# Help my Pleco!



## Mustang3GT07

I think my pleco is going to die. I tested the water and everything is good. Did a good gravel suck n water change. The last 3 days my pleco has been laying on his back with his belly up, just laying there. He is still alive. He sometimes move but then kinda floats off. I've had him for 5 years. Is there anything I can do to save him or is he pretty much done for? Theres no bump or ich or anything on him.

I change about 15-20% water, gravel suck and change filters every 2 weeks. I havent added anything to the tank. When I do a water change I use something called "Cycle" been using it for 5 years. All the fish in the tank including the pleco are 5 years old.

I got 2 parrot fish, 4 tiger barbs, 2 rams and the pleco. There in a 75 gallon tank. Pleco is about 5 inches long and 2 inches wide. I just change the water, gravel sucked and changed the filters today to see if it maybe helps.

Is there anything else I can do to help him out??


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## StripesAndFins

How much have you been feeding it and does he swim at all? If you feed a fish too much its swim bladder will get messed up and it will either lay or swim on its side or upside down. If this the case, try feeding it a shelled pea.

Hope this helps and hope he gets better


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## Mustang3GT07

StripesAndFins said:


> How much have you been feeding it and does he swim at all? If you feed a fish too much its swim bladder will get messed up and it will either lay or swim on its side or upside down. If this the case, try feeding it a shelled pea.
> 
> Hope this helps and hope he gets better


I only feed my fish once a day and it is enough so every fish can eat it all. He does swim but when he does he is like freaking out and going crazy, then he ends up back on his back. He seems to be breathing very hard. This is day 4 of this. I don't think he will be able to eat a pea in his condition.


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## redpaulhus

If you're onlly adding "cycle" and no dechlorinator, and live in an area with chlorine or chlorimine in your tapwater (most places these days) - it might be a problem from the chlorine in the tapwater. Cycle is basically a bacteria booster / sludge-remover -- it doesn't detoxify chlorine or chlorimine.

Also - if you are changing your filter carts the same time you are doing a water change, you may be getting some ammonia spikes (especially if adding chlorinated water) for a few days because too much beneficial bacteria are being removed.

The behavior your describing sounds alot like ammonia poisoning to me...

Also - make sure your feeding your pleco a pleco-specific diet. They won't survive on "algae" or on the scraps of "normal" fishfood the other fish might leave them.
Feed them some algae wafers after the lights go out, or some zuchini slices, or even some of Locachata's "plecocaine" - but make sure they're getting something that they want that everybody else ignores.
Otherwise they slowly starve.


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## Obsidian

Is he always on his back? Or does he do that then turn over and rummage around the tank and look normal for a bit?

My 6 year old ABN loves to sunbathe on his back. He will do this just about anywhere in the tank. He will stay like that for quite a long time before turning over and being "normal." There isn't anything wrong with him, he just likes to hang around and see the world from a new point of view every so often


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