Clean your fish tank. If the fish is hiding among the plants or in a cave and not moving, thats perfectly normal. Its also possible that nothing is wrong at all. The fish might be very sick and it feels unable to move. If your pleco fish doesnt appear to be moving, youre likely going to be incredibly concerned. A sunken belly is the result of the gut flora dying off and even though these fish are very hardy, it will lead to death. The most common cause of this is poor water conditions. API Liquid Super Ich Cure is another product you can purchase to treat ich. This is of course innocent. I think it may be that the paleness is a better indicator of excessive CO2 than the gasping at the top is. Infections are usually caused by the various bacteria and parasites that may be present in the tank. Ich is very contagious and can be fatal, so removing the sick fish from the tank is important if other fish inhabit the same environment. Theres a good chance that youre not doing regular tank maintenance. Some will also cause fish to have a hard time breathing. Fish are fascinating creatures, and although some are easy to take care of, that doesnt eliminate the possibility of them developing a sickness. If your Pleco has been hiding from you for a long time, it may be because the water in the tank is too cold. These fish enjoy hiding and they often stay in the same place at the bottom of the aquarium. (his color blends in real well with the wall - and where he wedged himself in is hard to see unless you are looking for it. Ich is something that can be cured if you catch it in time. There is a possibility that something happened in the tank, though. Vampire plecos need to be fed meaty foods such as shrimp and snails. Nutrition might be playing a role in the fish dying as well. Are its gills moving or does it appear to be motionless? Do your best to determine what is wrong with the fish. We need the oxygen to flow and the current from a filter or movement of . If you are worried, you can try to move the pleco with your hands and see if it swims away. If you discover one of your fish has popeye, check the water levels to determine if that is the cause. Lastly, before or during spawning, plecos can breathe more rapidly since this is energy-consuming. Threw him in the tank anyway and it survived. This way, you can manage them and check for potential diseases. Over the past couple of days hes stayed in a little cave all day and night. i have heard reports of them lasting quite a while out of water. In order to keep your Pleco happy, you will need to ensure that the tank is heated and supplied with a filter. Poor pleco got nudged accidentally with the hose, though, and he's having a -really- hard time swimming. You are using an out of date browser. in 60 degree water less than 1\4" deep! Most plecostomus species are nocturnal, meaning that they are more active at night than during the day. If your pleco is breathing more rapidly, it can be because of various reasons: Make sure to test your water parameters for a nitrite/ammonia spike as this extracts oxygen. Pleco upside down and breathing but not moving. These are great fish and you want them to thrive under your care. just keep an eye on him. Why Does My Pleco Always Hide and Never Come Out? - The Aquarium Adviser Plecos need to be kept in fish tanks with high oxygen levels. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. Feed food before lights out and he is likely to come out when it is dark to feed. Now the tank is in pretty bad shape (were working on it!) Very bad water conditions might even directly kill the fish. Plecs are also known to suck the slime coat off goldfish, causing injury and illness to the goldfish. He just started acting crazy the last couple of days. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Breeding pleco catfish isnt as hard as you might think. It was in a tank with Piranha and had scars on it, but after a while they left it alone. It can be caused by elevated ammonia levels in the tank or an injury that resulted in a bacterial infection. Over the years I have kept many tanks, and have recently begun getting more serious in wanting to become a professional aquarist. Aren't the nitrates a tad on the high side? You can get something called Stress Coat at the pet store, it basically removes any chlorine that may be in your water, it has also been proven to reduce fish stress. Many different types of illnesses will make fish feel lethargic. Pleco fish are amazing animals and very interesting for aquarists. Injury and stress can also cause cloudy eye issues. 7 Signs Your Pleco Is Dying and Needs Attention - Avid Aquarist Pet stores often sell plecos as algae eaters or cleaner fish which is why you might think it doesnt need its own tank and can survive on leftovers/waste. Plecs are tropical fish, and goldfish are coldwater, so they're not compatible unfortunately. LL, yes I just moved, but the pleco has been in this water for almost a month.

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