Sick Rhino Pleco

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Manix

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Jan 3, 2002
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My rhino pleco has been showing odd behavior for the past few weeks. Coming out during the daylight hours, hugging the heater, just recently not eating. Until a few days ago he looked fine. Now he has a blue film on his gills, barely noticable, as well as a blue haze over his eyes. He's starting to show signs of excess slime coat. His fins still look fine. I'm am currently doing a 30% water change everyday and treating with Maracyn 1 & 2, plus about 25% the reommended dose of maracide.

Here are yesterdays water readings (done before water change):

Amm. 0 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 0 ppm
PH 7.6
High Range PH 7.6
KH 5 dgh
GH 5dgh
Temp. 80 degrees F.

I need help identifying this infection and treating it.
Any thoughts on this is appreciated.
 

OrionGirl

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Aug 14, 2001
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Not sure but you might try lowering the temp. My experience with plecos has always been than they do better on the low side of 70, rather than 80. I think it has more to do with dissolved ocygen than actual temp, so maybe increasing your surface agitation would help?
 

Manix

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As I've been doing searches I agree that lowering the temp is a good idea. However, I already have two power filters running on this tank. Would this not provide enough agitation? I do have an old powerhead I could install temporarily if it would help.
 

OrionGirl

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How much surface agitation do you have? I mean--where the surface is really distrubed, not just moving. I know that in my tank, even with a HOB and 2 powerheads, the surface really isn't highly agitated--it just ripples a bit. I wouldn't consider it adequate if the temp was in the upper 70's. If you actually have lots of surface breaking, then I'm not sure--I just know that the surface of my tanks breaks only when a fish hits it. I added a surface skimmer just for the increased gas exchange it provides.
 

OrionGirl

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For what volume of water? That's where it gets hairy--the surface area and volume make a big difference in how much impact that amount of agitation will have on the total depth. Wish I could be more precise, but I don't know any magical formula to determine what's enough and what isn't. If the fish looks stressed, and dropping the temp doesn't help, my next move would be to increase surface agitation. The cooler water may be enough, since cooler water has more DO anyway.

HTH
 

Manix

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His being out and about more, rather than cooly hanging out under his driftwood could be accounted forthe higher temp. the lack of O2 could also be cuasing stress on his gills, thus the excess slime coat in that area. I beleive I did up the heater a notch awhile back....
The tank is a twenty tall. I'll drop the temp. as soon as I get home.
I hope this works. Thanks!

EDIT: Until this week I have never done a nitrate reading on the tank. Is it unusual to have a reading of 0 (or below 10 ppm), on an established tank?
 
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OrionGirl

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Planted? Yes! Unplanted--not so much. Plants will suck up nitrates, so much so that heavily planted tanks get supplements. Unplanted FW tanks will usually register some nitrate, but it depends on how frequently you do water changes. I don't have any unplanted FW tanks to know what schedule you'd need to keep them at <10, though--sorry. With frequent changes and light stocking, it's very possible that the nitrates will stay low, though.
 

OrionGirl

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Makes sense--the java ferns are more than adequate for dealing with low level of nitrate, and 2 fish will be hard pressed to produce lots.
 
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