My pleco is sick...HELP!!

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barbphoto

Registered Member
May 22, 2008
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Hi folks,

I just register to find some help :help:...we got a new big leopard plecostomus, he is around 3 to 4 years old, has been 4 days in our tank with no problems, but this morning his tail looks reddish, like with blood, I tried to find a wound or trace of injury but nothing....we don't have any big agressive fishes that could have arm him....any ideas??...I look for sharped edges around to see if he got stock against or rubbed against it but we don't have anything like that on the tank....is a 55 Gallon tank....we have 2 small Oscars, 2 Small plecos, 2 small convicts, they are all around 2 to 3 in, the biggest fish is one of the Oscars close to 5 in, and we have a baby catfish 2 in....I though to go and get some algae wafer he looks skinnier also...would he eat?...he stock himself on the glass and just rest there hasn't move around like the first 2 days...

I read folks feed them zucchinis?...cut in little slices or how??>...mm HELP!! :help:I dont want him to dye!!!
could he has broke is tail?
:confused:THANKS!!!

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Two O's need at least a 75 gallon tank with weekly to biweekly water changes, but more gallons would definetly be much better. Leopard plecos get huge, and have the potential of reaching two feet(what are your other two plecos?). I know this isn't a solution to your problem, but I really feel as if it is important for the future.
 
They also have the potential of growing over a foot long most likely, then. Several different species are sold under that name, so you can ask for an ID here.
Don't worry, you're not the first person to mistakenly buy them-in fact many people have-in fact, many moons ago, I did.

Until someone else replies, the best thing you can do is quarantine him and give him nice, clean water. What are your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate readings?
 
That looks like irritation rather than infection, but I can't be sure. Is there anything in there sharp enough to scrape on the plec's belly? Sharp substrate, a sharp edge to pottery or wood?

As Schizo said, check your water parameters, and look for something that might be scraping up your big pleco.
 
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