Cause of pleco death?

[velvetsand]

I had a large pleco in a 50 gallon tank with other much more delicate fish and he was suddenly half-dead on his back one day and dead the next. I thought they were extremely hardy. I've never had one die on me actually. When they get too big, I always bring them to the local family owned pet store and trade them in. What could be the cause of a sudden death of a healthy pleco?

 

[excuzzzeme]

Stunting from being in too small of a tank. "other causes" without a necropsy it is a wild guess.

 

[BettaFishMommy]

agreed. 'large' plecos need large tanks, and a 50 gallon just doesn't cut it.

diet could also be a factor, as certain species need certain diets. do you know which exact species this pleco was?

 

[vanillarum]

Un fortunately, plecos are not all that hardy. They are not fragile, but not hardy either. I have been breeding and raising different plecos for 6 years or so, and there are many unexplained pleco deaths. Unless you have someone qualified to do a fish autopsy, chances are you may never know. Sorry for the loss.

 

[velvetsand]

I've had larger plecos in this same tank that lived very long lives. Like I said, I've never had one die on me. The pleco was just not a small one is all.

 

[captmicha]

Can I ask the point of repeatedly getting plecos and returning them to start again when they get too big instead of just not getting big plecos?

I ask bc I'm curious.

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[captmicha]

I read your bio. It might have something to do with water quality if your tanks are really stocked as described.

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[Rbishop]

I had a large pleco in a 50 gallon tank with other much more delicate fish and he was suddenly half-dead on his back one day and dead the next. I thought they were extremely hardy. I've never had one die on me actually. When they get too big, I always bring them to the local family owned pet store and trade them in. What could be the cause of a sudden death of a healthy pleco?

Agression/stress....

[h=5]About velvetsand[/h]Biography:I have 3 betta bowls, a 30 gallon tall tank with many fancy guppies, a few glo-light tetras, a few gold noeon tetras, 2 cory cats, a chinese algae eater, a pleco, 4 mystery snails and many ghost shrimp, and a 50 gallon long tank with a blood red parrot cichlid, a convict-parrot cichlid, 2 black convict cichlids, 1 pink convict cichlid, 1 very large bichir, 1 reed fish, 2 meeki cichlids, some type of albino shark/catfish, some crayfish, and a pleco.

 

[jpappy789]

If that stocking is correct...your tank is very full of some fish that wont always play nice. I wouldn't be surprised if that was at least part of the issue.