sick algae eater ( pleco)...HELP?

[wenig]

I hope somebody can help me.

I was to pick up a friends algae eater last week. Upon looking really close at the aquarium the pleco looked like he had his fins all nipped. (maybe fin rot) The poor thing looks awful. His tail section is a little raw looking, maybe sores
Now I need to pick him up. What would be the best way to transfer him to my house (25min) cartrip. How do I set him back up in this 20 gal tank without trauma. He was supposed to be in my 55 gal, but now I need to treat him first. What would be the best medication. Should I fill his tank with water from my established 55 gal tank. Please help me. I want to make this guy feel better as fast I can.
Thank you for any advice.

55 gal: 1 betta
2 comet
20 gal: pleco (9inch)
everything still in progress (none of the fish are my choice, just felt sorry for my kids and the fish) 8O

 

[PK Tester]

For the transfer...its going to be stressfull no matter what.

Is there any way you could leave him there and treat him?

If you have to move him...a bag like from a petstore will work...I'd say cover it so it is somewhat less stressfull.

As far as the drug I hope someone else can ring in...treating plecos is somewhat dfficult as they are scaleless.

I'm leaning towards Melafix. Its all natural and shouldn't hurt him.

You may consider a widespread antibotic instead...wich maybe the better way if you think there are any other disease affecting him. But if it is just the fins...go with Melafix. Please look at it before you buy it and if it says not for scaless fish don't buy it. I'm not postive as I have never treated this on a pleco.

Are you moving the 20 with you?

I'm confused...tell me a little bit more about what you are moving.

**EDIT** I have read Melafix is safe on Plecos. If you really think anything else is wrong...go with a widspread anti-biotic for fin rott and what not.

 

[wenig]

Thank you. Yes I am moving everything, the tank, the decorations, gravel, but not the water. My friend wants to get rid of it. Leaving it there is not an option. She said she hasn't done anything to it in 2 month...arggghhh. This little one needs some loving. I will go buy the Melafix, heard a lot of good things about it.
When I set up the tank (20gal) should I use water out of the 55 gal or use all fresh?

 

[PK Tester]

If you can manage it keep the gravel wet...along with the filter wet as to preserve the nitrifying bacteria.

If your water out of your 55 is extremely close to her set up use it. If it isn't any closer than just fresh dechlorinated water...go with the fresh.

I hope this helped!!

Is he the only fish in that 20 gal?

 

[wenig]

Yes, he is the only one. All the other ones died one after the other after heater broke and nobody noticed. I am glad she is done with fishkeeping.
I cant wait to stock my 2 tanks with healthy fish
55 -2 goldies and 1 betta 8O
20 soon at my home: pleco

 

[PK Tester]

oh jeeze her heater broke and she didn't notice??

 

[ChileRelleno]

Poor fishies, poor Plec...
Your friend should be ashamed of themself !
When we take a critter of any type into our care we should "care" for it, I bet this person would never have treated a dog/ect this way, but fish ...

By all means as you've already been advised try to transfer the tank with just a minimal amount of water, just enough to cover the fish and gravel, lay the filter media in the tank if possible and cover the tank with a towel.
This will keep the stress lower and preserve your cycle.

As for treatment, yes the Melafix is good but I would advise some Pimafix too, you can use these together and I've had good results using these myself.
If the damage is bad, gets infected or just doesn't respond within aprox 3-4 days then I would advise a broad spectrum antibiotic used at half strength or lower, and depending on the specific type of Plec I would even use some salt, though sparingly.
I would also start lowering the heat in the tank (slowly), infections don't thrive as well and (IMO and from other sources) fish seem to recover from injuries better in colder water.

Good luck and may god (and the fish) smile on your mercy.

 

[wenig]

need more help please!! UPDATE

Long story... finally last week the pleco made it to my house. we did a waterchange with declorifier. Last Monday I got him some Melafix and did 25 % waterchange everyday. After 2 days he started to look a little better and he turned from black into his normal checkered color. He just finished 7 days of Melafix. I am not sure if he is eating. The algae wafers dissolve and I think the filter picks up most of it. He does not look starved anymore so maybe he does get something. I had to take the gravel out, because it was disgusting and the tank was to small to get all of it syphoned. As soon as the gravel was gone he just spend 2 days on the bottom sucking away. He seems better and is really active during the day. (is this normal?)
All his fins look terrible all eaten up, side fins are deformed looking like it grew back at some point but curled up. I feel for the guy.I thought I saw a little growth on his fins (lightly colored transparent looking) HOPEFULLY.
How long would you let him be in the 20 gal? tomorrow he will begin to get a little water out of the 55 gal to get the 2 tanks the same. Is that a good idea? So many questions. I really want to help this little guy.

55 gal: betta, 2 commen goldfish
20 gal: 1 sick pleco

 

[An t-iasg]

I'm glad this pleco is home with you too!

Sometimes it is hard to see if a pleco is eating. If he's starting to get more color and be more active, due to your good care, then I'm sure he's eating too. I have a small pitbull pleco, and some plecos are active during the day and some are not. My pleco is out and visible during most of the day. Sometimes he swims around, but sometimes he doesn't move for hours. I feed him every other night. About an hour before I go to bed, and after his tank light is out, I drop in an algae wafer or a veggie. I feed zucchini, baby spinach leaves, peas, and green beans. Take the veggie out the next day. You don't have to do it first thing in the morning; when you get home from work is ok. Check to see if the food has "rasp" marks on it. Then you'll know he ate. Here's an article on veggie feeding from our articles section:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=42

I would think that a lightly transparent area is new fin growth. It will color in soon. When you say he's sucking away, that is very good!

If the water in your 55 gallon is good (0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 20-40 ppm nitrate) then you can put some of this water in the 20 gallon. Just make sure to slowly acclimate him. Put a little bit of water in at a time.

Another comment about the 55 gallon: It's great that you have a betta in a nice large tank, but I'm not sure he'll do well with goldies as tankmates. Their temperature requirements are quite different, and goldies produce a lot of waste, as you probably know. The filtration required for goldies to deal with this waste will probably blow the betta away -- they like calmer, still water. It's not hard at all to give a betta his own 5 or 10 gallon tank with a heater and a sponge filter. Look in my gallery for pics of 5 gallon betta tanks.

Good luck and I hope the pleco gets better! It sounds like he is improving nicely!

Edited for misspelling! 8O

 

[An t-iasg]

I thought of some more things: Can you get a pic of the pleco? There are so many different kinds out there. Then we could help answer your question about how long he can stay in the 20 gallon tank. My pleco is only 2 inches long, and he's fully grown. So I don't know much about the bigger plecos' required tank size.

Also, most plecos like driftwood. They like to rasp on it and hide behind it. If we could be a little more sure of which one you have, someone here would know if he needs driftwood. If you can't get any right away, don't worry. My pleco is supposed to like driftwood and I'm still soaking a piece in a bucket for him. I've had him for 6 weeks now without driftwood, but as soon as the piece is ready, I'll put it in the tank.

 

[wenig]

Thank you for the reply.
How long would you leave him in the 20 gal tank? I would like to convert it to an QT to get some more fishies
I put in a cucumber slice the other day maybe he could not get to it. I will try other vegie's. Thank you for the link. My goldies already enjoy cucumber, broccoli and eggs.

55 gal. I know it is against the " rules" to have the comet and the betta together. Just did not know what to do at the time. All I wanted was a little tank for the betta and a small tank for the goldies. ( both lived in a bowl and I now shiver at the idea). My husband came home with a 55 gal for my birthday in September. All 3 fish have been together ever since, went together trough the cycle and are doing great. The only time there is a problem, if the goldies get to close to the bettas "hot tub"( heater). Any other time he love to ride the current of the filter. He(betta) became a tottally different fish, really active.
I change the water every week 35 litre and syphon the gravel. There is hardly anything , so not to dirty yet. The temp. is 74 F so for both kind boderline.
The comet are 4 inch now and the betta is healthy.

I am not sure what to do with my tanks. Maybe I should start a new thread I would like to get more fish ( like schooling fish) but I am afraid of any kind of disease. When the opportunity came a long to get the 20 gal I was really happy and was thinking to use it a the QT.

What do you think?
An t-iasg : I admired your betta tanks earlier this morning. I a running out of space for more tanks. We will be moving within the next couple of years and than I would like to have a couple more options.
Sorry it is so long.

 

[wenig]

8 inch from head to toe[/img]

 

[wenig]

2nd picture....I went over and he is not doing so well. He was upside down and moving hardly. Hope is isnt dying after all the effort. Poor thing.
ammonia is 0.

 

[RoK]

From the pics it looks fine. We'd have to get a closer look at the fins.

 

[Menagerie]

Definitely try feeding veggies, you may be able to observe him eating.