Plecostomus not eating. Please help!

brittsfish · 09-14-2005, 07:47 PM

I have had a bristlenose plecostomus for about 2 years. He has had no problems until just recently. I noticed he has not been eating for the last 7 days. He just sits at the bottom of the tank, in the corner, and his mouth is not attached to the glass. He also rests next to the heater, with his mouth not attached to the glass. It seems like he doesn't even have enough energy to hide when the light turns on.

I normally feed him the Hikari Algae Wafers and sometimes Cucumber. The water quality (PH, Hardness, Nitrates, Ammonia, etc...) is within the ideal range.

Right now he is just slumped in a corner, with his fins down, and he looks dead. I do not see any visible parasites and he is not displaying any other abnormal behavior.

Please respond if you can provide any suggestions on what to to. Thanks!

Alisha · 09-15-2005, 08:57 PM

Sorry, I have no idea what's going on with him...how old do they usually live? Could he just possibly be getting old...or do they live pretty long?

brittsfish · 09-16-2005, 07:52 AM

I am not sure how long they live. I am a pretty novice fish tank owner. I would assume they live longer than 2-3 years but I don't know.

**Osiris** · 09-16-2005, 08:19 AM

Try This, go buy some of Kent Marine's Garlic Exreme At LFS or Ebay, take some tank water and get ur cucumer piece and put few drops of the garlic in the tank water u pulled aside and soak the cucumber piece in it for 15-20mins then put the cucumber in the tank.

Lara · 09-17-2005, 12:08 AM

Ok, I don't know what's going on but I know these things: My bristlenose pleco occasionally rests on his back without suckering onto anything and he is very healthy and happy. He will go for up to two weeks without food when he is guarding eggs and newly hatched fry. My bristlenose catfish (I still have the original two) are the only fish that survived my inexperienced mistakes as a novice and every disease that has ever come into contact with my tank waters,hence they are incredibly hardy little troopers. My oldest are now at least three years old and and I expect them to live for years to come.

Who else lives in your tank? Have you recently added anything ie. plants, fish, decor? Could he have been attacked by other inhabitants?

garfieldnfish · 09-17-2005, 04:19 PM

I have to agree with Lara. I also have 3 bristlenoses and while my two males are always on the move, day or night, my female in a different tank just lays around under a rock formation all day and I have wondered many times what is wrong with her. But she is still alive after 1 1/2 years and I only see her eating zucchini every now and then, otherwise she does not touch anything as long as the lights are on.
Of course it seems your plecos behavior has changed from its normal ways so I would be concerned as well. Was he fully grown when you got him? Do you have driftwood in the tank? Try giving him some meaty foods, maybe he needs a little extra protein, frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, shrimp pellets or carnivore pellets work well for this. The pellets you can soak in the garlic that was mentioned (garlicXtreme, petland sells it) works great on ridding fish of parasites.

brittsfish · 09-17-2005, 07:19 PM

Thank you for your help. Unfortunately my fish died yesterday. All this happened so quick, I didn't even have time to recognize and respond to his unusual behavior.

For info, I have a 16 gallon tank with 2 gold barbs, 2 cherry barbs, 2 leopard danios and 3 glow light tetras.

Thanks again for all your speedy replies.

garfieldnfish · 09-18-2005, 01:52 PM

Sorry to hear he died.

Lara · 09-18-2005, 11:42 PM

Sorry about your fish

If you happen to live in Sydney Australia I could give you some bristlenose fry.

09-14-2005, 07:47 PM	#1
brittsfish Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 3	Plecostomus not eating. Please help! I have had a bristlenose plecostomus for about 2 years. He has had no problems until just recently. I noticed he has not been eating for the last 7 days. He just sits at the bottom of the tank, in the corner, and his mouth is not attached to the glass. He also rests next to the heater, with his mouth not attached to the glass. It seems like he doesn't even have enough energy to hide when the light turns on. I normally feed him the Hikari Algae Wafers and sometimes Cucumber. The water quality (PH, Hardness, Nitrates, Ammonia, etc...) is within the ideal range. Right now he is just slumped in a corner, with his fins down, and he looks dead. I do not see any visible parasites and he is not displaying any other abnormal behavior. Please respond if you can provide any suggestions on what to to. Thanks!

09-16-2005, 08:19 AM	#4
Osiris Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 25 Posts: 3,714	Try This, go buy some of Kent Marine's Garlic Exreme At LFS or Ebay, take some tank water and get ur cucumer piece and put few drops of the garlic in the tank water u pulled aside and soak the cucumber piece in it for 15-20mins then put the cucumber in the tank. __________________ Reality is for people who can't handle Science-Fiction

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09-15-2005, 08:57 PM	#2
Alisha Betta Love Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 311	Sorry, I have no idea what's going on with him...how old do they usually live? Could he just possibly be getting old...or do they live pretty long?

09-16-2005, 07:52 AM	#3
brittsfish Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 3	I am not sure how long they live. I am a pretty novice fish tank owner. I would assume they live longer than 2-3 years but I don't know.

09-17-2005, 12:08 AM	#5
Lara not the tomb raiding type Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sydney, Australia Age: 30 Posts: 264	Ok, I don't know what's going on but I know these things: My bristlenose pleco occasionally rests on his back without suckering onto anything and he is very healthy and happy. He will go for up to two weeks without food when he is guarding eggs and newly hatched fry. My bristlenose catfish (I still have the original two) are the only fish that survived my inexperienced mistakes as a novice and every disease that has ever come into contact with my tank waters,hence they are incredibly hardy little troopers. My oldest are now at least three years old and and I expect them to live for years to come. Who else lives in your tank? Have you recently added anything ie. plants, fish, decor? Could he have been attacked by other inhabitants?

09-17-2005, 04:19 PM	#6
garfieldnfish Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 661	I have to agree with Lara. I also have 3 bristlenoses and while my two males are always on the move, day or night, my female in a different tank just lays around under a rock formation all day and I have wondered many times what is wrong with her. But she is still alive after 1 1/2 years and I only see her eating zucchini every now and then, otherwise she does not touch anything as long as the lights are on. Of course it seems your plecos behavior has changed from its normal ways so I would be concerned as well. Was he fully grown when you got him? Do you have driftwood in the tank? Try giving him some meaty foods, maybe he needs a little extra protein, frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, shrimp pellets or carnivore pellets work well for this. The pellets you can soak in the garlic that was mentioned (garlicXtreme, petland sells it) works great on ridding fish of parasites.

09-17-2005, 07:19 PM	#7
brittsfish Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 3	Thank you for your help. Unfortunately my fish died yesterday. All this happened so quick, I didn't even have time to recognize and respond to his unusual behavior. For info, I have a 16 gallon tank with 2 gold barbs, 2 cherry barbs, 2 leopard danios and 3 glow light tetras. Thanks again for all your speedy replies.

09-18-2005, 01:52 PM	#8
garfieldnfish Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 661	Sorry to hear he died.

09-18-2005, 11:42 PM	#9
Lara not the tomb raiding type Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sydney, Australia Age: 30 Posts: 264	Sorry about your fish If you happen to live in Sydney Australia I could give you some bristlenose fry.

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