Common pleco laying on side dying... Please help!!!

[Julieann44]

I have a common pleco (named Plinko) that is nearly 10 years old. He was doing just fine until I did a partial water change two days ago. (have conducted lots of partial water changes over the years with no problems). My sunburst platy died (no other fish in tank), and Now Plinko is laying on his side, his tail is curved, he's not moving, and I'm pretty sure he's (obviously) not eating. His skin doesn't really appear to be cloudy, I don't see any white patches or abnormalities... Except his top fin looks a little ragged. Also, his fins are not closed in close to his body as others have described. He looks pretty normal. I moved him into a huge bowl of fresh water (with aeration but no filter) since I don't have an emergency tank (in the process of moving) and took a sample of the fresh water to petsmart for testing to make sure the water was okay. Ammonia was .5, nitrate levels were both zero, pH was 6.8, alkalinity was 120, hardness was 75, and chlorine / chloramine was zero. The lady at petsmart said that although the pH was a little high, the water was okay. I went ahead and added some PImafix thinking he may have a bacterial infection (saw a post on another site that said this is commonly why plecos lay on their sides). Noticed after I added pimafix that One site said not to use pimafix, as they believed it contains an undisclosed amount of clove oil, which they claim can kill fish if overdosed, but bottle says active ingredient is 1% pimenta racemosa. When I first added Plink to the fresh water, he swam around every now and then upside down, but since the pimafix addition, he hasn't swam at all (others have said pimafix tends to make fish sluggish). Petmsart didn't carry maracyn... Or I would have used it. What should I do??? Please help!!!! Don't know if I need to change water and go get maracyn... Leave him in fresh water.. And/or try to adjust the pH and get ammonia levels down to zero.... Or do you think it's too late to do anything? I've heard it takes plecos a long time to die when they're on their way out. Any advice would be INCREDIBLY appreciated. I've become pretty attached to Plinko... We've been through a lot together!!

 

[BettaFishMommy]

i would not keep him in an unfiltered bowl of water, as the ammonia levels will rise quickly and that will stress him more than he is already. i'd put him back in the tank after doing a good size water change on the tank (at least 50%). other than that i apologize for not having more advice for you, as i've not had to deal with too many fish diseases (knock on wood!).

 

[leeser28]

I firmly believe that the best thing is to give him fresh water and only fresh water. Even .5 of ammonia is bad -- also, what type of water conditioner do you use? Get something like Prime that neutralizes the ammonia and nitrite ions. You may have ammonia coming from your tap -- if your town uses chloramine rather than chlorine that can be a source. I have never had good luck using antibiotics with plecos, and at this point there's nothing to suggest to me that it's an infection - I think it was the water.

 

[Rbishop]

I would do two 50% water changes on your tank and put him back.

It could just be an age thing also, and as he ages the immune system slows and is more susceptable to things that have been there all along.

Your LFS lady is wrong....a 6.8 pH is not high at all.

 

[pinkertd]

:iagree: Your ph is not high whatsoever, neutral is 7.0 so you're lower than neutral. If those really are your correct water parameters, you have ammonia and no nitrate which adds up to a tank not cycled. That .5 of ammonia could have adversely affected him for sure. Plecos are very sensititve to ammonia and nitrite spikes. Keep diluting the ammonia in that tank with large water changes, put him back in and keep testing your water, watching for any ammonia or nitrite spike.