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FAQs on Loricariids, South and Central
American Suckermouth Cats 1: Infectious Disease
(Virus, Bacterial, Fungal)
FAQs on "Pleco" Disease:
Loricariid Disease 1,
Loricariid Disease 2,
Loricariid Disease 3,
Loricariid Disease 4,
FAQs on "Pleco" Disease by Category:
Diagnosis,
Environmental,
Nutritional (e.g. HLLE),
Social,
Parasitic (Ich, Velvet...),
Trauma,
Treatments,
Related Articles:
Loricariids,
Otocinclus, From Pan-ack-ay to Pan-ack-zee, A
Detailed Look at the Bizarre But Beautiful Panaque
Catfishes by Neale Monks
Related Loricariid Catfish FAQs: Loricariids 1,
Loricariids 2,
Loricariid
Identification, Loricariid
Behavior, Loricariid
Compatibility, Loricariid
Selection, Loricariid Systems,
Loricariid Feeding,
Loricariid Reproduction,
Other Loricariid Genera: FAQs on:
Ancistrus,
Baryancistrus, Genera
Farlowella, Loricaria, Sturisoma,
Rhineloricaria: Twig Plecostomus, Genera
Glyptoperichthys,
Liposarcus, Otocinclus, Pterygoplichthys, Sailfin Giants
among the Loricariids, The Zebra
Pleco, Hypancistrus zebra,
Hypostomus,
Peckoltia: Clown
Plecostomus, Lasiancistrus,
Panaque,
Pseudacanthicus,
Scobanancistrus, L-number catfish,
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Bristlenose Plecos sick 7/8/18
Hello, I really appreciate your attention in this time of need. I have been
struggling with this and come to no solution - would not want to risk more
damage, so I feel I need experienced help. I have been into aquaria for three
months only. I set up a 150-liter tank, with two juvenile (3 cm) Bristlenose
Plecos, 6 gold barbs, 3 corys, two snails, some shrimp (of which 2 survived) and
later one xypho. I used JBL Manado for a substrate, which is just finely rough.
I have used Aquael 3 plus as a filter, one that is nominally capable of
filtering up to 250 l. First, I lost lots of shrimp due to an ammonia peak. 2
corys got fin rot, which I treated. They lost most of their barbells though.
Later, I used some sand that I got from a creek - this caused algae and
agitation in the fish, so I got it out.
Everything seemed fine, except for the algae. For that, I got two SAEs, reduced
the lighting, scheduled a siesta, and all was fine. Then, suddenly my two SAEs
died (haemorrhaging around one gill in one of them, haemorrhaging on the belly
in the other), and my other fish got sick. Since I read a slight ammonia peak,
and people told me the filter was insufficient for a substrate tank, I added an
external filter with 1 liter of Sera Siporax, and ammonia and nitrites came down
to 0. The sickness didn't go away though. Most symptoms - sudden movements,
rubbing against object, torn fins in the Plecos, redness in part of the body,
weight loss - pointed to flukes, so I treated that - first by universal
solutions with formalin and such, then with Praziquantel, taking the Nerite
snail to a smaller tank (other invertebrates are fine).After 2 weeks, after a
treatment with Prazi repeated on day 6 and 7 there is no improvement in my
Plecos (see the pictures - redness in varius spots, weights loss, ripped fins,
large reduction of movement). The corys have a slight rosiness on their bellies,
the barbs a more pronounced one, and are all unhappy. Could they have a
different parasite? Could it be bacterial? Could it be just starving (no algae)
in the Plecos and a natural behaviour in the others? I have no nitrate test, but
have lots of filtration now and a large external plant sucking up nitrates
having its roots in the water...I deeply appreciate your help. best Aron
<Looks like an opportunistic bacterial infection, likely caused by the ammonia
peak. As always, avoid 'general' cures as these simply waste time. Formalin is
toxic, while Praziquantel is specifically for treating worms, for which there's
no evidence here. The fact it's the catfish generally that are struggling is a
good clue that the problem is environmental. Rough gravel can scratch catfish
and loaches, and poor water movement along the bottom of the tank means a lack
of oxygen, which means scratches quickly become infected with opportunistic
bacteria such as Aeromonas and Pseudomonas. These cause inflammation of the skin
and ultimately the death of skin tissue, especially around the fins and
whiskers. The disappearance of the barbels on your Corydoras is an extremely
reliable sign that this is the problem. So bottom line, review the aquarium! Is
the gravel nice and smooth? Ideally, use smooth silica sand. Also remember some
'plant friendly' substrates are too sharp for catfish. Next up, ensure there's a
good strong flow of water along the bottom. Plenty of oxygen needed! Once these
issues are reviewed and fixed, then a standard issue anti-Finrot medication
(such as eSHa 2000) should do the trick nicely. Cheers, Neale.>
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Re: re: Bristlenose Plecos sick 7/9/18
Dear WWM, dear Neal, thank you for the kind answer. I will look into this.
best Aron
<Glad to help, and good luck! Neale.>
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Genetic defect/health query- Albino Bristlenose
7/20/13
Howdy,
<Hi there>
I have noticed in my Albino bristle nose brood that one has a puffy looking
enlarged mid-section, I was wondering whether it could be a genetic defect
or whether there was something I could do to assist him/her.
<Mmm>
S/he has been this way for months.
<Unusual...>
I have attached a photo. If you are able to assist, please advise me of your
thoughts.
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Tania
<This grossly appears to be some sort of bacterial/microbial infection
(internal); but as you state it's been this way for half a year... Perhaps
genetic/developmental. I would leave this fish and all else as is. Bob
Fenner>
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Re: Genetic defect/health query- Albino Bristlenose
7/20/13
Thanks Bob, this fella has been this way since s/he was quite small.
<Yes; as I understood you. Am asking Neale Monks here to respond
separately. BobF>
Cheers,
Tania
Genetic defect/health query- Albino Bristlenose
/Neale 7/20/13
Howdy,
I have noticed in my Albino bristle nose brood that one has a puffy looking
enlarged mid-section, I was wondering whether it could be a genetic defect
or whether there was something I could do to assist him/her.
<A good varied diet with fresh algae will help clear any constipation. You
might also try using Epsom salt, which is an effective laxative for fish and
completely safe. If used with an antibiotic can also help with early stage
Dropsy.>
S/he has been this way for months. I have attached a photo. If you are able
to assist, please advise me of your thoughts. Thank you.
Kind regards,
Tania
<Do read here...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/gldfshmalnut.htm
Suspect constipation may be an issue, often is with herbivorous fishes.
Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Genetic defect/health query- Albino Bristlenose
7/21/13
Thanks again Bob, Neale suggested we change the feeding and we will try
some blanched skinless peas. Can't hurt to try!
<Ah yes>
Cheers,
Tania
<And you; BobF>
Re: Genetic defect/health query- Albino Bristlenose
7/21/13
Hi Neale,
Thank you for your advice. We'll give the peas a try.
Cheers,
Tania
<Most welcome and bon chance! Cheers, Neale.>
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Red blood cysts 12/22/11
So i have a yearling Pleco and i noticed his tail had
these red bubbles at the end of his tail. So when i went to check it
out his tail was slimy and it had little white things under it. His
tail is getting more and more
ripped. I was just wondering if you knew what it is and how to treat
it.
Thanks so much, Emily
<Sounds like a bacterial infection, e.g., Finrot. So, what's the
environment like? How big is the tank? What sort of filtration are you
using? Plecs are extremely hardy animals, but they do have minimum
requirements in terms of aquarium size and filtration. Cheers,
Neale.>
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Odd growth on my Pleco's mouth
10/25/10
Hi there, I'm hoping you can help me.
Roughly a week ago I noticed this fluffy looking growth on the
edge of one of my Pleco's mouths. I'm not sure how long
it's been there but it doesn't appear to have grown any
over the last 7 days. My other Pleco is unaffected and the one
with the growth is still eating and behaving normally. The rest
of the tankmates detailed below are also fine. Any help or advice
would be much appreciated.
Tank 200 litres
Temp 25 C
pH 7.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates <5mg/l
2 Plecos, 2 small angels, 5 red wag platys, 6 Scissortails, 5
zebra/pearl Danios, 2 African dwarf frogs, 4 japonica shrimp
Many thanks in advance
Claire
<Hello Claire. First things first, your aquarium will soon be
much too small for your Plec, which is a Common Suckermouth,
Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus. While I doubt that's the
reason why this chap is sick, in the long term water quality
problems are going to stress your other livestock. Plus, two
Common Suckermouth will rarely cohabit in a tank this small, and
often they fight, in some cases causing such damage the weaker
fish dies. As for what precisely is going on here, well, your
Plec has some sort of growth, but whether it's viral or
bacterial is hard to say. Either way, it's likely to be
"benign" in the sense of not causing any immediate
health problems, but on the other hand there's no particular
cure for these
sorts of things outside of a trip to the vet for surgery and
suitable wound cleaning and antibiotics. It may heal in time,
given optimal environmental conditions and a balanced diet. One
last thing Claire, please do note that we ask for images to be
resized down to 500 KB each, rather than the 3 MB images you
sent, presumably fresh from the camera. Big files clog up our
e-mail allowance and cause other people's messages to be
bounced back.
Cheers, Neale.>
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Re: Odd growth on my Pleco's mouth
10/25/10
Dear Neale, Many thanks for the very quick reply and the helpful
info. I plan on getting another, larger tank and will now do that
sooner rather than later. I'm obviously pleased that the
growth is likely benign as I'd hoped that would be the case.
With regards to the file size of the photos I must apologise. I
had put them from camera into the computer and had a set with
reduced size as well as the originals. I sent you the wrong ones.
I will be more careful should I need to send pics again. Many
thanks again for your help. Claire
<Glad to help, Claire, and no harm done. Good luck,
Neale.>
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Bristlenose with fungus? 08/04/09
Hi,
<Hello Kate,>
I have a Bristlenose Pleco who has been sharing a 40-gallon aquarium
with a handful of African cichlids for the past 3 years. They normally
get along quite well; the cichlids ignore the Pleco (but maybe
there's a first time for everything...), and he usually stays out
of sight in a cave among the rocks during the day.
<Ancistrus are at risk of being harmed when kept with the more
aggressive African cichlids, particularly Mbuna.>
I had noticed that algae had been building up on the glass over the
past few days, but I assumed the Pleco was holding out for an algae
cookie, as he tends to do - he's a bit spoiled in that respect!
This evening, when I moved the rocks around to do my weekly water
change & vacuum the gravel, I was horrified to discover that the
Pleco's snout was a mottled pale colour, and that his bristles were
almost all gone. His snout also has a coating of some fuzzy white stuff
that looks like fungus. He usually scuttles out of the way when I clean
the tank, but this time he barely moved. He looks awful!
<Assuming it's fungus, which looks like white cotton wool
threads, treat accordingly.>
I had some Maracyn (about a year old - is this ok?) on hand, so I dosed
the tank with that,
<Unlikely to cure Fungus. The same goes for Melafix (tea-tree oil).
You do need a genuine anti-fungal medication.>
and I added a bit of extra aquarium salt as well.
<Don't. Salt won't help, and some African cichlids, such as
Mbuna, may develop bloating when exposed to saline conditions.>
All of the water parameters are normal.
<As in...? I need numbers, not judgments! Fungus is caused either by
poor water quality or physical damage. So, check firstly you have 0
ammonia and 0 nitrite. Secondly, think about the companions. Some
African cichlids are harmless enough when kept with Ancistrus, notably
Kribs. But Mbuna would be a very bad choice of tankmates, since
they'd persistently nip and buffet these poor catfish, causing
physical damage.>
I realize that a separate tank would probably be best, but my old
10-gallon tank is in storage and doesn't have a proper cover (and
with a new kitten in the house, this just spells disaster). Is it ok to
continue dosing the main tank? Is the treatment even worth it?
<Yes. Fungus clears up pretty well.>
The Pleco seems to be in really bad shape and I don't want him to
suffer needlessly if it's a lost cause.
<Well, the "suffer needlessly" bit assumes you're
going to euthanise a fish in a way that doesn't cause pain. See
here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/euthanasia.htm
>
Thanks for any advice you can provide,
KW
<Cheers, Neale.>
Plecostomus Question 10/5/08
I have reviewed a ton of websites regarding my plecostomus.
<Oh?>
I have had him for ~ 3 years and he has been? very healthy. Just
recently I noticed near his tail fin a small (about the size of a
pencil eraser) area of white/pink, almost bubble-like tissue.
<Hmm... would assuming from the colour/texture this is some sort of
external, opportunistic bacterial and/or fungal infection. Would begin
by assuming this to be the case, and treat with Maracyn.>
I went to the fish store and tried to describe the area and he told me
to just watch it for now OR try to "pick it off!"
<No... more likely to expose healthy tissue, making things
worse.>
Unfortunately, besides the fact that this information does not sound
right, even if I wanted to I could never catch that fish!? It
doesn't look anything at all like Ick, so I don't know if its a
mass of some type or something I should be treating.
<Yes; also review water quality and water chemistry
stability.>
He lives in a 72 gallon tank with 4 parrot fish.
<Sounds busy, but assuming you have decent filtration, should be
fine.>
Any thoughts or ideas?
Brenda
<Cheers, Neale.>
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Fungus on Pleco's head? 8/29/08
Hello,
<Ave,>
I have a Pleco who is about 12" long. I'm not sure of
type or age since he was given to me. He is very healthy and
looks great except for his nostril. I think it is a nostril on
top of his head. It looks like it was full of a pink, flesh
colored worm. I have treated with an Ick and anti fungus
medicine.
<Could be Fungus, but equally likely Finrot or Mouth Fungus
(this isn't actually a fungus despite the name). Need to
treat with a combination Finrot/Fungus medication such as Maracyn
or eSHa 2000. Do remember to remove carbon when medicating. A
photograph would help us confirm.>
I have also done a good water change and am using metaflax.
<Melafix is pretty useless.>
The longer it goes, the more this pink pop-corn looking stuff
keeps coming up out of the hole.
<Probably decaying organic matter, or pus to put it another
way. Needs fixing, fast.>
Can you tell me what this is and how to get rid of it?
Chris
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Fungus on Pleco's head? 09/07/08 Thank you for
your quick response. Although things are not better. Sunday I
started a treatment of Maroxy from Mardel. <Don't know
this product, and looking over the list of ingredients it
isn't one I'd recommend. With fungal infections and
certain bacterial infections looking so similar, you want
something that zaps them both. Hence Maracyn (in the US) or eSHa
2000 (in the EU) are my standard recommendations.> I also gave
3 treatments of Tetracycline tablets. <Do you mean
Tetracycline? Again, not a recommendation I'd make (had
made). There's a reason we recommend specific medicines: from
experience, we know they work. While there's nothing to stop
you experimenting with other medications, I have no more idea if
they'll work than you do!> I also kept the tank in the
dark since when I did a water change, I had fuzzy little pieces
floating around. <Could be anything! Whatever they are, siphon
out.> Today, I have taken the tank down and cleaned and re-set
up. <Not what I'd do. When you're treating fish, you
need to avoid causing problems by stressing the fish or upsetting
the biological filter. Stirring the gravel and doing a decent
water change prior to dosing the tank on Day 1 of treatment is
fine, but after that leave it alone. The medication is often
designed to be used over a series of days, and the people who did
this assume you're NOT doing water changes in between. By
altering things by removing water you're going to throw the
medication off track.> In the process, I tried to pick the
fungus off his head...now it is bleeding and only a small part
came off. <I bet. Don't do this. Just like your mom said
when you grazed your knee -- don't pick at it! Secondary
infections set in because the skin is damaged; by picking at the
skin you're exposing more of the delicate tissues under the
skin, making things worse.> What now? <Grab either Maracyn
or eSHa 2000 depending on where you live. Don't mess about
with other medications. We know these medications work! Dose and
use EXACTLY as the leaflet says. Do not alter anything through
the treatment. Make sure there is no carbon in the filter. If
this catfish is on its own, don't feed it while treating;
that'll keep the water a bit cleaner.> Chris <Hope this
helps. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Fungus on Pleco's head? 9/20/08
Hello
Today is the 19th and I have done the treatment that you
recommended. do you think this looks good? It is getting
bigger.
<That's actually pretty nasty, and looks like an ulcer,
seemingly coincident with the nostril. If Maracyn isn't
working, switch to Maracyn 2 (Minocycline). These two medications
have complimentary actions, one working on gram-positive
bacteria, the other gram-negative. In other words, if Maracyn
doesn't work, Maracyn 2 should do.>
Also, I have another 55 gallon tank that is overrun with bright
green, furry algae. I have tried everything to get rid of it -
closed tank for months and have taken it down, cleaned and put
back. What do you recommend? Chris
<I'm guessing these is Blue-green Algae. This stuff looks
like slimy, matted threads, and can have a dark blue-green
colour. When removed from the water it has a very distinctive
musty smell. Anyway, it's impossible to "eliminate"
unless you fix the conditions in the tank. Blue-green Algae (BGA)
is almost always a sign of three things: poor water circulation,
high nitrate/phosphate concentration, and direct sunlight. Could
easily be two or three of these. Often a real pest in
overstocked, under-filtered tanks. Review, and act accordingly.
The stuff could be Red Algae. Despite this name, freshwater
varieties are green! Anyway, doesn't have the same smell as
BGA and looks more like turf or long (often dark blue-black)
threads. Most commonly infests solid objects and around the edges
of plant leaves. Again, plague levels of Red Algae are difficult
to fix because nothing much eats it vigorously, though Siamese
Algae Eaters and a few other species will peck at minor
infestations sufficiently well to keep them in check. The only
100% reliable way to control Red Algae is to provide intense
lighting and use lots of fast-growing plant species. Somehow, and
no-one really understands why, fast-growing plants have a
strongly negative effect on these types of algae. Ensuring the
nitrate/phosphate level is low will also help, particularly if
you manually remove Red Algae on sight. It's worth mentioning
that none of the fish or snails sold as "algae eaters"
have much use in controlling outbreaks of either Red or
Blue-Green Algae. Controlling algae is almost entirely about
getting the environment right, in particular by balancing the
fish with healthy, fast-growing plants. Cheers, Neale.>
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Re: Pleco? Hlth...
9/29/08
Hello it's me again. My Pleco still looks no better and
I've done the treatment twice...just wait a little
longer?
<If you've tried Maracyn, try switching to Maracyn 2.
These two drugs treat different sets of bacteria, so often when
Maracyn fails, Maracyn 2 works. Certainly do a water change
between starting a different medication.>
thanks for your help Chris
<Cheers, Neale.>
Pleco head -10/28/08 Hi I've
been speaking with Neale about a Pleco with some kind of growth
on his head. The water is fine, he is acting fine but the growth
has not went away. I have tried 2 5-day treatments of Maracyn and
Maracyn 2. It is in his nostril and has ripped it open. the ulcer
itself looks like fleshy, popcorn. Any suggestions? Chris <Hi
Chris. If I recall correctly, the nostril has been infected. On
the plus side, on fish the nostrils don't connect to anything
important, so the infection isn't likely to be fatal. But the
infection will certainly take a long time to fade away; the dead
tissue will need to fall away, and then the wound close up. This
will surely take some months. Antibacterial medications are the
best you can do to speed things up, so far as I can judge. Use
them carefully and not excessively (wait a few weeks to a month
after one treatment and then decide if it needs to be used
again). You're essentially trying to make sure things
don't get worse, and then wait for the fish's immune and
repair systems to put right the damage. Cheers, Neale.>
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| Mystery bumps on edges of Pleco fins (plus some
other random questions involving goldfish) 12/30/07 Happy
holidays to the WWM crew! <Thanks!> Thanks again to Neale for
the helpful responses a few weeks ago -- Ginger the goldfish seems
to have more or less recovered from the whole ordeal and has been
back in the main [35g] tank for a couple weeks - Fancy (the little
Ryukin) seemed quite happy to have Ginger back, if that's
possible... though I'm wondering if Ginger is really male and
Fancy a female, after reading the FAQs on fish sexing? <Goldfish
are difficult to sex outside of breeding condition; in breeding
condition, males develop very obvious white spots (tubercles) on
their heads.> There was quite a bit of "tail bumping"
and not-overly-intense chasing of Fancy by Ginger yesterday, which
seems to have resulted in a tail tasting -- I assume the small
'ribbon' of missing tail will heal up uneventfully, but
will it regrow? <Fin should grow back, though possibly a
different colour.> I'll keep an eye on the tear to make sure
no infection/fungus takes hold, and continue to maintain the water
change/testing schedule for now. Fancy seems otherwise content and
isn't having any trouble swimming. A photo of the 2
(Ginger's the orange one, Fancy's the calico; the arrows
point to the tear in Fancy's tail, and what I suspect are
'breeding stars' on Ginger?): http://appj.com/photos/fish/gingerfancy.jpg
<Looks like Ginger is indeed a male. The give-away is if the
pattern of white spots on each side of the head looks about the
same. Ick (Whitespot) never does.> [Grr... my stupid webmail
client just ate the detailed paragraph I wrote on my Pleco... for
lack of energy, here's an abbreviated version, below] <Oh
dear.> My Pleco (Hypostomus sp?) has some strange,
whitish-clearish-fleshy, gelatinous growths on the edge of the left
ventral fin and the top of the caudal fin. The small bump on the
tail fin appeared several days ago, but seemed smaller the last
couple days and hasn't really changed much. The Pleco's
still eating/moving normally, but was cleaning the front glass this
evening despite the aquarium light being on -- not completely
normal for him. That's when I noticed that a much bigger
cauliflower bump had appeared on the edge/underside of another fin
in the last day. There's no apparent injury underlying these
bumps, which "saddle" the outer edge of a fin. There had
been a bit of a spat between the Pleco and Fancy over a particular
algae wafer last night (despite the other 2 identical wafers next
to it in the tank!), so maybe the stress of that exacerbated
whatever condition this is:
http://appj.com/photos/fish/plecobump.jpg <Hmm... could be
Lymphocystis, a viral disease with no cure other than time. Rarely
fatal, but does take a long time (potentially many months to a
couple years) to clear up. Fairly convincingly ascribed to less
than perfect water quality issues. Lympho tends to be an issue with
"advanced" fish, so this may in fact be more akin to Fish
Pox, an equivalent disease found on carps.> Currently, there are
no bumps quite like this on any other fish, though Ginger has had a
small whitish bump/discoloration "in" her/his tail for
several weeks now. I'm guessing it's unrelated, unless
it's some sort of viral thing? I'm hoping the Crew may have
a potential diagnosis / treatment recommendation. <Does sound
similar. Either way, these sorts of cysts/tumours/warts can't
be treated directly except by improving water quality. Do make sure
conditions are otherwise optimal. Since Plecs are tropical fish, do
make sure the temperature is adequate.> Thanks in advance :) -
Jen [p.s. see "goldfish 911 (lethargic, anorexic)" FAQ
thread from a couple weeks ago, for more setup/background info]
[p.p.s. I'll be writing again soon with some questions on the
new 125g tank I just purchased for my aquatic critters - too
exciting!] <Hope this helps, Neale.> |
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Pleco L260 w/ Fungus... real
"Fix"es 10/21/07 Hello, I have a
Queen Arabesque Pleco, my daughter has named Darling, in a 44 gal
planted tank. All of the Nitrates, Nitrites, Ph Levels are where
they should be. The temp of the tank is 79ish. There are a School
of Tetra (15 members), Rasboras (5 members), 2 shrimp, and a
Clown Pleco also in residence in the tank. Everyone else seems to
be ok. I noticed a couple of small non-symmetrical whitish fuzzy
spots on one side (only on her right side) of the Queen (located
at the tip of her tail, on the shaft of her tail and on her
side). I talked to a couple of fish guys, to get ideas on
treatment. I was told that is sounds like Fungus and told me to
use MelaFix and PimaFix (they would not hurt the other tank
mates). The tank has been in treatment for 6 days (as of
10/20/07). I also got on the web to see what I could find. My
conclusion is that she has fungus. These do not seem to be
working. Her fuzzy spots seem to be getting larger and now she
seems to have a film covering a portion of her side. She is still
active and her belly looks like she is eating. What types of
cures are there to use. I do not have a quarantine/treatment tank
to put her in. So I will have to treat the whole tank. I also
have "Ich Attack" by Kordon, which is 100% organic and
treats diseased caused by Ich, Fungus, Protozoans and
Dinoflagellates. Which I have yet to use out of fear of killing
the others. Ich Attack does not speak to its use on Plecos or
scaleless fish. MelaFix and PimaFix say they are safe for Plecos.
Can you help me please! Sincerely Steve <Steve, most of us
here at WWM consider Melafix and Pimafix a waste of time. They
may have some value against minor infections or as prophylactics
where fish are slightly damaged but not infected with Finrot or
fungus. But as a treatment against established Finrot and fungus,
they have limited and very variable usefulness. For treating
fungus I would be using a standard anti-fungal medication. I
happen to like eSHa 2000, a Dutch medication widely sold here in
the UK and in my experienced perfectly safe with sensitive fish.
I have used in several times in tanks containing things like
pufferfish as well as numerous different types of catfish
(Corydoras, Synodontis, and Panaque, in this case a Royal Plec,
but the same genus as your Clown Plec). If you can get this
medication in your country, then definitely try it out. One thing
I like about eSHa 2000 is that it treats Finrot, Fungus, and
Mouth Fungus simultaneously, removing the need to diagnose these
different but easily confused infections. There are other
medications that will also work against all three (Interpet
Anti-Fungus and Finrot, Seachem ParaGuard etc.). Ask your
retailer. If you stick with Melafix and Pimafix, I'm
concerned (read: certain) your catfish will simply die. The whole
"medications are bad for catfish" discussion seems to
be very ambiguous, and largely based on old fashioned medications
less commonly used. Many brands of medication will specifically
say "safe on sensitive fish" or similar, and these are
worth using. I can only speak from experience, which is that used
properly, medications don't seem to have harmed any catfish
I've looked after. Do remove carbon from the filter, and
don't forget to increase aeration. Have a read of the catfish
disease FAQs: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/catfshdisfaqs.htm
. Cheers, Neale>
Re: Pleco L260 w/ Fungus
10/21/07 Neale, Thanks for the info. I am running out this
morning to try to obtain some new Meds. She has even got worse
since I sent my original email. I will update you either way on
the outcome. Lets hope it is a good one. She is a beautiful fish
and a member of the family. Thanks again and Cheers, Steve
<Steve, catfish are basically tough, so you have a wide window
of opportunity to turn things around. Treat swiftly, keep tabs on
the water quality, increase aeration, and pray to the Fish Gods.
Yes, these big Loricariid catfish can become "one of the
family". My Panaque has been with me since I graduated,
which is substantially longer than any of my girlfriends! And in
their own way, they do become tame and even friendly. So it's
worth making an effort with them. Good luck, Neale>
Re: Pleco L260 w/ Fungus 11/4/07
Neale, After 15 plus days of treatment with meds, it looks as if
the Queen Arabesque has come through with her fight with fungi.
She seems to have a scar on her tail were the worst patch was.
However, she is eating and totally active, with no signs of fungi
for a few days. I could not find eSHa 2000; however, I was able
to pick up some Seachem ParaGuard. It took awhile to work, but
everyone in the tank seems to be OK. Knock on wood!!! I cannot
thank you enough. So thanks again and stay well, cheers, Steve
<Hello Steve. I'm glad things are working out. I've
seen Plecos recover from the most amazing injuries. They are
tough old birds! So provided you keep the water sweet and the
diet offered the fish nice and varied, your fish should do well.
Please do keep us posted! Good luck, Neale>
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Infect-a-Plec - 10/22/2006 Hi: I would appreciate if someone
could have a quick look at the attached two photos of one of my two
Plecostomus who has over the last month developed an increased white
coating to the head region. None of the other fish in the tank
including the other Plec have any such signs. Is this fungal,
bacterial? Thank you, Tom <Ouch! Your fish is in bad shape. I would
start with pristine water in a QT tank. Then treat for a bacterial
infection. I would also add about two to three tbls of aquarium salt
per 10 gallons of water. Under no circumstances should you treat in the
main tank. Doing so will nuke the beneficial bacteria needed to control
your water quality. An ammonia spike is the last thing your Plec needs
right now. Good Luck, Don>
Sick Sailfin - 10/22/2006 We have a Sailfin Plec who is very
poorly. He seems to have developed some sort of
fungus/disease (I thought it was the disease 'Velvet' at first)
which has made large parts of his body discolored, almost red raw and
what must be extremely sore. There are approx 3 whitish
'eaten away' marks on his body and he has redness along his
fins, tail and top lip as well as near the white marks. He has lived
happily and problem free for a number of years in our tank and has
always been a hardy fish so we are upset at watching him decline in
this way and are feeling quite helpless. He has been lying on the
bottom upside down breathing quite rapidly and seems to be stressed.
We were told to try applying sea salt to his wounds which we
did approx 4 days ago where his condition seemed to improve but now
seems to have taken a downward turn. No other fish in the
tank are effected (we also have Corydoras, tetra and silver
dollars) and we are at a loss at what to do. We have also changed
approx 50% of the water following the salt treatment. What
would be your advice? Many thanks. M. Bradshaw Devon,
U.K <If he is laying upside-down on the bottom it would seem your
fish is near death. There may not be anything you can do at this point.
But since the salt seemed to work, I would pull him away from the
others and add about two tablespoons of aquarium salt to the water.
Take the temp up to 82 to 84 and add an airstone. Good luck.
Don>
| Re: Pregnant Aulonocara died - could it be Mycobacteriosis?
and Loricariid sel. hlth. 6/3/06 <Mmm, possibly>
<<If this was indeed Mycobacteriosis, what are
the chances her baby fry will have it?>> >Frightening to
consider... Mycobacteria are pretty much ubiquitous... can become
virulently pathogenic under "right/wrong" circumstances.
I do suspect this strain, species is still about< I've
attached photos of my pregnant female Aulonocara who died recently
hoping I could get your opinion. I thought she had an
extreme case of black spot when I got her. <Black spot... as in
Velvet? Looks more neurological...> About a
month after her first brood (which are all healthy and 2 months
old) she began looking unhealthy and a little
bloated. Mycobacteriosis kept entering my mind and I
decided I would isolate her and try to treat her for whatever, when
before I could, she was holding a 2nd time. I decided to
wait till after her hatch and lost her. The first 2
photos were taken a month or so earlier when she wasn't
pregnant. The last 2 were taken recently (one while
holding and the other right after). She started
swimming nonstop for 48 hours after moving her into an isolation
tank, just 3 days before her eggs should have
hatched. The eve before her due date I saw 2" or so
of something black hanging out her gill. It fell off and
appeared to be a black filamentous fungus (in hindsight, maybe it
was gill filament). More bits and pieces are shown on
the white nylon bag covering the intake. More trailed
out shortly after and I spotted a dead baby fry in the
tank. She was manic and still making egg tumbling
movements with her mouth, swimming in a frenzy and her gills were
all swollen. I realized something was wrong and either
the eggs had fungused or she had dead fry in her
mouth. I placed her in a Methylene Blue dip and she spit
dead fry. She seemed better and her gill swelling went
down. The next two days she refused to eat and
never rested completely. Suddenly she darted like a
missile across the tank into the walls twice and flipped upside
down. I thought she was dead, but then noticed shallow breathing so
I rushed her into another MB dip with aeration. She was
able to upright herself and swim. I diluted the dip and
kept her there for an hour or so (making sure to keep
the temperature constant). I placed her back in her
tank, added a few drops of MB and 1/2 dose of Furan
2. She died several hours later. I examined
her gills and the filaments were completely gone and she had a
gaping hole on each side under her operculum where you could see
into her mouth and out her lips. The gill areas
were completely flesh colored with no evidence of anything black
remaining. Cindy <The swelling, and raw areas could be bacterial
in nature. I do wish Chuck Rambo wasn't incommunicado. If this
were a breeding facility for Kaiserfishche/Aulonocaras, I'd
treat all with a Furan Compound... Likely Nitrofuranace, after
isolating all systems thus mal-affected. Bob Fenner> <<Is
it safe for me to treat her 9 week old fry?>> >Yes, but I
don't know that I actually would. Likely not infected to the
>point of actual disease, perhaps some acquired immunity in fact
as a matter >of exposure< <<The other female Aulonocara
that was in the same tank is mouthbrooding
again. She doesn't have any of the black markings
like the other female had. She hasn't been looking
as healthy lately and does have some fraying of her
fins. Should I treat her tank now, or wait until after
she spits her fry and I remove them?>> Cindy
Bob, off the record.. I got this Aulonocara from Cichlid
Exchange in Portland. My LFS orders from them (when they
can't get stock from African Northwest in
Seattle). I'm furious after this Aulonocara and
recently receiving a special order King Tiger Pleco from them last
month with a severe case of sunken belly (take a look at the photo
attached). >Did you bring this up with them?< My LFS told me
they'd recently received a number of Plecos from them in this
condition that died. >Not surprisingly... Not good to let
Loricariids get this thin/debilitated< The LFS
didn't put two and two together until I explained to them that
these aren't captive bred, they are wild caught. What kind of
distributor operates this way? >Poor ones... though many exotic
aquatics are still wild-collected< They must ship them out as
soon as they receive them. These Plecos don't have a
fighting chance unless they get them eating again and fattened up.
>Agreed< I spent 5 weeks trying to save this King Tiger's
life because I knew if I returned him to my LFS he wouldn't
have a fighting chance. I fed him you name it 5-6 times
a day, did daily water changes, and even ran out to the grocery
store one night at 10:00 p.m. to get eggs (to paint egg white on
rock and cover it with crushed peas, zucchini & yam), all in an
attempt to try to save him. I got him eating again
with a healthy appetite, then he suddenly took a turn for the
worse. He died yesterday, so sorry if I'm sounding a little bit
angry right now. >No worries< I appreciate all you do with
your website. I love all creatures great and
small. I believe when I adopt something it is my
responsibility to care for it as if it were my own and to not treat
pets as disposables. My cats have lived to ripe old
ages, averaging 19 yrs, because I spend the money to feed them the
best foods available and to get them the best veterinary
care. I try to do the same for my fish. >Life to you
my friend. Bob Fenner< |
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Re: Imported Loricariid death/s 6/5/06
Bob, off the record.. I got this Aulonocara from XXXX. My LFS orders from them (when they
can't get stock from African Northwest in
Seattle). I'm furious after this Aulonocara and recently
receiving a special order King Tiger Pleco from them last month with a
severe case of sunken belly (take a look at the photo attached).
>Did you bring this up with them?< > >I returned the dead
Pleco and talked to the manager of the fish
department. He's worked there for years but was only
recently promoted to manager when the previous manager graduated with
his PHD in Marine Biology and left to pursue a career in environmental
ecology. He has a lot to learn now that he's in charge
of inventory and ordering and appreciates that I take time to do
research and share it with him. He hasn't placed an
order with Cichlid Exchange since I got this Pleco with sunken belly
and explained to him these are wild caught, not captive bred Plecos and
that's the reason he's been having so many recent Pleco
losses. I told him what happened with my Aulonocara and my
concern that the breeder's facility might have an outbreak of
Mycobacteriosis or some other serious bacterial problem. He
said after hearing this he doesn't plan on ordering from them
again. He has had a number of recent Aulonocara losses and
some were large expensive fish. He thought the problem
might be with the Aulonocara species in general and had even considered
discontinuing stocking them. Do you know any reputable
breeders/distributors you would recommend for Cichlids and exotic
Plecos? He could use some help now, especially after
receiving a shipment of saltwater with cyanide poisoning (? I know
nothing about saltwater) that forced him to shut down half his tanks
for a week.<< <Am referring this question of supply to our
most able Cichlid expert, Chuck Rambo. Bob Fenner>
Re: Pregnant Aulonocara died - could it be Mycobacteriosis? Finding A Source For
Plecos and Cichlids 6/5/06 Dear Bob,/Cindy A few comments concerning this
email. 1) Pregnant Aulonocara I know the cichlid exchange has been getting in
many wild Aulonocara species direct from Lake Malawi. After getting this email I
am sure that the fish was not pregnant and indeed died of Malawi Bloat. The
stress of being shipped half way around the world takes its toll on many of the
fish but especially the females for some reason. I don't know the area Cindy is
in but it appears to be the NW area of the US where the water is usually very
soft and somewhat acidic. Her tank may be set up for Malawi fish but I wonder if
the store itself was set up for wild fish. Captive bred fish are much hardier
than wild fish when it comes to water conditions and pH. I suspect that the
store was not experienced enough to handle wild fish and did not modify the
water as needed. Not ordering these wild fish would probably be a good move for
the store, the fish, and their customers. Tank bred species would be better but
stores and customers are reluctant to wait while these fish grow and color up.
2) Hollow Bellied Pleco That was really bad. I would recommend that Cindy
contact the Cichlid Exchange herself at their website and send along her photo
to back up her story. It is true that they are wild fish but that particular
fish should not have been sent out. The trouble is, that the suppliers that have
good Plecos are very expensive because they hold on to their Plecos for awhile
and the Plecos die on them. They make up for the losses by passing the
additional costs on to the price of the living Plecos. Many times these prices
are too high for many retail customers to buy. 3) Finding A Source For
Plecos and Cichlids. If you are interested in Aulonocara species then there
really is no better source than the Cichlid Exchange. The owner is one of the
most renown experts on this field in the entire world. Next time I would
recommend that you order captive bred fry and grow them up. They are the best
and are usually as good or better than wild fish without all the problems that
wild fish come with. The wild Plecos are a crap shoot. I see these Plecos all
the time at my local wholesaler. Some come in with nice full bellies while
others right next to them are skeletons. Apparently when an order is placed it
may take three weeks for the collectors to get enough Plecos to fill a box. At
day one the first Pleco is caught and placed in a container. It stays their
until enough Plecos are caught to fill the box. It has not been fed and so lives
off its reserves. The recently caught fish look great. The first ones caught
resemble the ones in Cindy's photo. There are many good Plecos from vendors at
aquabid.com. But the pricing and shipping may make a purchase cost
prohibitive.----- <Thanks much for these insights Chuck. Will post/share. BobF>
Cindy Du Mond Questions, Skinny Pleco 6/9/06 Dear Fearless Leader, I
talked to Steve at the Cichlid Exchange and forwarded Cindy's email. He said it
was entirely possible that a skinny Pleco went out with out him knowing about it
. <Easy to have happen... for sure> The store that they sell fish to in her area
never bought any small or female peacocks. They checked their records and the
only things they ever buy is adult show males so they don't know what is the
problem is with the female peacocks. <Mmmm> Steve never heard anything back
from the store about the Plecos until this email. Steve will contact her and
will work something out. I asked Cindy to contact me when things got resolved. I
don't think you want to make WWM an aquatic version of Consumer Reports <I don't
mind at all> so I will try and get everything done offline. Can you imagine the
emails we would get if every aquarist started to complain about their local fish
store!!!!!YIKES!!! <A way to make things better... Cheers! BobF>
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Double Whammy FW, Pleco, fungus? - 03/27/06 Hi, sorry to
bother you guys but I have been reading your forum and I think u guys
are great and full of info, I hope you can help me-I don't know
what to do???!!!! I have a Pleco which I have noticed in the last
couple of days has had some kind of stringy cotton-like thing hanging
from his fins-no other patches or anything like that, I didn't know
what it was so I decided to just watch him. Well last night
the cotton like web was all-over his dorsal fin, it looks like he went
through a spider web and it attached to him, very strange! I
had to go to work, so today I went to check on them and saw that my
guppy (female)-who is in the same tank- has some kind of cotton ball
over her Right eye and on most of her face, and she looks really sick
just laying there not doing well. I'm looking to see if
anything else is wrong with the rest of the fish (2 ID sharks, 1 male
guppy) But the rest of them look fine. Except there is a white line on
one of my id sharks that goes from his top lip to his bottom, very
small but I don't remember if he has always had this!!!! I started
searching what this thing on my guppy and Pleco could be and the only
thing that comes up in my search is possible "cotton
mouth"???? If it is this what do I do, I just started this 20gal
tank and I don't have another one to isolate my fish into, also
this is very contagious should I treat the whole tank with all my
fishes in it??? And if so with what??? I'm very confused (new at
this) But I don't want my fish to get sick and die! I just did my
parameters: pH 7.4 AMMONIA 2.0!!!!! Nit:0---Ammonia is very high, I am
going to do a 30% water change but in the mean time what do I do if my
fishes if they have this horrible bacteria???? I also read in some
sight that if my fish have this I should wear gloves when I do water
changes, is that true?? If so why?? Thank you so much for your time, I
hope you all can help me!!!! Wen <Hi Wen, Don here. Yep, that
"Don", FishSoup in the forums. First thing we must do is
lower that ammonia to near zero. You need to up your water changes to
about 50%. Two the first day, a few hours apart. Then daily until
ammonia and nitrite stay at zero without a water change. Also, please
read here: http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/articles/columnaris.html.
Sounds like a double whammy of a Columnaris infection and an uncycled
(or lost cycle) tank. They list a few meds you can use to rid the tank
of the infection. The problem will be treating for the infection while
you do water changes. The meds will need to be replaced during each
water change. That can get expensive. Most will also kill off the good
bacteria along with the bad. The use of a QT tank for the fish while
allowing the main tank to run fallow (or bleaching and re cycling) will
save a lot of money and effort. As you will read in the link I
provided, a high amount of organic matter in the water is a
contributing factor in the Columnaris outbreak. I feel this will
continue despite your best efforts until you heed the advice given you
in the forum and return the ID sharks. There really is no practical way
to keep these monsters in a home aquarium. The Pleco (if the
"Common") will also outgrow your tank in time. But they grow
much slower.>
Pleco markings... I have a Plecostomus in a ten gallon tank
with a glass catfish, two Gouramis, a male Betta, an angelfish and a
Chinese algae eater. The Plecostomus has developed these
white fungus looking growths all over his mouth. They kinda
look like cauliflower, more rubber like in texture than
cottony. The other fish do not have any growths and the
Plecostomus has had this for about two weeks now. I
don't know if I should medicate the tank and what I would use since
I can't diagnose this disease. I did introduce a live
plant and a mystery snail into the tank about a week or two ago, but
other than that I can't figure what this might be. Does
anyone know what this is and how to treat it? <Good Morning, if the
appearance is more rubbery than cottony it could be a viral
infection. It is hard to say with out a
picture. This fish should be removed to a separate
quarantine tank and treated with Nitrofurazone and
Furazolidone. Your tank sounds a little crowded, I would
recommend an upgrade real soon. The Pleco, Angel fish, and
possibly the Gourami (depends on what type) will out grow this tank in
no time. Best Regards, Gage
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AqBizSubWebIndex/fishdisho.htm>
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