Help with dying Pleco.

[DanR]

Oh wow so I am way behind on how often I should be changing the water. I will definitely do it more often now. My pleco died last night and I do not plan to get another. Heartbreaking. I feel so bad. Was it the water that killed him? He was showing signs of starvation (sunken eyes, sunken belly) yet I watched him eat his wafers every morning and fish food and there is algae in the tank. Not enough to keep him satisfied??? He went downhill quickly too. He was absolutely fine and healthy just two days ago til I noticed his eyes yesterday morning and he got worse as the day went on.
And yes the aqueous has carbon cartridge so it's ok to rinse and re use? I did change it out for a new one with the water change last night. The tank is still very dirty though.

Are you vacuuming the gravel when you do your water change or just siphoning out water?

 

[Jenna162]

Are you vacuuming the gravel when you do your water change or just siphoning out water?

I do vacuum into the gravel and get lots of guck out with each change. It is just a gravity siphon however.

 

[mimiheart]

Rinse it in the tank water. Don't rinse it in sink water.

 

[Jenna162]

Rinse it in the tank water. Don't rinse it in sink water.

Thanks all these years i was rinsing in sink water :0

 

[Coursair]

Thanks for all the help everyone. My pleco Big Bob was dead this morning as expected... My goal is to get the tank at a better state for the remaining lone goldfish resident. I have a 30g tank and one big big goldfish. I honestly don't know what kind of fish he is. I got him at wal mart about eight years ago or so and he has grown a lot. He used to be orange but started turning white and after he beat a bout of ich has stayed white no matter what I feed him he is old and doesn't get a lot of natural light either though. Should I get him abother goldfish friend? He is so used to being alone after his goldfish friend died many years ago. We tried putting two new ones in about a year ago and they wreaked havoc, they picked on my older fish and he got ich so we removed the other fish and returned them. Here's a photo of vinny maybe you can tell me what kind of goldfish he is.

Hi,
He looks like a Common GF. They are hardy, but also will be trickier at this size in a tank. He could actually go into a pond, if you ever want to go that route.

If you want to add another GF ? I'd do another Common or Comet. Fancies and Single Tail types are not the best mix.

AND I'd be looking at a bigger tank, for 2.

Your GF would actually be bigger if he had more room. Commons can live over 20yrs. But it will be tricky keeping him clean in a 30g.

You obviously have been trying to take great care of him.

Look into a Python system and grab Prime if you don't have it. It's cheaper to use and is the preferred conditioner for most.
Don't add salt. That builds up and could have contributed to the Pleco's demise.

I only use salt if I need it to medicate. I was told to use aquarium salt in my tanks years ago. Now? New tests and better ways to keep fish healthy.

If you were to have 2-3 Commons ?
2 I'd say a 75g minimum
3 I'd say 125g min but a pond is preferred.

Commons grow their whole life. They hit 12-18" in ponds. In tanks ? They hit 6-8" and usually die younger. Often from Ammonia poisoning or just stunting.

So for now ? Get Ammonia test.
Do frequent large changes. I use tank water to water my plants. Clean water is the key to long term success with GF.

If the fluorescent light is old, consider a new bulb. Read up on GF diet. I fed ours Zucchini, defrosted, shelled, green peas ( smushed if needed), Romaine, Orange slices. Live Anacharis plants. Omega One GF. Repashy Gel foods.

The color change is probably normal. GF often change color.

Welcome. Sorry about the Pleco.
Read up and your aquarium skills will be at another level.

If he goes into a pond, we can make some great suggestions to stock a 30g.

 

[Jenna162]

Hi,
He looks like a Common GF. They are hardy, but also will be trickier at this size in a tank. He could actually go into a pond, if you ever want to go that route.

If you want to add another GF ? I'd do another Common or Comet. Fancies and Single Tail types are not the best mix.

AND I'd be looking at a bigger tank, for 2.

Your GF would actually be bigger if he had more room. Commons can live over 20yrs. But it will be tricky keeping him clean in a 30g.

You obviously have been trying to take great care of him.

Look into a Python system and grab Prime if you don't have it. It's cheaper to use and is the preferred conditioner for most.
Don't add salt. That builds up and could have contributed to the Pleco's demise.

I only use salt if I need it to medicate. I was told to use aquarium salt in my tanks years ago. Now? New tests and better ways to keep fish healthy.

If you were to have 2-3 Commons ?
2 I'd say a 75g minimum
3 I'd say 125g min but a pond is preferred.

Commons grow their whole life. They hit 12-18" in ponds. In tanks ? They hit 6-8" and usually die younger. Often from Ammonia poisoning or just stunting.

So for now ? Get Ammonia test.
Do frequent large changes. I use tank water to water my plants. Clean water is the key to long term success with GF.

If the fluorescent light is old, consider a new bulb. Read up on GF diet. I fed ours Zucchini, defrosted, shelled, green peas ( smushed if needed), Romaine, Orange slices. Live Anacharis plants. Omega One GF. Repashy Gel foods.

The color change is probably normal. GF often change color.

Welcome. Sorry about the Pleco.
Read up and your aquarium skills will be at another level.

If he goes into a pond, we can make some great suggestions to stock a 30g.

Thank you so very much for the info. I find conflicting info everywhere i look so it's been hard to know the right thing to do over the years. I will stop adding salts immediately. I never expected to have a large tank as a young naive girl I got a tiny fish tank with two goldfish from walmart. He has been in about 3 tanks and this one is the largest he has been in. The other fish I got him with died years ago obviously from bad care being in a tiny tank but vinny has survived it all the worst of tanks and even survived ich He was very close to death. He does seem to get larger with each larger tank I give him lol. He is old but I worry he may be lonely. He seems like a very happy fish though he is active, loves sucking on rocks and digging holes, has a hearty appetite and even expects his meals in the morning he swims all crazy cause he knows he's going to get fed. I Will leave him alone in this tank until I can get a larger one in this case.
I never fed him vegetables before! I am interested to see how he likes trying them ☺

 

[Jenna162]

I should also add up until recently my dad cared for the tank so I am just learning a lot of new things now that I am taking over. But vinny is about 8 years old i think so hope I can give him a good life for the rest of his years with me.

 

[Jenna162]

Another question...so in a 30 gallon tank how much water should I change per week roughly? Right now I change 10 gallons per change but wasn't doing it frequent enough..

 

[mimiheart]

For a common in a 30 gallon I'd do 15 gallons weekly. After everything has been cleared up and is healthy looking you might be able to get away with 10 gallons weekly. I wouldn't add another fish into a 30 gallon right now. You have a good sized goldfish and they produce a lot of waste.

 

[Coursair]

Just remember 8 yrs isn't old for a Goldfish. The record is 43yrs. Natural lifespan is about 25yrs.