Sudden death

[Bloodroot]

So my German Blue Ram has passed away He was so lively!

So here it is... all the parameters are perfect and the tank is cycled. No other fish are showing signs of illness. Including my very egg - full female blue ram. Here are some pictures... I think everything with him looks fine but maybe you guys can see something I cannot.

Now here is what I am thinking... my brand new (3 days now) bristlenose pleco is being a jerk to EVERYONE in the tank that dares come near him. And he happened to take over the perfect egg laying area for my rams... and was flaring up and attacking the rams (only twice in 30 minutes) last night before I went to bed. I also changed up my tank (adding new things like plants and rocks - all boiled clean). Along with some new real plants, 3 shrimp and 6 Koolie loachs.

Could my Bristlenose have killed him? They were both very very territorial and suffered from thinking they were the "big fish" in the tank.

Thanks in advance

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[Pamiam]

I have had bristle nose plecos for years with various species of fish. I have never had one attack another fish. All mine do is sometimes chase other fish, but never has one even touched another fish let alone attack one.

Just my opinion mind you, your fish died from some other cause

 

[emilygupps]

One of my rams always dies after a batch of eggs. I started with 8 and now I have one tough healthy ram left :-/ could your ram died from a domestic dispute?


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[Pamiam]

I have heard of many species that die after mating/birth...I assume it is the stress and nature of things.

 

[Bloodroot]

Eggs haven't been laid. she is still bulging.

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[mattcham]

Did death occur within 1 hour of a water change?

I agree with others, bristle nosed plecos cannot and will not kill rams unless they are small enough to be swallowed in one gulp.

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[Bloodroot]

No death did not occur within 1 hour of a water change. He was fine... then he was dead. Do the pictures give any clues?

I have been watching my pleco and he is attacking, with his mouth, any fish that swims by his face. That is a very odd behaviour correct? Granted my koolie loaches have been constantly using him as a play structure... I have been trying to give him a bunch of new hiding spaces but they seem to follow him...

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[Pamiam]

are you feeding your pleco enough, they are omnivores and should have algae wafers, flakes, frozen foods such as blood worm, brine shrimp...in general...anything that will hit the bottom he will eat...and occasionally fresh veggie like squash or zucchini

 

[Pamiam]

Or...are you sure it is a bristle nose pleco?

 

[Bloodroot]

Not the best picture but there he is.

Food wise, I was actually worried about that as well. So I have been putting in a little extra at night and cleaning it out the next day. He is pooping like a mad man (which I know is normal). I have been adding an algae pellet that he is used to, a different brand algae pellet, some freeze dried garlic and also feeding my fish a little to many flakes/frozen blood worms/carnivore pellets.

I think he was a great white shark in a past life! Lawl! I always seem to get the 'different' fish! I used to have a mystery snail that would 'race' up to the top when I opened the lid to be fed by hand. I have been increasing the hiding spots and am thinking of making a bigger hole in the decroative fake log I have so he can hid right inside with my shrimp... Guess no baby shrimp for me

However any help on him (assuming) or my passed away GBR would be awesome and thanks to all those who have already chimed in!

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[Pamiam]

Well, they all say fish have their own personality...I think you might be right and he was a shark in his past life.

My cousin had a basset hound who was mean and aggressive and started biting. That is unheard of in that breed. He figured something was wrong in his brain. He had to put him down because he was biting too much and he was afraid for his young kids.

 

[Bloodroot]

I will see if I can get a video of him tonoght...

It is a he I am pretty sure, he has a row of bristles from his nose to between his eyes. I should get a picture of his nose because I swear it looks like every single one of his bristles has scar tissue on it as if someone bit off every one. (I didn't notice that until I got him home for my lfs) Would explain why he doesn't mind having the loaches hid under him but the second they go near his nose he freaks out.

Do you think it is worth his heath to stick him in my 5 gallon hospital tank for a little while? I realize I will have to clean the water fairly often for him because of how much waste he produces.

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[Pamiam]

I believe those bristles are sensory organs and if some other fish had bitten them off previously maybe that why he is now aggressive out of fear or trying to make up for the lost of the bristles

It might be a good idea to separate him until his nose heals

 

[Angela1108]

My friend had a bushnose and he was super aggressive. It actually killed a bunch of her fish. He is now alone in a tank because he eats his neighbors


Generally they are great but this one might just be aggressive unfortunately


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[Delapool]

These are a photo of my b/n catfish. Some of the bristle tips are white from memory. They get hassled by the yo yo loaches (must be a loach thing) and used to charge any fish at feeding time. Now they give up and hang onto the wafers (although will chase each other), as the wafers are small enough for the rosy barbs to carry off.


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[Bloodroot]

He killed another victim... I may have to trade him in for a less aggressive guy... I will leave him in the medical tank and see if my death rate decreases... then if it does the lfs said I could return him and get a different one. I think I will go albino... I had no freaking idea how hard he would be to find in my pretty much all black tank...

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[Bloodroot]

omg... I just entered killer Bristle nose pleco into Google *stares blankly at screen* turns out this is way more common then we all thought... Guess I'm taking a trip into Winnipeg tomorrow to return him... It is very likely him Poor guy I hope that doesn't mean he will be killed...

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[Bloodroot]

New Pleco eating with my shrimp! The other guy got returned... and now is happily living with no other bottom feeders.

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[Angela1108]

Awesome.


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[amyb_70]

those pleco scare me.. they are just frightening looking, and the picture you had posted the dang thing had red eyes... i dont trust anything i hear at the fish stores, and allot of what i read on google i find somthing to contradict what i previously read. example i read its good to keep male betta with guppy, next page never keep male betta w/ guppy. i have come to rely on people here. i have gotten more correct advise here than incorrect.. and i had someone who was able to help me find my guppy killer... the store told me it was pleco and very peaceful, yeah it was a chinese algae eater who are breed to fight..