What is it with Plecos?

[Twoapennything]

I cannot keep plecos alive in my tank for longer than two weeks. I bought two beautiful plecos on Black Friday -- they were a deep, dark brown color. Slowly their color faded and they became greyish-brown with spots. And then they both died within five days of one another. This is my third failed attempt to keep plecos. I purposefully bought larger plecos (four inches) because I thought they might be stronger to be introduced to a new tank, but no luck. I fed the plecos directly with both bottom feeder tablets and Hikari algae tablets -- I witnessed them eating their food. And of course they went around the tank sucking for algae (my tank doesn't have a lot of algae, which I why I supplemented their diets). Water parameters are normal: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 10 nitrates. The water has been cloudy for the past few days. Any ideas? FWIW, I had a pair of mollies die very suddenly, too, just within the past week.

 

[DragonFish71]

Did you by any chance do a water change sometime before the deaths?

Being that you're in Denver and I'm north of you, I know your water will be about the same as mine. We lost a ton of tetras in a water change.

 

[KevinES]

I would get your PH checked. Maybe take a water sample in and have them test it for you.

 

[reefdiver]

i think plecos are sensitive to ph changes.