Help me diagnose my sick pleco!

the loach said:
I couldn't find a picture taken from above, but one from the belly will do as well; look at his pectoral and pelvic fins then compare to Jenna's pleco;
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The soft tissue between the hard rays is degenerating first at the top, that's early fin rot.
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His fins have never been as rounded and full as yours but I definitely see his deterioration from the first pic I posted vs the second - if this is fin rot should I be treating my tank as a whole? Thank you so much!
 
What other fish are in the tank? V
Jennanicole said:
His fins have never been as rounded and full as yours but I definitely see his deterioration from the first pic I posted vs the second - if this is fin rot should I be treating my tank as a whole? Thank you so much!
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For finrot just do large water changes everyday until you see a change in his fins.
 
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It's not my picture or fish, just one from image search. It's hard to get a good comparison pic, this is a smaller specimen but you get the idea how his fins should look.
ancistrus-sucker-fish-aquarium-outside-acquarium-30728728.jpg


If he always had these ragged fins he was never quite ok to begin with, and the ulcer is the result of that. I think you had good water and tank maintenance? It's not caused by that then, there is no need to treat your main tank if the other fish are fine.
 
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It seems to me the spot is more healthy looking with some dark normal spots forming. Not as angry red & irritated. It will take a while to regrow the pleco's "plates" (like big scales, in a way). I hope this is what is happening, there is no miracle like lots of fresh clean water!!

I had to look up "imagitarium bacterial infection remedy". I see it's an herbal treatment for both bacteria & fungal infections...that might be OK for a mild case of infection but your pleco seems to have a more serious issue. I would treat with Maracin 1 & Maracin 2 together for gram negative & postive bacteria IF it doesn't continue to improve. True "fungus" is fairly rare in our aquaria, it's usually really a form of bacteria that looks whitish & fuzzy "like a fungus".

Keep up the water changes!! The herbal thing is ok, but be ready to to go "big guns" with real antibiotics.

Is it just me or does he look less pale? My fingers are still crossed for his recovery!
 
No that's not you he is less pale, but it's a pleco, as you know they change colors so that doesn't mean much.
When you see the wound turn pinkish to white it is getting better.
 
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I'm going to disagree, tl. The dark "normal coloration" of it's striping is forming, the red is less bright & angry looking. My plecos (of several species) did not change color for no reason...whitish can mean healing sometimes or a more intense bacterial issue (like I said, "fungus-y, really bacteria).

To what do you attribute the dark striping that is forming in the wound?
 
I wouldn't call anything based on these pics, 1 day apart. There is different lighting (even the first taken without flash, and the 2nd with?) and different circumstances. In the first pic he was just put in a salt bath sure this will cause him to go pale. In the 2nd the salt has been removed and he already was in there for a day.
 
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