OMG!!! My Plecos eyes are gone!!! AHHHH!!!
- Thread starter VivaLaVics
- Start date
I wouldn't add salt for anything but Ich (you don't need marine salt) and wouldn't add maracyn for injuries. Clean water is the best and most proven treatment IME.
Awww, your poor pleco!!! 
I agree, you need to move him asap and get him into a QT. You need to keep the water as clean as you possibly can. Large, frequent water changes are the way to go until the fish heals.
Do NOT add marine salt. This will not benefit your fish in any way.
IMHO it is likely that your cichlids simply hit sexual maturity, and are much more aggressive as adults. I've seen this happen many times. There really isn't anything you can do about that... they can live in relative peace as juveniles, then just do a complete 180 as adults. Keep an eye on any smaller/weaker cichlids you may have as well; you may have to rehome either smaller/weaker fish, or the aggressor(s).
I'm glad you have said you won't be trying another pleco in your tank. There are a lot of people that I think would just keep dumping them in there and wondering why it continues not to work. Don't beat yourself up over it-- just chalk it up to a lesson learned and try to get your pleco healed up. Best of luck!
I agree, you need to move him asap and get him into a QT. You need to keep the water as clean as you possibly can. Large, frequent water changes are the way to go until the fish heals.
Do NOT add marine salt. This will not benefit your fish in any way.
IMHO it is likely that your cichlids simply hit sexual maturity, and are much more aggressive as adults. I've seen this happen many times. There really isn't anything you can do about that... they can live in relative peace as juveniles, then just do a complete 180 as adults. Keep an eye on any smaller/weaker cichlids you may have as well; you may have to rehome either smaller/weaker fish, or the aggressor(s).
I'm glad you have said you won't be trying another pleco in your tank. There are a lot of people that I think would just keep dumping them in there and wondering why it continues not to work. Don't beat yourself up over it-- just chalk it up to a lesson learned and try to get your pleco healed up. Best of luck!
I definately agree with every one that said no salt, and definately not marine salt! if you ever put any salt into a freshwater aquarium, it should be aquarium salt, not marine salt. (different stuff!) but plecos can be irritated by aquarium salt. yes, the right amount of aquarium salt has been said to help prevent fungal infections, but not help plecos with eye injuries.
Great info. Thank you. Now I am hunting for a tank on craigslist to QT him on. It is not pop-eye. I've dealt with that before- this looks very different, and one eye is missing.
Mbuna's... I've had a bad experience with one and had to return him. I have a Mbuna in the tank now who I think is the aggressor and plan on rehoming him. I like him a lot, but I just cant have him killing fish and eating pleco eyes...
I hope he can last for another 24 hours to give me time to get him a QT. I've set them up in a hurry before so I know how to get it cycled quick.
Wont use salt.
Thanks agian ya'll. I feel horrible. I love his little eyes! They're so cute when the move around and look at stuff...
Mbuna's... I've had a bad experience with one and had to return him. I have a Mbuna in the tank now who I think is the aggressor and plan on rehoming him. I like him a lot, but I just cant have him killing fish and eating pleco eyes...
I hope he can last for another 24 hours to give me time to get him a QT. I've set them up in a hurry before so I know how to get it cycled quick.
Wont use salt.
Thanks agian ya'll. I feel horrible. I love his little eyes! They're so cute when the move around and look at stuff...
a pitcher or bowl or water change bucket could work in the meantime, as long as you have a heater... put tank water in, and do at least 100% daily water changes.
Do you have a cover over your filter?
On my Hydroscope 12, the filter had a hole just big enough to suck up dwarf shrimp, baby platies, and yes....even eyes.
I had a pleco one day and as I happened to be watchin, he swam right up to the pump, and got his head stuck inside!
I panicked, turned the filter off, and saved him, but he lost and eye from the incident.
He lived another month and a half just fine after that, until one day I came home from work and he was stuck in there again (thought he woulda learned but...)
If this is indeed your problem...easy fix.
Go to Pay-less, or somewhere and just grab one of their free 'lady stockings' that women use to try on shoes with (preferably not used yet...).
Take it back, and stretch it out around the pump, and secure it with a rubber band and your all set!
On my Hydroscope 12, the filter had a hole just big enough to suck up dwarf shrimp, baby platies, and yes....even eyes.
I had a pleco one day and as I happened to be watchin, he swam right up to the pump, and got his head stuck inside!
I panicked, turned the filter off, and saved him, but he lost and eye from the incident.
He lived another month and a half just fine after that, until one day I came home from work and he was stuck in there again (thought he woulda learned but...)
If this is indeed your problem...easy fix.
Go to Pay-less, or somewhere and just grab one of their free 'lady stockings' that women use to try on shoes with (preferably not used yet...).
Take it back, and stretch it out around the pump, and secure it with a rubber band and your all set!
I keep plecos with my cichlids... and have always done so without incident
you likely have a single aggressive fish that needs to be removed from that tank...]
I have HEARD of mbuna doing this-- but I have never seen it nor experienced it.. and I have kept a lot of mbunas
you likely have a single aggressive fish that needs to be removed from that tank...]
I have HEARD of mbuna doing this-- but I have never seen it nor experienced it.. and I have kept a lot of mbunas
