Help me diagnose my sick pleco!

J

Jennanicole

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Dec 4, 2020
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I have a 25 gal, NOT a planted tank, not in natural daylight, with 9 tetras, 3 different snails, and a 6 month common pleco (the sick fish). I use the API master test kit: Ammonia 0/Nitrates 5/Nitrites 0/PH 7.8. Temp 78.

this morning I noticed he has developed a bump with a pinkish/whitish discoloration, almost like a human zit? Could not have been there more than a day or two. I have been thinking lympho or a bacterial infection but I’m new to plecos and not sure what to do. I’m thinking it could possibly be an injury as well. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated as I cannot find anyone to take him off my hands either

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Pic is too fuzzy for me to tell what it is. The pleco will grow to 1 to 2 feet though. Contact the Ohio Fish Rescue on FB, they have a network of volunteers with monster tanks and will arrange for someone to pick him up at no charge, they have appropriate sized tanks for him.
 
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That was supposed to be a ceramic house, lol. Or log, etc.

I'm not sure what kind of pleco it is, it's nose seems very short & blunt...tl, what species are you guessing?
 
Fish'o I think its nose is just distorted because of the angle of the pic, it's not lying on the ground but hanging on the side. I'm sure Jenna is right and it is a common one (either Hypostomus or Pterygoplichtys, but you have to count fin rays to discern them) rather than a more expensive, rarer one.
 
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the loach said:
Fish'o I think its nose is just distorted because of the angle of the pic, it's not lying on the ground but hanging on the side. I'm sure Jenna is right and it is a common one (either Hypostomus or Pterygoplichtys, but you have to count fin rays to discern them) rather than a more expensive, rarer one.
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Agree. Clearer picture would be good.
 
Thank you all for your help! I will look into whether it is a fungal infection or a scrape. I’m thinking it was in fact a scrape but am unsure how as my tank does not contain any sharp objects or rough materials. How should I proceed to treat him if it is a cut? It is a common pleco and I know he will be very large but have someone who wants to home him when he outgrows mine. I apologize for the blurry picture I don’t have a nice phone ?‍♀️
 
I'd keep up on your regular weekly water changes and monitor..

As you may know, common plecos need lots of wood to rasp on, which in itself makes a mess.

Wish I could find pics, but a fella on a board I used to frequent (that's now gone), rescued a common from a family member. He kept it in a 55g tank by itself. It had to curl up a bit to turn around in the 12" width of a standard 55g. He had it about 20yrs. IIRC, he did one fin level water change on the tank per week.
 
I would do more water changes as often as you can, say every couple days. Watch for whitish or a more red color that could mean a bacterial infection. Try to judge if it gets bigger too.
 
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