Help with Sick Zebra Pleco !!!

[Mikeaq]

I picked up 3 1.5-1.75 inch zebras on Sunday, the drive home with them was 5 hours because of traffic.. I was planning on it only being 3 hours.

2 of them have settled in and are active, the other 1 has not left the spot it's been in for the passed 5 days. It's stomach is sunken in, and it has a pink hue to it, not blue like the other 3 I have.

I'm offering them live daphnia, live black worms, frozen blood worms, new life spectrum pellets, carnivore pellets, veggie pellets, and flakes. All soaked in garlic. I've been trying zucchini but no luck yet with it.

I read that these fish are known for starving themselves when they're stressed out.

Is there anything I can do to help?

Can I add stress guard to the tank?

I would greatly appreciate any advice !! I don't want to lose one of these beautiful animals!

Sunken Belly

Pink Hue




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[Brookster123]

Ouch, beautiful fish man! I'm not sure what you can do? Keep the water super clean, have you tried offering the food right in front? What's the temp at?

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[PassengerTN]

Not real sure what the pros would say, but I'd would try to hand feed if you haven't already. If it were mine, I can't stand when things go wrong, so I would stick my hand in and run him away from the spot so I could get a better look and observance. Are they captive bred?

Jesse

 

[Mikeaq]

Ouch, beautiful fish man! I'm not sure what you can do? Keep the water super clean, have you tried offering the food right in front? What's the temp at?

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The tanks been cycled for over 3 months, I've been siphoning out uneaten food every day.

The food actually circulates the entire tank and whatever food does settle, settles directly in front of where this guy stays. So he can def access it.

The temp stays between 84 & 85.
The other 3 zebras in the tank have full bellies and a bluish tint. This one is just being difficult :-/

I just added 6 inch Indian almond leaf and 3 caps of stress guard to the tank. I'm praying these "drugs" will make him feel better and forget about not having an appetite lol


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[Mikeaq]

Not real sure what the pros would say, but I'd would try to hand feed if you haven't already. If it were mine, I can't stand when things go wrong, so I would stick my hand in and run him away from the spot so I could get a better look and observance. Are they captive bred?

Jesse

Yea they're captive bred, I got them from a breeder. They'll be 2 years old in November & they are from wild caught parents.

I've had my hands in the tank a lot moving stuff around and adding new decor so they have more territories. All 4 of them were originally in that one crack together, but 3 have ventured out and this 1 clearly hasn't.

The color and sunken in belly is enough for me to know that it's unhealthy/ unhappy. A closer look would just be more stress for the both of us right now lol.

I'm gonna soak some black worms in garlic right now and drop them in that crevice. Im hoping the stress guard is starting to kick in


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[Mikeaq]

I added 3 caps of stress guard, 4 tablespoons of aquarium salt, increased the oxygen on the power head, threw in an Indian almond leaf and spot fed the area with food and black worms. I don't think there's anything else I can do


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[Brookster123]

Salt wouldn't be my first choice.. they're very sensitive

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