[ictoae]

so, I did a water change on friday afternoon on my 55g. changed 25-30% normal routine every friday type thing. Nitrates stay under ~20.

I was at work saturday morning and my wife called me to ask if a plecostamus swims upside down. the plec was about 5" and the only thing in the tank even close to his size is a 3" lab so I'm pretty sure a fish didn't kill him. (the rest of the tank is growing out)

Nothing else died and I would assume that a plec would be the hardiest fish in the tank. my 2" BN is fine and I have 3/4" fry in the tank that aren't sick or dieing.

What would kill my healthy plec and not bother anything else in the tank? I'm boggled.

 

[poeticpyro]

i had plecs mysteriously dying...

if it was a common pleco...some things are easily ruled out...like TB which is common in Royals since they're mainly wild caught.

I would say there's cause for concern about it getting enough food or simply was it eating too much... I had a pleco die once because it had gotten into rotten food and it got sick and eventually died... was it acting abnormally? anything at all??

 

[css virginia]

I have had my share of Plecos dying for unknown reasons. They were healthy the day before and I find them the next day-expired on the bottom of the tank. Why.... :-? ..other plecos in the tank are fine. I have had plecos get stuck on a powerheads intake..and of course they are goners.!!

Remember The Alamo..!! 8)

 

[ictoae]

yes it was just a common pleco. I doubt it had food issues. my wife hates my fish but for some reason enjoys dropping algae wafers into the tank. She thinks it's funny watchin my big lab and my now dead pleco play tug of war with them maybe. but she still didn't do it more than once or twice a day. I guess I'll just chock it up to mystery fish death and keep an eye on my tank to make sure my other fishies live.

 

[poeticpyro]

hate to not have an answer... I really don't know...but I've had a few mysterious deaths as well... don't know if it's a diet imbalance or just stress...who knows...