Pleco problem

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Morledzep

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 26, 2007
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where my cichla are
Kirby, our big common pleco is sick or something.. he hides most of the time, but we generally see him about once or twice a day. He's always been happy and healthy and never shy about eating or even fighting for his private space with the RTC.

Yesterday his body swelled up.. we have no idea how or why. He still swims around and is still pretty speedy when he wants to be. His eyes are clear and he hasn't turned down food.. He just looks like he ate a football.

Are there any pleco people out there that can tell me what is wrong with him and what i should do to help him? We removed him from the 100 gal tank with the Oscars and the RTC, he's in the 10 gal ER/Quarantine tank with a foam filter until we figure out what is wrong with him and get him healthy again.

Besides being swollen he's got some red things on his sides, look like scales, but they are very tiny and they seem to be coming off.

Here are some pics..
 
probably bloated or constipated
 
You checked your params? They are two heavy eating/pooping fish... Also what do you feed it?
 
Davo,

we test all of the tanks once a week, last weekend the 100 gal tested VERY good. 0 ammonia, 0 Nitrite and between 20 and 40 ppm nitrate, we did a 20 gal water change with the same RO water we always use. Temp is holding steady without the heater at about 78 - 80 degrees.

He lives in a tank with 2 8 inch oscars and our RTC that is about 14 inches now. I feed the oscars twice a day, 2 bites each of shrimp, krill, turkey hearts, raw tuna or whatever the meat of the day is. the RTC gets fed once a day or every other day, one swallowable hunk of whatever the meat of the day is. and every other day i put 3 - 6 algae disks in the tank after the lights go out.
 
Could be bloating up due to a lack of roughage. Need to try and add some veggies for it, they really need it as they often get diet related health problems without it.
 
Davo,

thanks.. i realized when i wrote that that something seemed to be lacking.. i've had zucchini in the fridge for 2 weeks that i've been meaning to give to the fish.. and didn't.. finally remembered and did it yesterday.

And i opened a can of peas today.. i'm going to make a point of remembering to give more veggies to the fish.. not used to such things, dogs are carnivores.. and so are most of my fish.. lol.
 
Frozen defrosted peas are much better than canned. They hold together better in the water too.
Good luck!
 
:( Kirby doesn't seem to be getting better.. his belly is still HUGE and now he's got scales popping off and some have blood blisters behind them.

I need more suggestions or i need a source for clove oil to euthanize him.. :cry:
 
I'd have to say that it looks like Dropsy. I'd run a treatment of Maracyn 2, and hope that works. Pimafix can help, but I've not had positive results yet. Do not add salt.
 
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