Often, people use aquarium salt to treat this issue, but you can always consult an exotic veterinarian if you have questions. Usually, rapid breathing is caused by some pollutant or toxic in the water. Bristlenose plecos are unique fish with unique needs and preferences. The cause of most of these symptoms stems from the water conditions. I just found my pleco upside down on the gravel. Hopefully, this will never happen in your fish tank. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostomus_plecostomus, https://www.petco.com/content/petco/PetcoStore/en_US/pet-services/resource-center/caresheets/plecostomus.html, Why Is My Goldfish Turning Black? Im blogging mostly about freshwater and saltwater aquariums, fish, invertebrates, and plants. If he's alive and swims away why are you worried? They clean algae, but they make a bigger mess in your tank. Feed food before lights out and he is likely to come out when it is dark to feed. We are a family friendly community with an incredible resource of information for fish owners and enthusiast alike. You can feed the fish foods that are high in fiber to clear it up. Plecos are a type of tropical fish that need a heated tank with a filter. Full Pleco Breeding Guide (Everything You Need to Know). Highly recommend algae wafers. I have seen this behavior once before and today, its happening again. Filtration is crucial to keep your water parameters optimal, as pleco catfish are big polluters. This gave me false readings that my water had hardly any co2 in it. They do generaly but if it is stunted then I would say I lived to its maximum potential given the circumstances. Pleco floating upside down | MyFishTank.Net Forum (Possible Causes). Plecos that like to eat algae such as bristlenose plecos will need to be fed as well. Just keep an eye on him. I don't know what ever happened to him, but he was ONE TOUGH FISH. Cloudy eyes in fish appear as a white cast or film over the eye. Many things can cause stress such as poor water conditions, overcrowded fish tanks, and incompatible tank mates. Injury and stress can also cause cloudy eye issues. He could still be in shock from the move. They take a full breath, in and out, about 6 times a second. Make sure the tank has been cycled before introducing any fish to it so there are no dangerous spikes in the water. People dont monitor the water parameters closely enough, which winds up killing the fish. He said that probably it was aged quite a lot. Ich is a condition that involves the fish being infected by parasites. How long can a Pl*co survive out of water | AquariaCentral.com JavaScript is disabled. I had a pleco who lived out of water for 12 mins! This makes it easier for them to get bacterial infections. My Pleco Is Laying On It's Side Still Breathing But Not Movi Physical damage. It's a common pleco and it' Why is my betta sitting by the heater not moving. He could still be in shock from the move. Youve learned so much about signs that your plecos are dying. This guy lasted about 10 years. Researching before owning your pleco will give you the necessary information and guidance on preventing and treating these issues when they happen because not every fish owner is perfect. It might need a bit more time to get used to its new environment. Plecs are also known to suck the slime coat off goldfish, causing injury and illness to the goldfish. Breeding bristlenose plecos is certainly an exciting thing to do. He also has a white spot on his eye. It can hard to know whether your pleco is stressed, as theyre quite withdrawn fish. Keep reading to know more. In order to keep your Pleco happy, you will need to ensure that the tank is heated and supplied with a filter. One of the most common questions I hear is why do my pleco likes to hide and not come out. Theyre caused by one of the following things: If your pleco has a cloudy eye but acts normal, it will probably go away by itself. What are some signs that your pleco is dying? If the temperature of the water gets too low, then that could kill them. If the fish is unable to move, you'll need to be its gills for a while. Youll want to fix issues with the oxygen levels being too low. But the water parameters are checking out okay. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. Vampire plecos need to be fed meaty foods such as shrimp and snails. Plecos are often misunderstood because they dont like to be shown off, which makes sense given their wild origins. My leopard gecko is not moving and I am really worried Ammonia and nitrites build up then bacteria build up to convert them into something less harmful to fish. You must log in or register to reply here. Unlike cory catfish, which breathe air and for whom its normal to gulp air, plecos dont normally do this. Tap water contains chlorine and chlorimine that are toxic to fish. Theres nothing wrong with a pleco than has a rounded belly (its in fact healthy) but if it looks bloated, this is bad. Although water conditions are the primary cause of these symptoms, low water temperature can also be a cause. When a pleco fish dies in the fish tank, itll stop moving and itll float. if he is acting strange i would try to get him in a small treatment tank with lots of oxygen, dose a general med and salt would be a good start till you can figure out what is wrong with the little fella. Start looking closely at the water parameters so that you can keep the fish safe. Quarantining and giving medicine is the most effective way to cure this disease. If your plecos fins start to rot or decay, it is important to act quickly as this can spread to the fishs body. Ich is very contagious and can be fatal, so removing the sick fish from the tank is important if other fish inhabit the same environment. However, like any fish, they can develop sickness too. All Rights Reserved. Sick goldfish not moving but breathing/alive. Noticing whether your pleco has a sunken in belly can be hard, especially if you dont see it very often. Ensure you follow the package instructions to ensure proper dosing for your fish. Just like any other fish, they need a certain environment to feel good. The assumption is that plecos will simply eat the algae in the tank. How to solve a problem like resuscitating an escaped fish Today he seems very docile. My name is Jeff, and my goal with this site is to share everything I've learned over the years about caring for aquatic life. Htels & Rsidences de tourisme; tablissements recevant du public; Habitats individuels & collectifs; Amnagements extrieurs; Design, Mobilier & Tapisseries If the fish is breathing, its likely that its simply resting. I have never seen any fish go through as much as this guy did for about 10 years and live. If you arent regularly testing the water using a pH balance testing kit, then youre going to have a harder time keeping the fish alive. 11 Signs Your Pleco Is Dying [+ How To Save It], Do Plecos Eat Snails? One of our goldfish is sitting at the bottom of the tank and not moving. The problem may have been caused by the fish swallowing air, so pre-soak the fish food in the future to avoid this problem. There is a possibility that something happened in the tank, though. A pleco might choose to remain very still and stay in the same spot all day. If the pleco is not moving but breathing, then there are several things that could be happening. Pleco upside down and breathing but not moving. Small anekdote: I have a tank of zebra plecos (L46) (the fish that costs $200+ a piece). . You must log in or register to reply here. A lot of pleco types also benefit from driftwood in their tank. Low immune system. When affected by Swim Bladder Disorder fish will often lose the ability to properly swim. Problems such as fin rot and pop eye can be dealt with so that the fish can get better. Wouldn't the fish survive for at least a few days even if it was suffering from a disease? 3. A healthy probably pregnant bristlenose pleco female. Water parameters are good. He is breathing, but he isn't moving. My drop checker had pretty much all of the air OUT of the "exchainge" area, in it's place was water. How to Keep Baby Plecos Alive? 11 Facts You Should Know - WhyPetFish.com My male sits in his cave or in front of it to attract the ladies. Hello, and thanks for visiting Avid Aquarist! If none of the above are the problem then diseases come into play. If an injury is to blame, then it might get better on its own if you keep feeding the fish and monitoring the tank conditions carefully. Barely breathing! Another reason for a pleco not moving is that it is dead. If you dont already have some in your tank, consider putting in some real. Hes in a seperate bowl. There has to be something wrong. Cloudy eye is caused by bacteria and if your pleco is under stress, has had an injury, or lower immune system it can come up. If this is the case do a 25% water change as soon as possible. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Feed food before lights out and he is likely to come out when it is dark to feed. Many plecos are omnivorous, meaning they need both plant-based foods and protein to thrive. When you try to touch the fish, its going to react and swim away. Weve touched on the diet already, but heres some more in-depth information. The water might be dirty or the parameters could be way off of what they should be. Its also possible that nothing is wrong at all. Acclimation is floating the bag and slowly adding tank water to the bag to adjust the fish to your tank water. What are you feeding this little guy? I have another one and don't want to lose both. You also have to keep in mind that theyre nocturnal. Make sure to add plenty of caves and natural hiding spaces if you keep multiple males in the same tank. He is still breathing, but he doesn't move when I approach him, only if I touch him. A filter is a must. Plecos are often wrongfully accused of eating and destroying plants. He may also fall sick due to anxiousness. Fish Lore's aquarium fish forum - aquarium hobbyists helping hobbyists since 2005! The fish could be just fine since its resting during the day. They won't necessarily be dead yet, but they'll be struggling to try to breathe. The first thing you should consider is whether the pleco has died or not. It is an extreme problem with oxygen to have, but it can occur if you don't do a good job maintaining the tank. Quarantining fish is one of the most forgotten things in the hobby. If you give them a variety of hiding spots, a variety of plants, and a variety of tank mates, your pleco will most likely be happier and more active. If you want to know everything about setting up a pleco tank, you can read our full guide on it. If this isnt the case, check your water parameters for a nitrite spike. When one of us would pack it in for a while we would pass this one pleco to another person. I quickly put in an airstone and within 5 minutes they were back to normal. Im not sure if somethings wrong or not. Just as important is what you put in the tank. 2 comments. Ketchup_Turkey 4 yr. ago. How is your pleco doing Vicki? It looks like he is taking his last breaths in only a day and that too without showing any symptoms of any disease. If the fish is not moving, then there are no signs of life, such as breathing or eating, then it has likely died. Checking the tank conditions and monitoring the fishs behavior are things you can do to determine the cause of the swelling. Have you bought the pleco in question within the last week or so? Huge plecos like this need A LOT of broccoli to survive ;). This can be caused by many things, such as poor water conditions, stress, or poor nutrition. As you can tell, its important to treat things as soon as you can. My fish is alive and moving, but isnt breathing? This happened all of a sudden. New pleco -- not moving. Problem? | Tropical Fish Forums He was just hanging there out of the water not moving. It is the most common disease in tropical fish, like plecos, and is likely caused by poor water conditions. There are some cases where the pleco might have been injured by another pet in the tank, but most of the time they will recover on their own. If the pleco is not moving but breathing, then there are several things that could be happening. Plecos are supposed to be fairly hardy fish, other reasons why a pleco might start floating. I found a great deal on a queen arabesque pleco this week, so it's at home now. Home Aquatic Problems & Solutions 7 Signs Your Pleco Is Dying and Needs Attention. from the previous caretakers who did a pretty bad job in taking care of fish so I wouldn't be suprised if it is sick or something like that. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. Check out the FishForums.net Monthly High ammonia and nitrates will cause your fish to lay on its side or lack normal movement around the tank. Aggression in fish leads to erratic swimming and crashing into the tank. Turning white may be a sign your pleco is dying. Paralyzed pleco - Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community Pleco turning white is one of the signs your pleco is dying Temperature, stress, food, environment, water or bullying all can lead to discoloration of plecos and eventually death. The impaired buoyancy in fish is caused by a malfunction of their swim bladder. To revive a dying pleco, perform a big water change and make sure the water parameters are optimal. To have a healthy Pleco fish, owners should keep assessing all these factors and keep maintaining a quality life for the Pleco for it to survive. Pleco catfish don't move a lot he started they're nocturnal. Plecs are tropical fish, and goldfish are coldwater, so they're not compatible unfortunately. My pleco has started acting as if he's on fire! Check to see if anything is causing the fish stress. 7 Signs Your Pleco is Dying and How to Treat - Pet Owners Whatever was wrong has seemed to be fixed as he's now behaving like normal. Checking your tanks levels and temperatures will help you determine if the tanks conditions are unsafe for your pleco. If the fish is hiding among the plants or in a cave and not moving, thats perfectly normal. As per him, he had that pleco for like 3-4 years. Pleco males usually fight to assert dominance and defend their territory. It can get habitual to the routine, and they follow the owner's hand movements. Perhaps it seems lethargic and it might even be laying on its side. Why Did My Pleco Die and How to Prevent the Fish from Dying? You may see this in plecos that don't get enough to eat. They do things at night and youre not going to see them scurrying about much when the sun is out. Many different types of illnesses will make fish feel lethargic. It might help you to figure out how to help the fish by doing some troubleshooting. I feed my Plec bloodworm, cichlid diet, sinking pellets, flakes and he eats algae. Now that weve gone over signs your pleco is dying, the most likely causes and solutions, its time to prevent it from happening in the future. If you can learn how to care for these fish properly, then they shouldnt be dying fast. If your plecos dont seem to be doing so well, then youre probably disheartened. Like fin rot, Ich may appear due to poor tank conditions. Change the Tank Water Frequently. All my knowledge comes from experience and reading forums and a lot of informative sites. 2 - Rotting Fins. You called it a he is it actually male? Therefore, it is important to notice your fishs behaviors when they become sick. I came over to his house about 4 hours later and noticed the plec was missing. If there are no good bacteria, harmful levels of ammonia can build up quickly as plecos produce a lot of waste. Infections can be treated by isolating the sick fish and consulting your vet to determine the proper treatment. 2005-2019 Monsterfishkeepers.com. Very bad water conditions might even directly kill the fish. If the fish is not moving, then there are no signs of life, such as breathing or eating, then it has likely died. Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his familys fish tank. This makes it easier for them to get bacterial infections. Plecos arent known death, although they sometimes sleep on their backs which gives this impression. Then the water got cloudy and that is when they started breathing heavy. Continue reading to learn about reasons why plecos might stop moving. Also having a water test kit for ammonia and nitrite will help greatly in knowing when to do water changes. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. All you need to do is solve the issues that are making the fish sick. Read on to learn about the signs and symptoms, the causes, and treatment options for your pleco. 7 Menacing Signs Your Pleco Is Dying - 2023 - Learn About Pet In general these catfish aren't very demanding when it comes to space requirements since they share bottom levels of tanks or just rest on large plants and, as mentioned above, adult specimens grow to 13 cm in length (approximately 5 inches), moreover females grow smaller than males. I have one Bristlenose Pleco in a 55 gallon aquarium along with some other fish. Fish of the Month, Pet of the Month and more! They like to hide normally so he is quite happy. (Per Species Guide), The 7 Biggest Giant Pleco Species You Didnt Know About, Do Plecos Eat Plants? just keep an eye on him. Threw him in the tank anyway and it survived. They should be living for a very long time under your care. I wouldn't worry too much about yours! This could happen to any fish owner, so it is essential to understand the causes of these symptoms and how to treat them.