Pleco Paralysis even when touched a thing?

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shooze

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Jan 17, 2023
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Hey all,

My 200L semi planted tank has been so stable for years but I added 10 new neon to the existing 6 (who were all about 4 years old and what was left from a shoal of 10). After adding these 10 I had an older Neon die which I put down to old age, but then two of my German rams died. Water perams were as they always are so I don't think it was a water issue.

I treated the tank with Esher 2000 and exit last week and all seemed good until yesterday.

I woke up and my female bristlenose plec seemed dead in her little cave. I first noticed as her tail seemed quite pail. I lifted it up with her in it and she's wasn't suckered to the cave at all. Just kind of floating about inside it half hanging out as it's pretty small not attached (she's always half in half out!)

I could reach in and touch her tail and she didnt move about at all which I'm sure she did before. Even when I lift the cave out of the water with her in it there was no movement where she normally flaps about and refuses to drop out of the cave.

She's almost 10 years old and I've had her since she was a baby. Her and her partner were breeding and had a batch of fry in the last few weeks and I'm sure I saw her tail moving in there the day before.

After taking her cave out I tried to slide her out of the cave but as her fins were stuck out and she could only come out backwards she was pretty stuck.

By this time I was pretty certain she was dead and In the end I had to pull semi hard to get her out of the cave which ripped her head off 😭 I'm so gutted. She was my favourite fish and has been in the tank since I first got fish.

I'm now second guessing myself that she was dead as I've read about paralysed plecs. I couldn't really see in the cave to see if she was breathing at all, but she would have moved slightly surely??

Is there anything that completely paralyses a plec enough that they wouldn't move at all even if taken out of the water?
 
Apr 2, 2002
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I breed plecos. I have had to break a few caves apart to get the fish out. it is usually the males who do what you describe in terms of not being possible to pull them out. This happens to perfectly healthy fish. The male spreads his pectoral fins and they cannot be pulled out.

I take out a cave with a male like this and balance above the water such that the tail of the fish is wet bit that is it. And these fish often still refuse to come out.

I use clay caves and have mastered the art of breaking apart a cave without harming the fish.

Also, I use a flashlight to see into to caves to spot eggs and wigglers or even a female in there with the male. The light makes it easier to see what is up inside, so I can see when the pectorals are spread in removal resistance.

Ihave never seen a live paralyzed pleco so I cannot comment on that.
 

shooze

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Jan 17, 2023
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Thanks for your reply.

She see definitely didn't move at all. Even out of water. No struggling at all. Even when I had hold of her tail.

Im hoping that means she was completely dead before I gave her a pull.

She wasn't gripping the cave at all, it's just her fins were extended so I couldn't get her out backwards. She wasnt suckered to the side or her fins and tail didn't move at all.

If you have never experienced a completely paralyzed plec that's a comforting sign.
 

shooze

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Jan 17, 2023
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I breed plecos. I have had to break a few caves apart to get the fish out. it is usually the males who do what you describe in terms of not being possible to pull them out. This happens to perfectly healthy fish. The male spreads his pectoral fins and they cannot be pulled out.

I assume although they won't come out and have they're fins spread they're still flapping around and struggling to stay in the cave?
 
Apr 2, 2002
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Nope- they just spreaad the fins so the tip is pressed into the sides of the cave. This makes it impossible to pull them out dead or alive unless you pull the fish apart. They don't need to struggle, the don't need to suck onto anything, once they spread those fins. In some situations I can put the cave into a bucket of water while working on something else and the plec comes out on its own. My problem usually occurs because I am bagging fish to go out and the one in the cave is supposed to be part of that.

So, I have no option after a while but to trash the cave.
 
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shooze

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Jan 17, 2023
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I've lifted the cave out many times before but she wasn't moving at all. No movement at all when I held her tail. Even when the cave was on its end she was just limp but not falling out.

I could move her back and forth in the cave but her fins were trapped, again not moving at all just limply spread.

I'm like 99 % sure she was dead I've had her 10 years and she never behaved like that before. Just second guessing myself.
 
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