# Pleco swimming to the top for air...



## guppylover

ok, i just noticed this for the last few days but it could be going on for longer...
my pleco is swiming around rapidly and at first i thought he was crazy and just playing but then i noticed he was continuously swimming to the top for air...and i knew that wasn't normal.
i looked up some stuff on the internet and alot of people are saying to get an air stone to put more oxygen in the tank...? will that help? someone with plecos PLEASE help  this is terrible watching him gulp for air  
also, i put in an ammonia tablet...? dont know if that will help...
please, any help would be great...
also, he is breathing rapidly as well..


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## Ghost Knife

guppylover said:


> ok, i just noticed this for the last few days but it could be going on for longer...
> my pleco is swiming around rapidly and at first i thought he was crazy and just playing but then i noticed he was continuously swimming to the top for air...and i knew that wasn't normal.
> i looked up some stuff on the internet and alot of people are saying to get an air stone to put more oxygen in the tank...? will that help? someone with plecos PLEASE help  this is terrible watching him gulp for air
> also, i put in an ammonia tablet...? dont know if that will help...
> please, any help would be great...
> also, he is breathing rapidly as well..


Every home aquarium that contains fish should have a bubble wand or an air stone of some sort. Never had a problem with O2 and I have always done this,


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## emc7

water change. You don't say how long the tank has been set up or what sort of filter you have. But fish that ammonia poisoning can act like that. Adding bubbles won't hurt, but test your water or change it.


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## Guest

do those tabs really work? i think a WC would be the best solution


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## blued941

an air pump is best to use yes it will work for the oxygen levels in the tank which will stop the plec gulping for air or breathing rapidily he is doing it cz he hasnt got enough oxygen in the tank i have always had air pumps in my tanks even for gold fish for over 20 years good luck


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## Guest

absoluetly! air pumps are good. try usin live plants. thats what i did to turn off my air pumps


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## BV77

you can never go wrong with an immediate partial water change


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## guppylover

ive had the tank running for a few months now. its a 10 gallon (will be moving to a MUCH bigger tank soon so dont worry) with one guppy and a MILLION pest snails. I did a water change and i was SHOCKED at how dirty the water was.  i literally just did a water change 3 days ago...
I know the pleco poops a TON...does that mean i need to do more than one water change a week? also, does anyone know how to get rid of pest snails? i got it thinking it was a baby apple snail...turned out to be a pest snail which turned into 500 of them  i really dont need them anymore since i have the pleco...
ps. im gonna get a small air stone real soon. probably today. any suggestions on how to set it up? i would get live plants..but i hear they're hard to set up and handle?


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## Dragonbeards

Well, there are some fish that eat snails, loaches are one of them, but I dont know if you could put any in that tank. 
So, instead put a piece of vegetable in there, like zuchinni or cucumber and leave it overnight. Then in the morning take it out, and you should have lots of snails attached. Just keep repeating this until they are all gone.
By the way, when did you last change your filter?


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## llamas

With the pleco and the terms of poop. This is one of the cases where not only size are a factor (possibly 12 inches) but also bioload. Pleco's have a huge bioload and have too big of a one for a ten gallon tank. 

Dragonbeards has good advice on snail catching/removing and about your filter. It needs cleaning too! I would remove the pleco or move him to another tank very soon.


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## N0z

you need a air pump just goto your local fish store and tell them your tank size and they'll hapily find the right one for your tank for you


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## Guest

what kind of pleco is it? common? if so, i hope you getting a really big tank. most pleco's are poop machines and your 10 is not suitable for it. the options are 

A: either get a larger tank 
or 
B: biweekly water changes to keep the water clean for now.

As for your snail problem, DB's suggestion would work like a charm. if that doenst work, take down the tank, clean everything out well and start afresh. its a 10Gl, it shouldnt be to much of a hassle. 

If you need to cycle the tank, get hold of a bottle of Seachem Stability and keep it handy. i;ve heard that this stuff is like a supercharged cycling agent.

With One Guppy and One Pleco, in the 10 you really do not need to buy an airpump. the biweekly water changes will keep them satisfied, if not happy.

Cheers!


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## guppylover

my filter doesnt need a change yet. its due for one in about 2 weeks since i change it monthly. im moving soon, which is why i havent gotten the bigger tank set up yet. once i get it set up and running, im just going to have to move it. however, dont worry everyone! im getting a much bigger tank asap. 
yes i have a common pleco. how much bigger exactly will he get? OH! and btw, is there ANY way to tell whether i have a male or female? :s just curious.
my pleco is acting MUCH better now, and ironically the guppy is too. (he was acting a little funny but i didnt think much of it)
im going to try the cucumber thing with the snails tonight and see if i can catch me some snails by morning  thanks soooo much for all the help and advice guys!
ps. does anyone have any suggestions on a tank size and shape for my pleco? im looking into buying one to move everyone into once I get moved. i didnt know if theres a certain size that would be best or even a certain shape? (i was thinking about getting a wave tank or even a more square one...)
any suggestions would be awesome 
thanks again everyone


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## lohachata

i will say this again...the fish is not starving for oxygen....there is sufficient oxygen in the water to sustain life...but it is most likely suffering from carbon dioxide poisoning..
and emc is right..(god ; hate to say that...lol)..fish suffering from ammonia poisoning will also exhibit the same symptoms....
i would most definitely suggest that you do several water changes and add an air diffuser...that will allow for the release of the co2 and the absorption of more oxygen into the water...

btw....you didn't mention what species of pleco you have...but i would think at least a 75 gallon tnak just in case..


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## guppylover

i did. he's a common pleco.


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## lohachata

ok..i see it now....need to get my eyes checked...


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## barty boy

hi guppylover 
i have a 8 inch common pleco 
he does the same at night when i turn bubble stone off 
to be honest i never noticed him doin it before i got air stone but nevermind
yes a air stone will help


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## lohachata

i have to ask barty boy...why would you want to turn off the air diffuser at night??? do your fish stop breathing when the lights go out?
i have read here on a number of occasions where people turn off their aeration devices at night..the only things i ever turn off at night are the lights...


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## Ghost Knife

lohachata said:


> i have to ask barty boy...why would you want to turn off the air diffuser at night??? do your fish stop breathing when the lights go out?
> i have read here on a number of occasions where people turn off their aeration devices at night..the only things i ever turn off at night are the lights...


Definitely. The only thing that should not be constantly running is the lights.


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