BN pleco not doing well

[satanpie]

I brought home a BN pleco today from my store, and acclamated him for a while, when i released him into the tank he just sank right to the bottom. Hes breathing, and once in a while will flinch a litle and kick up some substrate. I gave him a little tap and he moved to the front corner where my guppies and tetras started picking at his bristles and eyes!! I fed the guppies and theyve laid off of him. All my readings are fine but the ph is a little high, i know plecos like lower ph, but at thge fish store im guessing they probbaly have a fialy high ph too, is it just the stress of being moved?

 

[Reddog80p]

Most likely just a breaking in period BN's are very hardy. My pH is around 7.6-7.8 and my BNs do fine. Do you have any cover in the tank, seems strange that a new BN wouldn't be seeking shelter.

 

[satanpie]

i do have hiding spots, but its just sitting there, hasnt bothered to explore the tank yet.

 

[jpappy789]

Just let him settle in before panicking about his odd behavior.

 

[wataugachicken]

how did you acclimate? did you just float the bag or did you add some tank water to the bad every few minutes?

i have a LOT of plecos, and every one of them will swim for shelter after being introduced to a new tank. it's very weird that he's not hiding.

 

[satanpie]

i floated it for a while, then added some tank water to it fora little while

 

[ct-death]

Other tankmates (especially smaller non-aggressive spp.) should not be pecking at another fish... This is a sure sign of something wrong, and a very strong indicator that he cannot defend himself.

What's the pH of the store (they will tell you) and that of your tank?

Regardless, however, a fish that instantly reacts that way is at best in a very poor state at the time of purchase IMHO

 

[pinkertd]

Most plecos are starved before they get shipped to the local fish stores. Check it stomach, should be nice and round, not sunken in. Often they are so weak from being starved and stressed for shipping conditions that by the time you see them in the lfs, they are in very bad shape.

 

[Reddog80p]

Hows the BN doing now?

 

[satanpie]

well last night around 2 am i shined a little led light into the tank and saw it scurrying around and in the morning there was some evidence that it had been eating some of my brown algae which i hopes it would do, when i came home today it was hiding under a peice of driftwood that i had intended to be its home, also saw it move around a little, so i guess its doing ok,maybe its just a deadbeat.