Help my sick Pleco!!!

[Foxylady]

I have a Hifin pleco who is very ill. Originally I thought it was dropsy, his stomache is bloated (He looks like he swallowed a golf ball) his eyes are not bugging, there is no redness at the base of his fins...and as for pinecone...can't really say. He's a pleco. He did have 3 water blisters on his sides that would fill up, burst and refill with clear liquid.

The reason I'm not sure is that he came down with these symptoms 3 weeks ago. I have put him in a 10gal hospital tank and treated him with Tetracycline, Maracyn-Two, and one epsom salt bath...to no avail. The tetracycline did get rid of the water blisters though.

He's not eating and not pooping, although on day 2 of the tetracycline treatment he did poop. A normal brown one followed by a long stringy one. That's it, and that was a week and a half ago.

Paramaters:
30 gal tank
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrites - 0ppm
Nitrates - 0ppm
pH - 8.2 (we have hard water here)
Temp - 78ºF

The tank has been running for 2 years. I have a Fluval 205...not sure on the gph. I do a 10% water change weekly, vacuum the gravel every other week.
I normally feed TetraMin flakes daily, Spirulina Tablets every other day, and Zuchinni once a week. For my Pleco, in case it's constipation, he has only been given peas for the last 2 weeks...which he hasn't touched.

As for the fish in the tank:
-1 bloodfin tetra
-1 cardinal tetra
-3 hatchet fish
-3 Red Minor tetra
-4 Harlequin rasbora
-3 Peppered Cory catfish
-1 Rubberlip Pleco
-1 Hifin Pleco (who is now in hospital tank)

There has bee nothing new added to the tank. The only other thing that I can offer that may help, is I think right before he got sick he at my rockshrimp. It happened during the night. When I got up in the morning it looked like he had shed his shell, and then something ate half of him. Of course, with the Cory's and my other pleco it's hard to say...but I have my suspicions. My shrimp was close to 2"...

So...is there anything else I can try? Something I should do again? Or...should I just suck it up and euthanize him? I don't want to make him suffer any more than he has...but I don't want to give up either. Please help me.

I'm going to try and attach a picture of him so you get the full effect of what he has...

 

[dkpate]

I would lean towards internal parasites, since you seem to be doing everything else right. If you can get him to eat some anti-parasitic food while he is in quarantine, that would be best.
I had a fish for a year before he had symptoms of parasites, and the only reason they showed up is because my fish was stressed from our move.
I wish you luck, and hope other people chime in with suggestions!

 

[Foxylady]

Okay..so give up on peas and just offer medicated food? I can try that, but he hasn't eaten anything in at least 2 weeks, other than what he might be getting off the glass. Is there some other way? Something that can go in the water that he will absorb?

 

[Tahl]

I've had a lot of success with both the API General Cure and Tetra Lifeguard for parasites. The Tetra Lifeguard is the only one I've tested on a pleco though, but I believe the API one says it is safe to combine with Melafix and Pimafix or even other API products if you need to. The API one is in 10 gallon packets and the Tetra one comes in 5 gallon dissolving tablets.

 

[dkpate]

The medicated food is actually real food too, and when I used it, I was told to use it for 1 month as the ONLY food, so apparently the fish can't starve from it. The food should work faster than the meds you drop in the tank, since it is going directly inside and not being absorbed.
I used the Jungle brand, but I was too late to help my little guy and he was past the point of eating. It's worth a try though!

 

[Foxylady]

Thank you guys so much for the replies!

The food should work faster than the meds you drop in the tank, since it is going directly inside and not being absorbed.

I totally agree with you, the only problem is I haven't seen him eat anything in 2 weeks. I'm thinking it will have to be something he absorbs just because he won't eat the food.

I've had a lot of success with both the API General Cure and Tetra Lifeguard for parasites.

I will try to find these today. Thank you again! He's still hanging in there, I have to do something for the poor guy. What a fighter!

 

[dkpate]

Just wondering how it was going!

 

[Foxylady]

A quick update...
I have him on the API General Cure, as the pet stores didn't have the tetra lifegaurd or the flakes in stock.
So far...no difference other than his eyes are bugging now. A turn for the worse. He gets his last dose of meds tomorrow. I'm not sure what to do after that. I would think that by all accounts he should be dead, but he's still hanging in there. =/

 

[dkpate]

Well, now that his eyes are bugging, I would say internal parasites. Maybe try soaking some of his food in the meds? Look for the Jungle anti-parasitic pellets at the pet store, I know PetSmart has them usually, and if not, you can try ordering online at a site like Fish & Pond Supplies | Aquarium & Garden Pond Specialists.
This is the stuff I have: http://www.petmountain.com/product/...s-anti-parasite-medicated-fish-food-1-oz.html

Sorry to hear he's not doing any better.