What is this? I'm thinking parasite. It's killed 3 of my plecos so far & is spreading to the others (about 30 in there). I've treated with metro & prazi--no luck.
Pleco disease
- Thread starter Pufferpunk
- Start date
I have been in the hobby for 40 years. I do weekly 75% WC on this (1 of 8) tank. I have been collecting plecos for a very long time. I have no room for QT & do buy wild-caught rarer species from the swap. That is where this disease came from. I always treat their food 1 week with metro & then another week with prazi, for IPs. Never had any other issues than that or ich.
90g, there is a very large piece of driftwood, going the length & height of the tank.
Nitrate: 5-10 (after WC)
Temp 78
pH 7.2 after WC
90g, there is a very large piece of driftwood, going the length & height of the tank.
Nitrate: 5-10 (after WC)
Temp 78
pH 7.2 after WC
What can you say 40 years, 40 mins things happen.
I would treat the fish in a bath of Methylene Blue. In a container of tank water use 1 teaspoon of MB per 5 gallons of water. Place the fish in this for 30 mins once a day for about five days. MB is rough on plants and BB so I would do the bath treatment as opposed to treating the tank. This should clear it up.
Please note do not use Malachite Green only Meth Blue. Malachite Green can kill this fish.
I would treat the fish in a bath of Methylene Blue. In a container of tank water use 1 teaspoon of MB per 5 gallons of water. Place the fish in this for 30 mins once a day for about five days. MB is rough on plants and BB so I would do the bath treatment as opposed to treating the tank. This should clear it up.
Please note do not use Malachite Green only Meth Blue. Malachite Green can kill this fish.
You think this is fungal? My gut tells me parasitic. I have many plecos coming down with this. Very difficult to catch them all & almost impossible to remove that huge piece of wood. As you know, there are several I almost never see, except with a flashlight. I have added salt (1 tbsp/10g) & Kalaplex.
Do you mean Kanaplex (Kanamycin)? If that's what mean I like it if you suspect it to be parasitic. I can only go by the pic you provided. You could combine Kanaplex with Metro for a very effective parasitic treatment. Your Ph at 7.2 is towards the lower end of Kanamycins effective range but still ok and the antibiotic I would choose as well. The MB bath is still good to use on the fish pictured alonge with the in tank treatment as all three will work well and complement one another with no contradiction. I would like to know how you make out with this, so please keep me post on your progress.
I could never catch all the plecs,affected. There's a piece of driftwood as long/tall as the tank! And as you know--some of them I rarely see--only with a flashlight! Kanaplex is for a possible fungal issue. I treated with Metro & Prazi previously with no luck. Considering Most are wild-caught species, they are used to softer water. My tap runs neutral.
Unfortunatly Kanamycin is not for fungal infections. If you have no other options I would add some MB to the tank, just keep an eye on the water perameters. Most well aged systems can handel it and bounce very quickly. Newer tanks would be more of an issue. Use a single dose of 1 teaspoon per ten gallons along with the Kana & Metro combination.
