Newbie here and really need some help!!?

[cardibreza]

Hello!!

Im new to the site and a beginner with plecos, we own what I think is a gold spotted pleco about 7-8 inches long which we have had now for a few months or so. We call him Mr Pleb :lol:

We use to have him in a 3 Foot tank with angel fish, gouramis, tetras and mollies with wood, plants and gravel substrate, use to be fine and loved it, fed him on algae wafers which he really loved.

We previously brought a 4 Foot tank which is 240 litres/53 gallons to house some Malawi Cichlids in, we brought 9 yellow labs, 3 c.afras, 3 yellow tail aceis, 3 red zebras and a cuckoo catfish. The tank has fine sand substrate, coral rock, vase for hiding, pebbles, fake plants and real plants.

We set the tank up with a internal filter at first and Mr Pleb went in before we brought the cichlids and he found it alright, hid in the vase and up behind the coral rock, couple of weeks later we put the cichlids in and still everything was fine, he was still eating etc.

We hunted for an external filter and managed to come across a Fluval 405 some guy was selling.. we got it home gave it a rinse out, got new media and set it up. Hey presto!

2 or so days later we noticed that Mr Pleb wasnt quite right and started to 'twitch/hiccup/spasm' we left him for 24 hours and noticed he was still doing it and wasnt eating, my other half did a water test and everything was fine, the PH level was at about 8 though because of the cichlids so we moved him into our other tank with wood, plants etc.

We also found out the guy who had the filter before us had it set up on a marine tank so dont know if any left over salt may have got in the tank and affected him?

Unfortunately he is still not moving, eating and still 'twitching' we have tried moving him and he isnt struggling or anything and have checked him all over and havnt found anything like parasites, only that his fins have become more torn.

I have a pic and a video of him, he hasnt moved and been 'twitching' for about 3 or 4 days now, we dont know what to do or what it could be, any help would be much appreciated. All other fish are doing fine.

[ame="http://s367.photobucket.com/albums/oo111/cardibreza/?action=view&current=VIDEO0001.mp4"]VIDEO0001.mp4 video by cardibreza - Photobucket[/ame]

 

[Doodles]

Hi

What were the water parameters when you checked them and what was the PH of the tank he was in before the tank that was 8?
When you last saw plec poop, what colour was it?
What exactly did he eat before he started the hiccuping?

He shouldn't really be in a tank with a PH that high, plecos generally come from much lower ph and softer waters.


Im moving this to health forum.

 

[macvsog23]

Sadly a good example of why not to mix fish that nature did not mix.
I suspect the unseeded filter has produced so little aerobic bacteria that his gut is damaged.

Filters need around 3 to 4 weeks to seed any attempts to add fish to a tank with an unseeded filter are doomed.
Sadly we have many chances to get it right the fish has one.
The fin damage in the photo is from the Malawi Cichlids they will rip the **** out of him over territory.



I hope the fish survives.

Regards Bob

 

[froggie]

Malawi Cichlids 9 yellow labs, 3 c.afras, 3 yellow tail aceis, 3 red zebras and a cuckoo catfish and Mr Pleb, sounds like you overstocked a new uncycled tank

You might as well take out all the live plants or the Malwis will do it for you

 

[Irene0100]

oh dear! i dont give much for his chances. Ph will be far too high for him. coral rock will make water hard, which I suppose the chiclids want.
do you still have the 3 ft tank?
could you set it up for him?
get some biostart to help the filter get established quicker.?

 

[GrubbyGirl]

What a sad sight, all due to ignorance. As Irene says get him back into the 3ft tank back with the Angels and Gourami's that is his only hope I fear

 

[foti]

Hello and welcome to Pp everything you have done is fine i just would like to know with your new filter did you rum it together with your other filtration ?
reason i ask is a filter to work at bracking down the bio load nedds bacteria.

as for him not eating i guess he is stressed from all his endevers
(meaning from one a tank that has a big bio load with not good filtration "if not cycled" and a high ph of 8 to a tank that is a lower ph maybe different temp?)

my sugestion is to feed him at night/lights out some de=sheld peas that are covered in garlic

i tend to boil water dice then smash garlic poor the water in the plate/boil just a bit to mix the garlic and soften the peeled peas which i leave in there for about 5 to 10 mins

garlic is good for the gut and fish love it/ attracted by the sent

fish can go weeks without eating dont stress out to much dont stress the fish and i wish you and the fish all the best,

the fin is fine it will grow back

i know you must be worried but that is all you can do
mainly all you should do for if you move him/her again it is more than likely to die straght away

you might want to tank some water from both of your tanks to a fish store and ask them to test them both for everything!

i sugest 20% water change in your cichlid tank 3 times a week for about 2 or 3 weeks to insure a health aquarium.

keep us up dated

best of luck,
Foti,