Sick pleco, pls help

[Jasper]

This little guy came with my tank when I bought it about 4 years ago. He is very small, just a couple of inches in length and very shy, he almost never comes out from under his wood chunk.

A few days ago I noticed he was out almost constantly in different parts of the tank but always on the ground. Last night I noticed his tail sticking out from under the wood but it didn't look right. I caught him and thought he was dead until I noticed his mouth moving slightly. He is lethargic, doesn't want to right himself and doesn't want to swim even enough to hide. Not eating and his abdomen looks slightly bloated.

My tank parameters were WNL except the nitrates were high so I did a water change today. I did have a pictus cat die last week and the other fish consumed him before I realized I was down one, could this have made him sick?
He has driftwood and I offer him algae wafers every couple days as well.
I will post some pics in a few minutes. He also has a few red streaks/splotches on his abdomen.

Any help is appreciated, I'm really fond of the little bugger.

 

[Jasper]

You can see the red near his fins. I have no idea what kind he is but I have never seen him in any of the local stores around here.

 

[Brengun]

Looks like a L104 clown panaque and yes they are wood/veg eaters.
Have you further checked your nitrates in the tank? Some times it takes several goes at diluting them down and a bit of a gravel vac too to get them under control.
Then you need regular water changes like weekly and more if the tank is highly stocked.

I would say your clown has pigged out on the pictus body and gotten a humungous belly ache from it. Feed him only vegetables for a while or not at all even and go easy on the food for the other fish for a week or two as well.

 

[Jasper]

Thanks. I did a water change today and just checked my numbers. Nitrites are 0, nitrates are 40ppm, pH, 6.0, GH 120, KH 0. Temp is 78. Other inhabitants are a high fin Pleco, a couple angels, 2 ram cichlids and a couple clown loaches. All have been in the tank for a couple years with no problems. I will admit I am not the best with water changes so I will work on that.

My other pleco is trying to eat him so I had to separate him, my only option was to net him and balance the net up towards the top of the tank. I'm not worried about him getting tangled as he isn't moving at all. He(she?) is on a self imposed fast as he is pretty much non-reactive to everything going on around him.

Thanks for letting me know what he is, I looked through the list and figured he was a panaque of some sort.

 

[zeebo]

hi, I know you said he is not eating, but do you think you can get him to eat some de-shelled peas ? Possibly use Garlic guard or similar on the peas to entice him to eat. The peas will help clean him out. Hope he will be ok. Putting him in the net with no hiding places could possibly stess him more,but I am thinking you don't have a q-tank or a fry box you could put him in with an air stone ? Please let us know how he is doing, hoping for the best for him.

 

[Jasper]

I don't have a q-tank or fry box. I might be able to mush some peas up and stuff them in his mouth but I don't want to stress him out any more. He is pretty unresponsive. I was actually pondering putting him back on the bottom of the tank and setting a fine mesh kitchen strainer over him. I am keeping the tank lights off until I can figure something better out.
Is the garlic guard carried at the big box pet stores?

 

[zeebo]

hi Jasper, Brengun is dead on, keep doing wc's to get the nitrates down, and try not to slack off on them, it can rise pretty quick, and lighten up and skip feedings for everyone for a while. If they did pig out on the deceased fish, they are gonna need to clean out, esp fish that cant handle too much protien. As for your sick plec, never tried the mesh basket ,but make sure it is tank safe, stainless steel, and perhaps a rock on top to keep in place,and some hidey stuff in or around it for him to feel safe. Lights off is a good idea while they are mending/recouping .

As for the garlic guard, you can use anything garlic based to entice his appetie, I actually use a product called GVH,which also has vitimins and other healthy goodies in it. Try your lfs and ask for a ''garlic based fish food soak.'' Try this on the mashed peas for him. The peas will also help clean out the other fish too, just make sure you remove any uneaten pcs the next day and replace with new de-shelled the next feeding,otherwise they will get moldy on the bottom and cause more probs.

Pehaps others will have better ideas on the metal basket , i am just not 100% sure about that , and ideas on how to revive your sick guy. Good luck with him.