My favorite fish in the tank is a huge placo I call him XXX (Triple X) because he is tough and cool and just awesome. I have had him about four years, he is about a foot long at least. He is handsome and usually hangs out under a large piece of drift wood in our 125 gallon tank. We have two convicts, one chiclid who is young, and two very large oscars who occupy the opposite side of the tank usually. He is tough enough if they try to mess with him, he just raises his top fin and does this aggressive splash and everyone leaves him alone. We have a huge canister filter the N500 and also a three panel undergravel filter because of the huge amount of trash the oscars cause throwing half their food out of their mouth. Since we got the nice canister filter, XXX had been a little grumpy but we started supplementing with algae waffers and he has been happy again. He sort of rules the tank, hes been there the longest. Anyway today I found him floating face up or belly up in the water on the oscars side looking dead, but he had done this before to eat and skim left overs, so that is not uncommon. but then he tried to swim to the bottom and drifted back up, then on his side and then belly up, chocked out some water and splashed down the bottom, stayed there looking alright for a couple of hours and then went floating long ways mid tank. He is dying but I do not know what to do. Do I put him in hospital tank and give him epson salt, or all cure or what, is it curable. Someone told me something about them inflating their bellys and not being able to stay down and its terminal. I cant find anything about it on the internet and I just want to know can I save my beautiful guy or do I just have to watch him die slow. He seems to be breathing but he has a couple of wounds from the oscars not liking him floating right above their area for a bit, but i do not think they are terminal wounds just nips, warnings. They have all been tank mates for over two years maybe even three so its not that they were fighting or not liking each other. Please help, if you know what I can do advise and I will do anything to save him, I grew him from a little two inch fish from walmart to the beautiful guy he is. I am moving so I dont have a pic of him but found one that looks similar to him. Mine is a few inches bigger and more full then this one but they are the same type exactly. Please help, someone, anyone??!!
My pleco is dying but not sure if of what!!! Freaking out
- Thread starter jewels
- Start date
Have you been feeding anything different?
How long has it been since you changed filters?
Did you change how often you change water? How often do you change water?
Did you cycle the new filter when putting it in?
Sounds like bloat. Has it been piping normally? Bloat can be from too much meaty foods as a result from housing it with the cichlids or from poor water conditions.
How long has it been since you changed filters?
Did you change how often you change water? How often do you change water?
Did you cycle the new filter when putting it in?
Sounds like bloat. Has it been piping normally? Bloat can be from too much meaty foods as a result from housing it with the cichlids or from poor water conditions.
It does sound like bloat. Can you partition he off from floating over the oscars territory?
I would throw some dissolved epsoms salts in, at worst it will only sent the gH up and it might just be enough to help remove the blockage.
I would throw some dissolved epsoms salts in, at worst it will only sent the gH up and it might just be enough to help remove the blockage.
try feeding peas with skin off, at this helps bloat. I would do a warm water change , also make sure oxygen level is high (remove overgrown plants , add air stone, etc)