The Toucan
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2020
- Messages
- 1
I have a young pleco who appears to play dead. Is this normal behavior or is she sick?
It is a (probably) female bristlenose pleco approx 6-8 months old. Yesterday I discovered her belly up on the gravel at the bottom of the tank with her mouth wide open and completely motionless. I thought she was dead but then noticed a little gill movement. Shortly she flipped over and resumed sucking on driftwood like there was nothing doing.
I observed her in the exact same position and location this morning.She suddenly got up and is moving around the tank like normal. I have never observed this behavior before and am concerned she may be sick. She appears to be eating normally.
I took a photo of her supine and a photo of her behaving normally (sucking on driftwood). The pleco is fairly active especially at night moving all around the tank and plants.
I am a fairly new aquarist and still learning this hobby. I don’t have a hospital tank to isolate any sick fish unfortunately.
Tank details:
70L lightly planted
Temp: 24C
Filter: Aqua One Clear View 500 Hang on Back
Filter cartridge was changed one week ago
Substrate: gravel and some Fluval Stratum
Occupants: 1 BN pleco 2.5 inches
Added 6 young platies 2 weeks ago (they all seem to get along fine) and I have a few bladder snails
Water Changes: 25% once per week and light vacuuming (done approx 3 days ago)
Water parameter:
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 5-10ppm
pH 7.6
I use Seachem Prime to dechlorinate the tap water for water changes
I feed the pleco Vege wafers one or two per day plus a slice of blanched zucchini once a week and once a week I add some bloodworms (mainly for platies) I have not observed pleco eat those. Platies also get tropical fish flakes twice a day.
I have fluoro lights run approx 10 hours per day.
It is a (probably) female bristlenose pleco approx 6-8 months old. Yesterday I discovered her belly up on the gravel at the bottom of the tank with her mouth wide open and completely motionless. I thought she was dead but then noticed a little gill movement. Shortly she flipped over and resumed sucking on driftwood like there was nothing doing.
I observed her in the exact same position and location this morning.She suddenly got up and is moving around the tank like normal. I have never observed this behavior before and am concerned she may be sick. She appears to be eating normally.
I took a photo of her supine and a photo of her behaving normally (sucking on driftwood). The pleco is fairly active especially at night moving all around the tank and plants.
I am a fairly new aquarist and still learning this hobby. I don’t have a hospital tank to isolate any sick fish unfortunately.
Tank details:
70L lightly planted
Temp: 24C
Filter: Aqua One Clear View 500 Hang on Back
Filter cartridge was changed one week ago
Substrate: gravel and some Fluval Stratum
Occupants: 1 BN pleco 2.5 inches
Added 6 young platies 2 weeks ago (they all seem to get along fine) and I have a few bladder snails
Water Changes: 25% once per week and light vacuuming (done approx 3 days ago)
Water parameter:
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 5-10ppm
pH 7.6
I use Seachem Prime to dechlorinate the tap water for water changes
I feed the pleco Vege wafers one or two per day plus a slice of blanched zucchini once a week and once a week I add some bloodworms (mainly for platies) I have not observed pleco eat those. Platies also get tropical fish flakes twice a day.
I have fluoro lights run approx 10 hours per day.
