Help! Pleco with open wounds!

tmtpowers · Jun 15, 2006

I just started a 55 gallon tank 5 days ago. Well three days ago I was offered a 10" pleco from a guy that said he wasn't having any luck with fish. When I got the pleco home I tested the water he was in (he was in approx a gallon to a gallon and a half for 30 minutes) and the test results where: Nitrate off the chart (above 200), nitrite 10.0, hardness 25, 0 alkalinity, Ph was too low for my test (below6.2)and ammonia was .50. So we started a water drip for quite a while. We could not get the nitrates down for the test to read it even after adding several gallons of our tank water. After about 45ish minutes we went ahead and moved him to the tank due to him showing signs of stressing. I noticed several spots on him that looked like carpet burn (skin rubbed) and some red sores on some of his fins. So I started to treat it with Melafix. Last nigh he looked as if he was improving. He started to swim about a lot more and looking for food. I tested our water last night and the ammonia was up a bit (again just new tank syndrome) so we did a partial water change (25%) Today the pleco has spent all day on the bottom floor. I noticed several patches of gray on his back (it doesn't look like fungus but I'm not super experienced in fish either). Well tonight he finally moved to the side of the tank and he has two large wounds on his belly side! Please someone tell me what to do! What has happened?!

Tank size: 55gallon
pH: 7.0
ammonia: .25
nitrite: .5
nitrate: .0
kH:40
gH: 75
tank temp: 80F

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): Open wounds on belly, grey discoloration on back and sides, eyes appear to be pop-eye but not sure (haven't dealt with large pleco before this one)

Volume and Frequency of water changes: At this point one 25% water change

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Charcoal filter (removed for 2 days during melafix treatment)

Tank inhabitants: 10" pleco, 2 red tail dalmation mollies, one balloon molly, 3 dwarf sunset coral platies

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): Yesterday we added three cabomba plants and one Anacharis plant. All fish beside pleco we have had for 2-3 weeks now (they were in a smaller tank) as well as other plants besides those listed.

Exposure to chemicals: Melafix

Digital photos:

wounds:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e91/tmtpowers/wound.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e91/tmtpowers/wounds.jpg

Gray patches, eyes, and old wound on nose (wound on nose was there when we got him but appears to be healing :
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e91/tmtp...eyesandbody.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e91/tmtpowers/nose.jpg

Primetime · Jun 15, 2006

Slowly lower the temperature to 77-78ish. Do more water changes, because ideally you want the ammonia and nitrite at 0 and nitrate less than 20. Maybe it had the sores and gray patches before moving into your tank because the results you posted of the before water were HORRIBLE. Surprised that hes still living, hope you can make it work for him.

tmtpowers · Jun 16, 2006

Thanks for the advice. We did do a water change last night. I just moved him over to my quarantine tank that just finished its cycling earlier today and added melafix to the water as well as salt. I am positive that the patches and sores where not there when we got him home. He was a beautiful dark gray and his belly looked perfect. The only thing we noticed when we added him to the tank and got a close look at him was a rubbed sore on his nose, and a few small ones on his fins. He seemed to be getting better but now has became worse and seems to be getting worse by the minute! I am hoping by placing him in an already cycled tank and treating him with the melafix will fix him up.

As for the water he came from, I actually wonder if moving him from such terrible water to almost correct water is what could have triggered this? Sadly that guy I got him from just couldn't understand why he was having no "luck" with fish. UGH!

liss · Jun 16, 2006

Hey I'm no fish expert but I did read that they like the temp lower like around 75-78, make sure you do it slowly. I agree with primetime I bet he had the sores before you put him in your tank. Good luck I hope he gets better soon.

Roan Art · Jun 16, 2006

tmtpowers said:
As for the water he came from, I actually wonder if moving him from such terrible water to almost correct water is what could have triggered this?

Yes, it is.

Your pleco is suffering from osmotic shock that has been brought about by being moved too quickly from "bad" water into "good" water. You didn't know, so it's not your fault.

That pleco has been kept in a tank that has not had the water changed in WHO knows how long. The water in that tank is very "thick" and jello-like and that will affect a fish's osmoregulation -- the ability to adjust to changing water conditions. He's been living it in a while and his body has "adjusted" to it but that adjustment comes at a cost: he will be unable to adjust to a different water unless he is acclimated VERY VERY VERY slowly.

Do NOT change the temperature. He cannot adjust to changes in temperature. Do not do ANYTHING to the tank. Do not add anything to the QT tank at *all*. No more salt! Do not remove the salt you already put in, just don't add any more. You are increasing the thickness of the water every time you put stuff in there and the more changes you make, the sicker that pleco will get.

Keep the water as it is now until he is better. Change it often and add salt back in to make it the same as it is now. Do not increase the salinity or you will lose the pleco.

Do not put any meds in the tank at all. If you start adding meds you will change the water chemistry again and that's what he's having problems adjusting to. Just keep the water clean and constant in chemistry and cross your fingers. Hopefully he will pull through.

Sadly that guy I got him from just couldn't understand why he was having no "luck" with fish. UGH!

Tell him to change his water once in a while! Those poor fish in his tank are going to die. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but they WILL die from that water.

Roan

tmtpowers · Jun 16, 2006

Thank you SO much for the tips! I had added one dose of melafix last night but I won't add any more or change anything else! How often should I do partial water changes concerning he is 10" in a 10 gallon tank?

As for that guy's fish, they all had already died. Only the pleco was alive due to him expecting the tank to take care of it self.

Roan Art · Jun 16, 2006

tmtpowers said:
Thank you SO much for the tips! I had added one dose of melafix last night but I won't add any more or change anything else! How often should I do partial water changes concerning he is 10" in a 10 gallon tank?

Good question. The answer is, "Just how is he doing today?" How do the wounds look? Any new ones? General health? Breathing?

If he is acting "better" or you see an improvement at all, do about 20% daily.

As for that guy's fish, they all had already died. Only the pleco was alive due to him expecting the tank to take care of it self.

Sigh. Plecos are tough fish, but they are usually among the first ones to die. That this guy lived is amazing. Usually clown loaches and cories and any other catfish go first. Then the tougher suckers and mid/top level fish.

I'm glad you rescued him. Kudos!

Roan

tmtpowers · Jun 16, 2006

Well earlier today he appeared a bit better, then I put the carbon filter back in to filter out the meds and he started to look a bit worse then.

Also, something I completely forgot to add, Those open sores on his belly did not appear nor did the gray patches appear until after I stopped the melafix. I don't know if this has any effect on what I should be doing but I thought it would be worth adding just in case since I've never in my life dealt with anything like this.

Roan Art · Jun 16, 2006

tmtpowers said:
Well earlier today he appeared a bit better, then I put the carbon filter back in to filter out the meds and he started to look a bit worse then.

Also, something I completely forgot to add, Those open sores on his belly did not appear nor did the gray patches appear until after I stopped the melafix. I don't know if this has any effect on what I should be doing but I thought it would be worth adding just in case since I've never in my life dealt with anything like this.

Adding melafix to the water thickened it. Put it back and keep putting it in. I didn't realize that it was something you had added along with the salt. Just don't add anything else

Leave the carbon out completely for now. You want the water a little "icky" because that's what he's used to.

The best way to deal with OTS victims is slow and easy.

Roan

tmtpowers · Jun 16, 2006

Thanks again for the advice!!!

Now I just have one more question (at least for now LOL) when will I stop the melafix treatments and and put the carbon back in? How to I get him ready (when the time is right if he lives) to be put in the large tank? What would be indications that he is ready?

OK, that was three LOL I know I'm jumping the gun here but I want to know what I should be doing and when ahead of time so I will be prepared.

BTW (I'm adding a 4th here LOL) what does OTS stand for? Sorry new to the whole online fish world


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Help! Pleco with open wounds!

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