[Tropical_Reef]

My pleco died tonight, I had him for about a month, my test came back with no spikes or toxic levels, I don't have any algae in my tank and I only feed what my fish can eat in 30 seconds (11 Labs and 4 O/B peacocks 1M/3F), did he starve too death? I heard Plecos are indestructable...

 

[css virginia]

Plecos die suddenly and for no apparent reason. It has happened to me a number of times--for weeks they are healthy and show no signs of sickness and overnight they are gone. It's a puzzle-but has occurred to many people-even in LFS tanks.

 

[DJRansome]

Mbuna can attack plecos, but you would see the damage. They like to go for the eyes.

They can also arrive in an unhealthy condition, and you may be unable to nurse them back to health. Was the belly plump or concave?

 

[Tropical_Reef]

Not that I know of, but his fins were torn a little

 

[jonathansruelas]

just 2 weeks ago i lost a pleco in my all mbuna tank. it also had his fin's torn a little so im sure that the fish were the culprits. just make sure you get a bigger pleco next time so that they can have a better chance w the cichlids. its more of a hit or miss

 

[DJRansome]

Or get juvie pleco and juvie fish and let them all grow up together.

 

[MickRC3]

Did you ever see him feed? Did he have some live plants to graze on? You said the tank had no algae and 30-second feedings sound like little/no leftover food - so if he wasn't right up there eating when you put food in the tank starvation is a real possibility.

 

[DJRansome]

I've had plecos with no live plants and 30 second feedings survive with no problem. They don't swarm with the other fish IME...maybe it's just the bristlenose like I have that behave that way.

I would just keep an eye out for her on the glass and make sure her belly was nicely rounded (not concave).

 

[dougrhon]

I also have a fancy pleco in my Mbuna tank. I rarely even see him. I can go days without seeing him at all then he suddenly appears. One thing I did with my tank which is 80 gallons is to fill it with a ton of rock work so there is lots of refuge and I also leave the light on 12 hours a day to encourage algae growth. My rocks are covered with algae which all the fish will nibble on.

 

[Oscar Madison]

I gave up on plecos after I had three die shortly after being intoduced into my Malawi tank.

No apparent signs of being attacked......they just croaked.

 

[Muhammed Hisham]

Mbuna can attack plecos, but you would see the damage. They like to go for the eyes.

They can also arrive in an unhealthy condition, and you may be unable to nurse them back to health. Was the belly plump or concave?

My plecos died too…actually two of them were doing well for 3-4 months and suddenly both of them died in a gap of 2 weeks…the albino common pleco was literally a skeleton when i came to feed the tank in the morning while the other common pleco was found at the filter outlet with an eye lost but vrything else intact…since youve asked,the belly was concave after death…water parameters were okay…Do you know why it happenz…theres enough algae in that tank for them both but they defintely doesnt get to eat the algae wafers as the others go crazy for it too…i hear some say they just cant always survive on algae and they do need other stuff to eat too…is that true?if that is then that could well be the cause

 

[DJRansome]

The Africans are curious and check out the eyes. Then they take a nibble. Then one thing leads to another. The fish are not all that compatible as sir_keith has stated. They don't even clean decor well. At one point in their young lives they can clean algae off the glass in an entire tank overnight, but that is not a lifetime habit. Probably if you feed too much they don't clean at all. Once you are lucky enough to get a savvy one who survives the initial introduction, they are usually OK for life. Kind of fun to breed, but the young need to be fairly mature before introducing to an African tank. Not big, just have some experience. I provide low, covered hiding places like a terra cotta saucer covered with a slate tile. The Malawi like these caves as well, but maybe a LITTLE more protection for the BN.