[SW Florida Kid]

This 55 gallon tank has been established for over a year. I have:

4 yellow labs
4 acei
4 red zebra
4 kenyi

THey have always eaten Flake food.. spirulina food.

Well, I just added a 9 inch pleco 2 days ago, and now the fish wont eat at all. They spit the food out right away.

I also have a yellow lab that hang out in the corner that is being bullied over the past few months.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[SW Florida Kid]

I'll add that when I put the 9 inch pleco in the tank, he was too big, so I move the rocks around so that he can be comfortable.

A lot has changed in the tank in the past week since I've gotten this pleco.

IN addition, one of the yellow labs.. it's face has turned slightly black/blueish.

I know this is a lot of information, but i feel i need to tell you guys everything so you can give me the best advice.

 

[loffy74]

I would do so reseach on Malawi Bloat or get a test kit check for ammonia / nitrates / ph

 

[dotbomb]

Did you quarantine this pleco before adding him to your tank?

Also, the addition may also have caused stress in your fish which can end up causing all sorts of issues.

I would skip a couple days of feeding and watch them carefully to see if there are signs of disease such as malawi bloat.

 

[Elijah]

Whever I feed my convict NLS pellets, he simply spits them back out and they collect on the bottom. But a few hours later and I take a look, all the pellets that were on the bottom, aren't there anymore. So he does eat them, if he has nothing else. But they're not his food of choice.

 

[DJRansome]

get a test kit check for ammonia / nitrates / ph

And nitrites. You might have stirred up some mulm when rearranging the rocks.

 

[newforestrob]

Its a little late now,but why did you add such a big pleco to a 55

 

[bstatham]

I saw no one answered your question about the coloring on the labs face. If the coloring looks gray/blackish it is called "bearding". Some labs will get bearding when they are stressed or some male labs will get bearding as a breeding behavior as well.

My bet here would be that your bearding is due to stress. Unless, your lab that is hanging out by itself in the corner appears to be holding. Sometimes the mother will isolate herself away out of the action while she is holding.