Pleco died from bloat - what could have been done differently?

[Sarapva]

I had a pleco named Crusty who was 8 years old and about 20 inches (50 cm) long. He was healthy his whole life - I fed him zucchini, algae disks and mixed vegetables like green beans, peas, carrots, etc. with agar agar (a seaweed gelatin - more natural than regular gelatin). He loved his food, liked to be petted, loved music and was active, but a couple of times over about 2 years he stopped eating for a few days and I thought he had something stuck in his intestines that needed to come out. Then he'd start eating again and everything was normal.

Then finally he stopped eating his zucchini altogether, then gradually his vegetable mix food. I thought he'd start eating again in a few days since that had happened before, but a month went by and he still didn't eat. I started getting worried and researched on the internet and decided he must have bloat. His stomach was getting bigger, not smaller, while not eating. So I tried metronidazole, clout, Maracyn 2 (not at the same time) and some parasite medicines, but nothing helped. He went 4 months without eating before dying.

I feel really bad about this and wonder if I could have done anything differently. Someone said they thought I fed him too much. I cleaned the tank every day with a small water change. Does anyone have any ideas about what might have happened or what I could have done to help cure him? Thanks -

 

[navygirl76]

sorry about your loss.. it sounds like you gave him a really good life, and fed him a really wide variety of food--better than most id say. I dont know how long plecos live, but he may have just been old..

its nice to see you had such a strong bond with him.

 

[Sarapva]

Thanks, navygirl76 - I did have a strong bond with Crusty. That's what makes this so hard. He was the best and most interesting pet I've ever had.

 

[Ianab]

Sounds like you were doing everything right. If you had him for 8 years you must have been caring and feeding correctly.
Bloat in plecos is most often caused by too much protein in their diet, but yours sounds pretty good, so I dont think that was the cause.
Sometimes animals just get sick and die in spite of everything we try and do for them

Time for Crusty the 2nd I think

Ian

 

[fishdance]

I suspect the medications since the bacteria in the gut is what some/most plecos use for food. Eating zuchini and other vegetables are actually the food source for the bacteria.

Medication will upset good bacteria even assuming there were bad bacteria or parastites to deal with. The bloat could have been constipation, bacterial gases, intestinal blockage or continual overfeeding.

iIs probably too late but I would have cut it open to have a look.

 

[Sarapva]

Thanks Ian and Fishdance - I'm thinking about Crusty the 2nd and a bigger tank. Crusty was in a 75-gal. tank - I think big plecos need at least 200 gal. (not sure what that is in liters - maybe 700 l?). I'd read about doing autopsies on fish, but by the time Crusty died I just wanted to give him a little burial.

 

[Nick660]

Sounds like you did your best for him.

Good luck with the monster plec tank!

 

[Sarapva]

Thanks!

 

[sadpleco]

Help,
My Pleco has bloat too.
He also has some large abrasions. I think he was trying to move past places he normally goes but got stuck. I had to move the artificial crocidile head to get him out. I put him in a container only to photograph him. He is in a 45 gallon fresh water tank with 8 other small fish.
I changed the water and gave him zuccini and put some extra aquarium salts in. Has anyone heard of anything else I can do he looks sooo sick
Hoe do I download the picture?

 

[Plecos_Ftw]

Help,
My Pleco has bloat too.
He also has some large abrasions. I think he was trying to move past places he normally goes but got stuck. I had to move the artificial crocidile head to get him out. I put him in a container only to photograph him. He is in a 45 gallon fresh water tank with 8 other small fish.
I changed the water and gave him zuccini and put some extra aquarium salts in. Has anyone heard of anything else I can do he looks sooo sick
Hoe do I download the picture?

get the pic onto your computer, find a site like photobucket upload it there, (or i think you can on here too) then when you get in a thread, click the button with the mountain looking thing with the yellow backround copy the direct link in there hit ok.