Help Please .... Sick Elderly Pleco

[sabwitch21]

Hiya Guys & Girls,
Any help on this asap would be so so appreciated - sorry if I've posted in the wrong place I'm just desperate for some help please.

My Pleco (believe to be a Pterygoplichthys pardalis) George (now over 15 years old - details on my profile) has recently developed what looks like fin rot on this dorsal and also today both eyes have clouded over. He isn't changing colour to his soundings either, just staying a dark brown shade.

3 weeks ago I did a filter change and topped up the tank. It had been some time since I'd cleaned these as recently had a baby so been a little tied up. After coming back from holiday (for 2 weeks) the water looked majorly cloudy. George was fine so figured I'd possibly just put too much food in (to cover me being away) but last night & today noticed these issues.

For the whole 15 odd years I've had George, and in all his different sized tanks, I've never done PH levels etc and he has always just been happy with the warm water top ups (that then is controller by his heater) and the odd hoover out of the bottom of the tank and a half water change. Ornaments and plastic plants etc have always just been washed under cold water the same time as I change his filter system.

Can anyone recommend a treatment that's safe for catfish/ pleco's to help cure this? I'd hate to loose him.

Thanks

 

[FreshyFresh]

Sorry for you issues here. What size tank is your pleco in, how often do you do water changes and how much water do you change? As just a guess, he is suffering from high nitrate exposure. Big common plecos are a huge bio load on a tank and will require big water changes often to keep nitrates to a healthy level. Most do a weekly 80% to fin-level water change on a tank that contains an adult common pleco.

I would do daily 25% water changes to see if things improve, then get yourself an API master test kit to measure for nitrates and keep up on water changes to keep nitrates no more than 20ppm.

 

[sylwia]

Hi, sorry this isn't on topic - I can't figure out how to post and there seems to be no info about it. I can only reply.

 

[sylwia]

Hi, sorry this isn't on topic - I can't figure out how to post and there seems to be no info about it. I can only reply.

never mind - I finally figured it out thank to Google. Good luck with your post.