Pleco's keep dying

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J

johnson5585

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 17, 2008
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California
OK, I have a small ten gallon tank (my daughters room tank) It has a couple of danios, a tetra, two golden algae eaters, and a small cat. I have now gone through two plecos in the past 2 weeks. One was a rubber lip (tried this one since they tend to stay smaller and a common. Both died in a matter of days. Both were acclimated prior to going into the tank and all water levels are at a normal level. Nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, PH are all good. None of the fish seem to be ill. The plecos do not look at all beat up by cat which is the only one that I could think would even pose a threat at all. Could there be something that is poisoning the plecos. There is some algae build and is why I got one as the goldens do nothing but sit on the bottom most the time. The plecos get in the tank start going to town on the small amount of algae then are dead in a couple of days. So I know they are not starving as it is littleraly a couple of days. Is there any type of algae that can form in a tank and become deadly to a algae eater????? Not sure what is going on. Starting to think the tank is bad luck and should be replaced with a 20 (at least) I am beginning to hate tens as they seem to be harder to care for than my big tanks. Oh and yes water changes occur weekly.
Thanks
 
What exactly were your water parameters? What test kit did you use? What type of algae do you have in your tank? If anything else would poison the plecos, surely the other occupants would have met the same fate.
 
+ have you used any meds recently, what species and what are you actually feeding them as algae isn't good enough for most plecos, many won't even touch algae.
 
Test kit is an API mater test kit. Amonia, Nitrite at 0 Nitrate was like 5. The PH was around 7.6-7.8. No meds as none of the fish have seemed sick in any way. As for the type of algae not sure other than it is green. I don't give plecos wafers or anything. Just let them eat what is in the tank. I have two other plecos in different tanks that are growing great and have always had plecos. I only give them the occasional peeled grape as a treat but normally not until they are bigger. I don't think they were starved as they were only in the tank for two days before kicking the bucket. The other fish in the tank still seem very healthy. Someone else mentioned putting drift wood in the tank but I have never used that in any of my tanks before either.
 
Could you get a pic of the algae? Surely, not BGA (blue-green algae)? I forgot to ask what species your catfish is. Most catfish tend to be territorial and in a tank that small, it is possible that he was chasing them constantly to death.
 
I'd reconsider your feeding regime for your plecos and read the dietry thread sticky.
 
I have lost several fish to the little Danios and have lost a few plecos to other fish just in days. Find the most aggressive fish and remove it or get a bigger tank. I had to remove a Albino convict to add me current pleco. The Convict killed the prior pleco in there hours.
 
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