# I need help



## chinook (Oct 20, 2009)

Well I lost another fish tonight that is 7 in the last 3 weeks. I don't know what is going on, my water is fine according to my LFS and I have done nothing different over the last 4 months of having the tank. I treated ich pretty much as soon as I got my tank (thanks Pet smart!). 3 weeks ago I had dropsy and it has been downhill since then, now to top it off I just finished treatment for cotton mouth. Just tonight I lost my albino pleco yesterday it was fine and tonight it was swimming strange and resting on the bottom an not moving, I looked and it was gaunt, stomach all sucked in and skinny...yesterday it was fine I swear.
The only thing I did about was about 3 weeks ago I increased the water level a bit, I do have a large lid that sits well above the tank, and I have an airstone bubbling away. 
Tonight I lowered the water level back to what it was 3 weeks ago (maybe half an inch) I am just at a loss for what is going on! I also have some brown algae on my rocks and plastic plants as well as my gravel substrate. I have an eheim 2213 filter running in a 55g tank. I am not good with cameras or computers so I can't post a picture. 

I need help can anyone suggest something...anything?


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## OCtrackiepacsg1 (Oct 18, 2009)

if you been adding medicine, you should change the water every 3-5 days. Not sure if thats whats wrong but that's what I would do.


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## Guest (Oct 26, 2009)

*Need More Info*

*Not to say i dont trust the opinions of any LFS, Its just that i dont trust the info of any LFS lol.
Do you have a test kit of your own ?? The first thing we need to know is everything basically, starting with PH, how long has this tank been running?? What is your water source?? with nothing but brown algae in the tank the pleco probably starved unless you are feeding him another source of algae, such as wafers, flakes, something !!! even a slice of cucumber. The water change recommendation is not a bad one unless that water is as bad or worse than whats already in the tank. You may rest assured that with enough information, there are folks here who can put you right on track. *


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

The pleco was starving, and you obviously have a nasty infection loose in your tank. Cottonmouth can fool you, coming back again & again, and it works very swiftly when it does.


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## chinook (Oct 20, 2009)

Thanks for the info, I was feeding the pleco wafers but I thought that he would eat the algae too...hmmm
As for the water change I was/am doing one every 8 days usually (I work a 4 on 4 off rotation so it works for me) I did one 5 days after the meds though, I usually take 20g out of my 55g tank and replace it with tap water as close to the temp of the tank as possible is that too much?
I don't have my own test kit, but that is on the list for today. Lastly the tank has been running for about 4 months or so.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i agree with tos..the fish is starving...many folks kill their plecos by feeding them wrong...
plecos are scavengers...despite common beliefs;they cannot live on algae alone..they do need meats in their diets..and many species of plecos are more on the carnivorous side... another thing that plecos need is wood..real wood..it is critical to their digestion..


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## chinook (Oct 20, 2009)

Crap, I just feed flakes to the rest of the fish and algae wafers for the pleco, I do have a huge piece of driftwood in the tank too. Do you mean they actually have to ingest wood or just have it in the tank?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

They eat it. They use it like fiber/roughage to help them digest their food, like a bird that eats grit.


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