into the log. I was going to ask for advice on the proper care for these guys. Now I feel horrible because my one guy looks so sickly. My kids say the others look just like it (dont know if he is male or female). What did I do wrong? Is there anything I can do to help them?
 
White strings? Could be side kind of parasite or flatworm. Plecos are usually easy fish. They are not solely algae eaters. Especially once they get larger they'll need more protein. I would get a flat rock and secure the ends of tomatoes with a rubber band. But yes, plecs and goldfish are both really dirty fish that produce large amounts of ammonia. You'll need to check the parameters and get them within the preferred ranges for your fish that live in there. I'm not sure about amquel, I use aquarium pharmaceuticals stress coat as a water conditioner. Hope all works out.
 
what are you feeding the pleco,s? and what kind of pleco are they?
 
Not sure what kind of plecos they are as the spouse bought them...at walmart. We have had them 7 months. The largest is 4", the smallest 2".

I fed them Tetra food for ciclids, frozen blood worm, frozen shrimp brine, and veggies. I read some guy dropped in frozen peas. So I dropped in carrots, peas and green beans. They didnt seem to eat it. I tried blanched kale. Went untouched.

I bought a clip to hold the veggies. It came in today but as I didnt know if they survived, I left it at work.
 
common pleco,s will poop long stringy white or opaque poop when not getting food, its intestinal tract lining, when getting food they poop in ropes. long ropy poop filled bags. you want to look to getting pleco wafers for them, they also like a slice of cucumber stuck on a fork droped in the tank over night, they feed at night for the most part. i love my pleco,s but they are poop machines. so good vacuuming with every water change a must,
 
not sure that real wood or not in pic but pleco,s need some wood in the tank to rasp on.
 
I bought it from walmart. It feels like wood. I read I cannot put wood in from outside as it could kake them sick...but I read things online that turned out not to be true.

My son peaked into the wood. He said that pleco didnt look sick.

I feel bad. I did not want the fish. The family brought them home and I ended up their care taker. I hate seeing my baby suffer
 
I cut up a couple pieces of cucumber and put it on a serving fork. I threw in 3 alge flakes. Earlier I dumped a cube of shrimp brine (I never know if they eat the shrimp or blood worms). What about an orange piece? Is that okay?
 
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