Poor pleco! Anything else I can do?

AudraM

AudraM

AC Members
Jan 2, 2008
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Queen Creek, AZ
I've had my bristlenose pleco since I got an established tank from craigslist about a year ago. I rarely see this fish, I know they are nocturnal, but there was never any indication he had been anywhere but hiding in the bogwood. No change in the algae on the tank walls in the morning, when I clean the tank the only place I find the nasty pleco poop (dark brown from the bogwood) is around the bogwood. A neighbor of mine who has had lots of community tanks suggested I get another pleco, which I did about two weeks ago. The new pleco (2" common) has been out and about, the glass is cleaner, it's been really neat. Last night he/she was fine. Happily scraping the algae off the front of the aquarium. Today, I was moving my female platy to a small 1 gallon that I have as my quarantine tank. I know I need a bigger one, but this is what I could afford when I needed it. I thought all my platys were male until I noticed a fry this morning. Poor girl was being hassled pretty bad and it looked like she had a bit of scale damage. In the process of getting the platy out, I accidentally brushed up against the new pleco and instead of fleeing, he just flinched. After looking closer, I noticed some fin damage. In order to get a better look I decided to put him in the 1 gallon even though I know it's not big enough for him. That's when I noticed how bad the damage is. I don't see any cuts or scrapes, but he's not attaching to anything and seems like he is having problems moving around. He's just dangling around or laying on the bottom. I added some salt, but the damage is soo bad. Is there anything else I can do and how did he get this way? Do plecos fight?

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Since it is being picked upon I would say move it to a different tank permanently and if you can't do that then re-home it. The fin damage will repair quickly if no further damage. My Oscar gets a bit moody and goes after my pleco but 3 days later the damage has repaired itself and everyone goes away happy (until the O gets moody again). Common Plecs are very calm and non aggressive, not all plecs are.
 
Yeah, that could be the case. I've got a BN and rubber lip in my 29, and the male BN is getting a tad agressive, even to other fish. Though the rubber lip and BN are not exactly friends, but for the moment its stable.

But yeah, might not want to mix them again, unless the common is larger than the BN.
 
just about all plecos are territorial. unless you brought them home at the same time and acclimated them together while they are small, they are most likely going to fight until one dies.

plecos do not like company from other plecos
 
The bushynose is twice the size of the common. He's pretty much full grown. Thanks for the info.
 
B/N Plecos are territorial about other fish on their turf. I sometimes see mine chasing my African Dwarf Frog when she gets too close to his broken pot cave around beause he thinks that she is another Pleco.
 
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