Pleco Acclimation difficulties

[verbal]

I have had a couple of Plecos die when I tried to acclimate them.

The first case was a Flash pleco that I took out of the tank for a fish show and then was re-introducing(to the same tank). I used 1/2 new water(conditioned tap) and 1/2 tank water for the show water.

The second case was a royal pleco that I bought from a speaker at the aquarium club. The fish was fine in the bag, but when I mixed the water 50 it was dead. I used a test strip of the tank water and the bag water and the results were very similar.

There is a bristlenose pleco happily living in the tank and an Angelfish pair that spawn every month or so. Also I successfully added a clown Pleco to the tank with no issues.

Are there transportation issues with some Plecos?
I know they are sensitive to lower oxygen levels. Was that the likely cause of their demise?

My water is hard and has a high pH, but I am not sure how that would be a factor in the first case(Flash Pleco).

 

[fishorama]

My guess would be osmotic shock caused by a big change in TDS (total dissloved solids) I have fairly soft water & acclimate new fish slowly over at least an hour depending on the difference. I use a TDS meter (~$20 incl/ship on ebay) It's usually easier on fish to go from lower to higher but I think slow is best. The tap at the show may have been different too even in the same town.

Test strips aren't the most accurate, many use API, I do.

As for the royal it could have been ammonia toxicity. It builds up in a closed bag but if the pH is lower than 7ish it's in a nontoxic form, ammonium. When the bag is opened the air & new higher pH water cause it to change into the toxic form very fast. I add a drop or 2 of Prime to the fish bag to combat this, then acclimate.

Shipped fish aren't usually fed for a day or 2 before bagging so there's less waste & some also drop the pH to protect fish from ammonia burn. That's why some shippers say plop & drop the fish into the tank, no acclimation, The thinking being the ammonia is more risky than the possible osmotic shock. Yours wasn't shipped but may have been bagged long enough for ammonia to build.

Sorry you've lost such cool plecs.

 

[James0816]

Well poo! Sry to hear about the plecs.

I always acclimate slow via a drip process. Even $1 fishies I may get. Would just rather have that extra sense of knowing things will turn out ok. Haven't lost one yet. <knocks on simulated wood>

 

[verbal]

I think I am going to go with a relatively-LFS for my next Pleco. My Flash pleco was relatively local.

My plan is to set up a quarantine tank with neutral to acidic pH and gradually change the water to acclimate it.

It will probably be a little while, because at the moment I have too many fish.

 

[fishorama]

Too many fish!?!? LOL

Next time your in the lfs store ask about their parameters, they usually know. Also let them make sure the plec is healthy & eating well before buying. Wild plecs can come in with issues, internal & external. Don't be in a hurry

 

[Jackster]

My water is hard and has a high pH, but I am not sure how that would be a factor in the first case(Flash Pleco).

This is likely your main issue. Carbonates, calcium, and magnesium are not tolerated well by soft water species of suckermouth catfish. Personally I use a cheap TDS meter and RO water and 200 ppm TDS or less is what I would suggest. Acclimating plecos from softer lower pH water to harder higher pH water can be done as long as you do it slowly, however, acclimating plecos that have been kept in harder higher pH water to softer lower pH requires a much longer acclimation time. Depending on what may be in your tap water, large scale water changes in the 50% range may not be a very good idea either.

 

[excuzzzeme]

A sharp temperature difference can also stress them severely. Temp should fluctuate no more than 5°. If it does, you need to match the temps slowly.