Pleco ID
Where can I find out what type of Pleco I have as it does not seem to match any photos on the net? Can I send you a photo? <The best site for all info covering Plecos is planetcatfish.com. I'd be happy to take a look. Don>
Thanks
Chetna

The Start of Something Big
We have just bought a spotted Plecostomus about 5cms long, the tank was set up in July with three tetra's. Having finally got the green light with the water testing we got the fish that I had been hankering after. There was a fair amount of algae in the tank mainly brown and we have two plants, bogwood and stone. I have put in Algae wafer and live feed. <OK to the wafers, but what "live" food? They will take small worms, but I'd stay away from them. Try zucchini, cucumber, squash, carrots. And a raw shrimp a few times a month. Attach to a rock and feed just before the lights go out. They are much more active at night> Scooby seems to be constipated as there is a long trail of poop hanging down when he is glass sucking. <Well phrased> I do not have a quarantine tank. We are starting small due to space limitations. I read your site and will try the defrosted frozen pea, <A good food> but I am unable to starve him! Any other ideas? <Yep, stop worrying! Plecos are poop machines! Very normal to see what you're seeing. I'm not really sure what species you have. There are a few type of Plecos with "spotted" in their name. And the Common Pleco usually has a spotted pattern. If you have a Common he will be "decorating" your tank more and more as he grows. They get big, over a foot, to eighteen inches! You haven't seen anything yet! Don>        
Thank you for your help
Sara

A Sick Pleco
Hello,
I just recently emptied my 29 gallon tank and cleaned it while I was redecorating my bedroom. Two days after I had the tank up and running again, my parent's cleaning lady found my 7+ inch Plecostomus, that I have had for 3 years, laying on the carpet. She put it in a bowl of water, changed the water twice then when I got home about 4 hours later I put the fish back in the tank. Today I noticed what looks like blood dripping off the fins and sore spots on the stomach area. I have read on the internet about Septicemia and Red Pest. I don't know what to do with
him (or her). Can you help?
< Any time fish are handled the hand or net needs to be wet. Anything dry removes the fishes protective slime that prevents them from bacterial infections. The bouncing around on the carpet sounds like it removed quite a bit of the fish's protective slime. Make sure the water is clean by servicing the filter and do a 30% water change. Treat with Nitrofuranace and use a water conditioner with a protective coating in it to help replace the fishes slime.-Chuck>
Jill

Pleco Feeding Basics
Hi Don - First of all, I need to let you know that I've tried to go to the forum but get an error every time. <Zo, you reading this? Try again. some features do hang up once in a while> I have also read the FAQ's all over the website but cannot find anything about aquarium salt. <??? talked about all the time> I have, once when I started losing fish and cleaned the tank and did a complete water change, added 2 tablespoons as it says on the box. <OK> I had never heard of this before but was instructed to do so by the fish store. <Good as a rule. Some fish are salt intolerant, catfish among them. But a tbls per gallon is OK.> Also, when I did my 50% partial water change yesterday, I added 1 tablespoon, having not even thought about it between times. <Steady is best in all thing having to do with your water. Once you start you should replace with water changes. Not in top off water. Salt does not evaporate.> I have been doing a 50% water change and daily vacuuming since your email of 10/13. <Wow, better than me> All three fish seem to be doing fine except my Pleco won't eat the zucchini <Strange. I assume you have the Common Pleco. They usually tear it apart. Try a raw shrimp, fed the same way, after we get done with the cycling.> and my local fish store is out of algae wafers! But he must be eating something because he's growing and still with us. He's "shy" but he's always been that way. <normal>
I know from other FAQ's that it takes sometimes a month or more for the tank to cycle so I'm patiently changing water and vacuuming; but just today the alkalinity level has dropped from 120 (ideal) to 80 (moderate), and the ph level has risen from 7.2 (neutral) to 7.8 (alkaline).  This was AFTER I did the water change. I have not added any salt today.  Otherwise, the nitrate level has dropped to between 20 and 0 (safe<Yep, it is>); nitrite level is still between 1.0 and 3.0 (stress <leading to death>); and ammonia is .25 (safe<No way!>). My source water readings are: nitrate 0-20; nitrite 0; hardness 150; alkalinity 120; ph 6.8; ammonia .25.
Should I add a C-100 water purifier? Says it prevents new tank syndrome and removes ammonia. I obviously have new tank syndrome but ammonia is "safe". <No it's not> Also what about the salt? <I would keep about one tbls per gallon in with the goldfish. Not needed or wanted by the Pleco, but that level will not hurt him> Thanks much for your help and I'll keep trying to get to the forum. <Please>
Robin
<Robin, you do have new tank syndrome, but not for long. Hang in there. Things will become much easier soon. Be aware, there is no such thing as a safe level of ammonia or nitrite. You have it in you tap because your water is treated with a combination of ammonia and chlorine called chloramine. Your dechloinator is breaking the bond between them and removing the chlorine. The only way to remove the ammonia is thru a bio filter. You'll have that when the tank is done cycling.> Don>

Pleco Feeding
Hi there,
I have both a 5 inch Arowana and a 4 inch Pleco. <Two very big fish as adults. That Arowana will out grow a 500 gallon tank. The Pleco can grow to 18".> As much as possible I make sure that the water in the tank is crystal clear and free from algae and poop. <Great> I change the water every week (25%). <That may be good. Test for nitrate. Adjust the schedule to keep below 20ppm>
How will I know that this Pleco/tank cleaner/algae eater fish will survive and have enough food/algae to eat? <He will not unless you target feed him> The water is already clean and free from algae. It has been a three weeks now and the Pleco is still alive <and very hungry I bet> but only positions itself in one corner of the aquarium (sometimes on top, sometimes on the bottom of that same corner). <Normal for a Pleco. Far more active at night.>
The only one that I feed with Hikari food sticks and dried krill is the Arowana. <Great! Stay away from feeder fish> I do not know if the Pleco will be fine by itself without me feeding it. <Of course it depends on the size of the tank, but few produce enough to feed a Pleco. Target feed at night by offering assorted vegetables attached to a rock. Zucchini, cucumber, carrots, squash are all good foods. A small cocktail shrimp fed in the same way is also good. Remove any uneaten in the AM. Hikari makes an algae wafer that you can feed as a staple. Always feed at night, in the dark.>
Thanks,
Antonio
<Unless you have a massive tank I would suggest you trade the Arowana for some other fish. Even the Pleco will need 100 gallons in time. The Arowana needs a pond size tank. Don>

Pleco Feeding Basics
Good morning, Don and thanks for answering me so fast.  A stupid question, maybe, <Not!> but I need some clarification re feeding my Pleco: zucchini - I'm assuming you mean steamed and kind of squishy? <I feed mine raw veggies. Many here recommend a light blanching first. Never cook to the point of squishy> Do I chop it up in tiny little pieces, <no> or leave a small piece intact so he can suck away? <Leave it in a chunk that he can chew on. Attach it to a rock to keep it on the bottom. I spear mine on a long thin piece of slate. Rubberbands will work. Do not use metal twist ties. Remove any uneaten in the AM.> Not sure what you mean but with all the problems I'm having with water, etc I want to give these fish every opportunity for survival! Also, since he prefers to feed at night, should I just feed all the fish at night?  <No. Just the catfish> How do I ensure that when I drop in a brine shrimp pellet, my Pleco gets some of it?  <Drop it in just before you go to bed and the tank is in total darkness. The others will sleep while the Pleco feeds.> Also, re the algae tablets, do the other fish eat this as well or is that something that only the Pleco will want? <Your goldfish will nibble at them, maybe gobble them up.> Re the peas for the Pleco, my two goldies gobble it up as soon as it hits the water. How do I ensure the Pleco gets some because there seems to be nothing left of the peas at all. <Feed in the dark. If the goldies still get them, switch to a chunk of zucchini, squash, carrot etc., too big for them to swallow. Go light on this, and all feeding, until we get the tank cycled. If he comes out during the day to take flake or pellets, then I'd hold of target feeding him until that cycle is going.> Sorry if these questions are stupid <Not at all> but please remember, I'm a complete novice!  Thanks very much - Robin
<Robin, have you joined us in the forum yet? Please do. There you will find many people, and get many opinions, on every aspect of the hobby. You can learn a lot from just reading the old posts. Hope to see you there. I'm "Fish Soup" in the forum. Don>    

Plecos won't suck for long
Can you give me any idea as to why our Plecos keep dying?  I did research your web site and cannot seem to find anything other than an article suggesting that we tear the tank apart, remove the gravel and start over again.  
We have only one large goldfish in a 20 gallon tank and every time we add a new Pleco, it lives for about 5-6 days and then I find it dead!  Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your assistance,
Sherry
< There are hundreds of species of Plecos available today. Go to planetcatfish.com and you will see many types of pleco's with tips on there feeding requirements as well as other info. In general when buying pleco's look for ones that have full bellies so take a good look under them and make sure that they have not been starved. Unfortunately most pleco's are wild caught and are held in facilities for a long time until they catch enough to ship. So what you will find is that some look fine while other are starved and have no food reserves. Pleco's come from tropical South America so you may be keeping them too cold with your goldfish. Stone lapping sharks from the genus Garra are better in goldfish tanks that pleco's. When you get a new Pleco I always feed then some black worms at first to get some much needed protein in them. After that I give them occasional algae wafers or a rock from another tank that needs to be cleaned. Fish need vitamin C especially Plecos. Sometimes I give my pleco's some Guinea pig pellets. Guinea pigs like humans cannot make there own vitamin C and need to get it from their food. These pellets are nutritious alfalfa pellets enriched with vitamin C. They really seem to love them too. -Chuck>

Zebra Pleco purchase
I am trying to buy a tank bred juvenile zebra Pleco for my home tank in Hawaii.  I am not adverse to buying from Europe but wonder if there is a closer source so that the fish has a greater chance of surviving the shipping process.  Can you be of any help?
< There are a few breeders in the US breeding zebra Plecos but they are very expensive and slow growing. Check Aquabid and be prepared to pay because these fish don't come cheap. BTW they don't eat algae. They are actually shrimp feeders. To get some info on the new Plecos check out planetcatfish.com. -Chuck>
Loralyn Cramer

Gulping Plecostomus
A few months ago I spoke to Marina about my tetra with no eyes. Sadly he passed away some time ago. I think I over-enthusiastically gave him too much food which possibly removed a lot of the oxygen from the water in his protective container as it began to decay. I came home from work and he had died during the day. It was upsetting - stupidly you always get attached to the sick or injured ones! Thanks for all your help though Marina.
I have two huge (8ins, 7 1/4ins) plecs in my 4ft tank, which is getting too small for them now. The tank is in my bedroom and I think its been one or both who've been keeping me up at night! Over the last 4 nights or so, I've been waking up what seems like every few minutes. Yesterday I couldn't get to sleep because of the irregular splashing, gulping noises coming from the tank every few minutes or so. I think this might be the cause of my insomnia, but I'm concerned from the plecs' perspective.
I understand some plecs do gulp to "gain better control of their buoyancy", to allow themselves to graze upside down etc. However this shouldn't be necessary every few minutes should it? They hardly ever do it during tank light hours. I have two huge internal filters (Fluval 4 Plus and Fluval 3) that double as aerators (they are great wave machines!) so do not use a separate air pump. The Fluval 3 has not been running well the last few days. Could this have affected the oxygen content enough to cause this behaviour? The other fish seem unaffected.
The only other thing I can think is that is might be a symptom of their outgrowing the tank. The dominant plec has begun to physically harass the submissive one, though thankfully there have been no actual battles - the submissive just swims away as fast as possible! What do you think?
< When water enters a canister filter it contains oxygen. The bacteria in the filters utilize this oxygen so when it comes out of each filter it essentially contains no oxygen. Now two things could get going on with your tank. If it is an oxygen deficiency then the addition of a small air pump and an airstone should take care of the problem. Plecos are really nocturnal so I suspect that they are feeding on the algae and left over food that may accumulate at the waters surface along the edge of the tank. If they are hungry then give them a couple algae wafers when you turn out the lights and that should keep them busy until you fall asleep.-Chuck>
Thanks ever so!
Rachael Bartlett

Plecos and Goldfish
Hi,
I was just given a 12" Pleco that had outgrown it's tank. After three days I noticed it was trailing long ropelike poop. Is this normal? If not what is the cause and what should I do?
< This is normal for large algae eating Plecos and requires no attention>
Also, I have several large goldfish. Are there any problems keeping them together?
< Your Pleco comes from South America were the water is soft , acidic and warm (80+). Your gold fish like cooler water below 70. So if you try and keep it around 75 they will survive but may not thrive. If either becomes ill then you may have to place them in their own tanks with either warmer or cooler water depending on the species.-Chuck>
Thank you for your help.
Doug

Plecos and Acrylic Aquariums
<Hi, MikeD here>
I just finished building several acrylic tanks to house and breed (hopefully) a few species of Plecos (L169, L114, L271, and L081).  Today, while reading an article on Planet Catfish, it read that zebra Plecos will scratch acrylic tanks up so bad you can't see through them.  Have you ever had a place scratch an acrylic tank or heard from a reputable source that they do?<Yes. Plecostomus catfish all have teeth set up in various arrangements around their mouth in the center of the sucking lips. They use these teeth to scrape plant matter from the rocks and substrate, but have even been seen scavenging on dead fish, where they busily rasp away at the flesh for a meat dinner.  In most cases, it takes a considerable amount of time for the damage to show on the acrylic unless you have very large specimens.>  I was hoping to getting them in their new homes as soon as possible, but I don't want to have them destroy all my hard work. <That's a definite possibility here, even a probability with larger animals.>  Thanks for you time.<Sorry I couldn't give you a better answer.>
- Jason Seymour

Suckermouth Catfish young!
hi bob,
today a bigger clean up for my fish tank was due. I noticed for a while the Bristlenose catfish male sitting in the terracotta pot underneath the filter. I have a submerged pump with filter. because he was too long and always sticking out with head or tail I thought I give him the pot with the big hole in the bottom so he could fit better in. I took the pot out and noticed something falling out. I first believed it to be old rotten leaves but when they were wiggling around I already lost some. I put the pot with the remaining larvae ( about a dozen) in a small tank on the kitchen bench top where I usually raise brine shrimp. lucky that it was just cleaned and refilled with water. now there is the bigger pot under the filter and the male is still guarding it. I feel sorry for him that I pinched his fry. I will probably leave him the next batch of fry and see how they are going in the tank, especially after he stops guarding the nest. now they are sitting in the pot and got a sponge filter and some potted java ferns with them. I didn't expect such a thing to happen because the temperature is going down.
currently 20 degrees c. I noticed the bitterling male displaying to his favourite girl. she doesn't look pregnant to me but one can try anyway. back to the Bristlenose fry. they must have hatched just before I found them. now after about 36 hours there is still one egg. will it hatch or do I have to remove it that it doesn't go off and foul the water?
< The one remaining egg is probably infertile and will fungus up but should not be too big a problem.>
I find the egg quite huge compared to the rosy barb and goldfish eggs we were breeding years ago.
the fry looks big too, with their big egg yolks. they were orange yesterday but they start to get darker now. I called "my" pet shop yesterday and he said I have to put some driftwood in otherwise I wouldn't have much success
with raising the fry. so I went into the garden and picked some bigger pieces of timber from my mulch ( I don't use pesticide) and boiled them for a couple of hours. later on when they are free swimming I will feed them brine shrimp, vinegar eels and small pellets. do you have any suggestions? I would appreciate them.
< Baby Bristlenose Plecos should be feed algae. Put in any plastic plant or rock covered in algae for them to feed on. Algae wafers can be used to except that the fry soon become imprinted on a food source and can be hard to get them to switch over. I know some people that have bred them and can't get the fry to eat algae at all. Some Plecos species require some wood in their diet. I don't think this species requires it but it can't hurt to have it in there either.-Chuck>
Silvia

Sick Whiptail
Hello, First I'd like to thank you for the advice you've already provided on this topic, unfortunately I haven't been successful in treating my catfish and I'm hoping you can shed some more light on the problem.  Here are the specs on the tank and its maintenance: 
I have a 45 gallon freshwater aquarium that houses 5 calico platies (2 male, 3 female), 1 female pineapple swordtail, 2 'skunk' Corydoras catfish, 3 Oto catfish, 3 serpae tetras, and 1 magnificent 6" female whiptail catfish (She's an import; Loricaria sp. 'Columbia').  
The tank is planted with many plastic plants, with a medium sized piece of driftwood, and two pieces of bogwood. I use an Aquaclear 200 power filter (with 2 bio sponges; never changed, only rinsed, carbon; changed every two weeks, and floss; changed weekly), a Penguin 170 Bio-Wheel filter, a UGF (bubbles, not powerhead) and a smallish Fluval power filter with an Aquaclear sponge instead of the regular insert. The tank is cleaned with a diatom filter every two weeks (to 'polish' the water and reduce the population of parasites). I do a 20% water change every week. The pH is a very steady 7.3 and has 0 ammonia and nitrites, nitrates are <20ppm (the lowest level measurable with the kit I have). The temperature is a steady 80F.The whiptail has been growing steadily fatter for about two months. At first I thought she (I'm pretty sure she's a female, no whiskers / bristles on her cheeks or pectoral fins) was egg-bound. After I wrote you my first email you (thank goodness!) let me know she was more likely sick-either with parasites or constipated with bacteria bloating her up.  Our Oto cats have also become bloated, but don't seem constipated; they're pooping. I do not see typical 'Pleco poop' from the whiptail, but never really have since buying her; there is always some waste in the gravel, it's tough to tell if a particular fish is pooping unless I actually see them in the act.  I medicated the tank (we don't have a qt tank but believe me we're getting one as soon as we can) with 1 tsp Epsom salts / 5 gallons, and 'General Cure' (Each capsule contains 125 mg Metronidazole, 13 mg Copper Sulfate and 8 mg Trichlorofon and treats 10 gallons of water) because it was the ONLY medication I could find at any of the 9 stores I visited that contained Metro, which is what you suggested I medicate her with. I medicated the tank for the recommended 3 doses, and noticed no improvement.  I visited a specialty aquarium store (Big Al's) and asked their resident disease guru about my catfish's condition. He suggested that since she's a wild import she would certainly be infested with intestinal parasites /worms, and suggested a course of 'Disco-Worm' (a metal based medication; I don't know how this works, but they told me it would). I cleaned the aquarium, filtered through carbon, and then began a course of Disco-Worm.  Again, there was no improvement.  I am now trying the General Cure again, with 50% water changes between treatments (every 48 hours), vacuuming the gravel thoroughly each time.  Today I applied the third dose of this medication (the package says this is a full course of medication) and there is no improvement. In fact, she's actually larger. 
The whiptail is active, eats well (I initially fasted her for 4 days, since then have fed her only Spirulina pellets (Hikari) and the occasional thawed frozen pea) and her colour is normal. She does not look like a fish with dropsy. For two days now she has been more active in the daytime than usual, swimming around and landing on the plants resting head down. She looks uncomfortable; I can understand if she doesn't want to rest on her bloated belly, it looks about to burst.
My questions are: 
Have you any idea what could be wrong?  Should I continue with the Epsom salts?  Should I discontinue the General Cure or continue? The package says "treatment may be repeated if necessary" but one of our serpae tetras recently died (with no signs of disease / stress) and now the other three look unhappy; they're listless and not eating eagerly, a little pale. I assume this is because the treatment is very hard on them and / or they are experiencing the same illness that the catfish are.  I appreciate your input more than you can know. I have asked staff at aquarium stores, searched high and low for info on the internet, and I've come up with almost nothing. I have Dieter Untergasser's Handbook of Fish Diseases, but I can't seem to find anything within that quite meets the criteria of what's happening to my girl. I absolutely adore my fish, and will do anything within my means to make them feel better.
I look forward to hearing from you, Amy
<<Amy, sorry for taking so long to get to this email. My apologies. Is she still doing the same things? Bloated? Your best bet is to double check your water values, bring a sample to Big Al's and have them test it, then compare their test results to yours. Easy enough. While you are there, buy a ten gallon (or 15g) tank for a hospital. One thing you must realize is that many times the infections our fish have need a great deal of time in order to cure them. I have treated some fish for up to a month in order to rid them of their problems. Please do not give up. Metronidazole is not a strong medication, and the levels in these prepared medications could be way too low to help in your fishes advanced situation. Metro can also possibly affect your biofiltration, it depends on how well established your bacteria colonies are. Old, well established tanks suffer much less. Always treat fish in hospital tanks if possible, I know you already are trying to do this. Please do :) Make sure to test your hospital tank as often as possible for ammonia and nitrites. I would switch to a stronger dose of Metronidazole. Levamisole and Piperazine will also help kill internal parasites. However, the problem could be an internal bacterial infection that has already damaged internal organs due to pressure inside the body cavity. Feeding with metro is your best bet. You must feed and treat for a few more weeks, I'm afraid. Crush a half tablet of Metronidazole into a couple teaspoons of tank water, add food, let it absorb the medication, then feed to the fish. A long shot, as it's hard to say what the fish is actually eating, and I hope the fish survives this lengthy treatment. As I mentioned, the situation is advanced, so there is no guarantee, it is possible you started to notice when the fish was already beyond hope. This is often the case with internal problems. Please update me on your fishes status ASAP. Again, I apologize for the delay in responding. -Gwen>>

Re: sick whiptail - Follow-up
Hi Gwen,
Just a quick note to say thanks, I'll leave her where she is, feed her peas once a week, and give her Metro-soaked algae wafers each day for a few weeks (or longer) until she feels better.  Her tank is planted with _plastic_ plants, should have said that! It has a light; I was curious about hospital tanks needing a light in case I needed to go out and purchase a special hospital tank (and, therefore, possibly a new fluorescent fixture) for her.  I'm so thankful you guys are out there watching out for us amateurs!  I'll keep you updated on her progress :)  Amy
<<Amy, you are most welcome, and good luck! And do keep us posted :) -Gwen>>

Sick Whiptail Catfish-Update
Hi Gwen,
Thank you so much for your help!
A few days ago I moved the whiptail into our 10g (established - both tanks have been up and running for years). It usually houses a Betta and two Otos, which I've moved into the 45g community tank. All the water parameters are steady (no ammonia or nitrates, nitrates below 30ppm, and are identical for both tanks, including temperature (80F) and pH (7.3).  I will double check this by taking a sample to the store when I go to buy *fingers crossed* the Metro. 
I hope using this tank is okay, it has plants, wood, gravel, algae, an established bio filter... not exactly a hospital tank. If getting her a bare, 'sterile' tank is better, I will try my best to come up with the funds to purchase another tank, a heater and a sponge filter (I have a Fluval 2 with sponge media inside, would that work?). Does a hospital tank require lighting? (Our bedroom has large windows and gets a fair amount of natural light, would this be sufficient for her during her stay in the hospital?)  For the last two days I have fed her only thawed, shelled frozen peas (1 each night). I have added 1 tsp Epsom salts/5g to the water (she has been in Epsom salted water now for quite some time, hope that won't cause problems).
We have had a bit of a breakthrough since moving her:
SHE'S POOPING! Sorry to shout, I never thought a fish pooping would make me happy *grin* but it does. I have a feeling she hasn't pooped in ages (hard to tell, but never found any 6" fish sized poop in the big community tank), it's good to see something finally happening.  What is coming out looks pretty abnormal to me, LONG (up to 3") stringy clear things that catch on the plants and wave in the current like fine hairs, some rice-sized bright green/white pods, and some semi normal 1/2 inch long bumpy (not long smooth ropes like Pleco poop) brown poos (all alternating; this morning she's back to the white stringy stuff).  Sorry to be graphic, but I know that you can tell a lot of things by looking at a fish's waste.  
Should I use antibiotics as well as the Metro? I never considered that she might have a bacterial infection. I have some Kanacyn, this is what the LFS suggested once when I thought my fish had fin rot (turns out they were just being nipped by the serapes), is this a good medicine to use when you're not sure what kind of infection you're trying to tackle?  Thank you for your thoughtful reply. Don't worry, I'm not ready to give up, I adore this prehistoric looking fishy of mine.  
Thanks again for your help,
Amy
P.S. I've been trying to send pictures, but the messages are returned as 'undeliverable' without explanation. The files are digital camera pix, VERY small (~15 Kb), JPGs. Just wondering if maybe you're not accepting mail with attachments right now?
<<Dear Amy; Congratulations on the POOP! LOL, also, the ten gallon she is in sounds fine. The reason hospital tanks are usually kept more "sterile" is because treating with medications can be hard on fish, plants and biological bacteria. Plus, you don't want the added trouble of siphoning dirty gravel when half the battle is in keeping water parameters perfect...At any rate, the treatment you are using now will not harm your plants, and since you seem to take care of your water quality, the gravel shouldn't be a problem either. Light doesn't matter, except that you have live plants? Keep the lights on only long enough to ensure the plants don't suffer. Probably this tank will help her heal faster, given she has places to hide and therefore will be less stressed. Adding Metronidazole to her food will not affect biofiltration, since you are only adding the treated food. Adding metro directly to tank water should not affect anything, since your biofiltration is well established. Metro IS an antibiotic, so you should test the ammonia etc anyways, but I don't foresee any trouble in that area. Just make sure she ONLY gets medicated food, no other foods from now on because she must eat the treated food. You may give her the peas once a week for now, it will help keep her intestinal tract clear. You can go back to her regular diet after the treatment ends. The white, stringy feces is a sure sign of internal infection, therefore the medication must be taken internally. As I mentioned, this will take some time, do not stop treating her even if her feces return to normal in a few days. Keep going for a couple of weeks. I once fed a pricey Asian Arowana some metro-treated food for three entire weeks before his eye infection went away...:P Kanacyn, by the way, may harm your biofiltration, again, be careful using it. I doubt you need it at this time. It is an excellent antibiotic, though. -Gwen>> 

Re: Sick Whiptail-Update
*smile* Hi Gwen,
I’m happy to report that my girl looks like she’s getting better!  I’ve been feeding her Metro-soaked Hikari algae wafers and also medicating the tank water with Metro.  I do daily 50% water changes, vacuuming the gravel well (not touching the filter media in the outside power filter though) and I’ve been using Cycle to support the filter bacteria since I’m stirring up the UGF every day. I’m also still using Epsom salts, replacing after each water change. She still looks quite bloated, but nothing like she did a few days ago; she could have balanced on her belly and had her chin and tail off the gravel at one point, now she just looks pudgy. She’s also more active today than she’s been in ages; a couple days ago she wouldn’t even move for the siphon, today she jumped out of the way and then stared that Python down until I was done cleaning under the driftwood, at which point she immediately swam back over to her favourite resting spot and glared at the siphon while I cleaned the rest of the tank.  Her poops look more normal every time I see one (and she’s going every day, yay!), but yesterday she had another bout of the white stringies. I saw what looked like very tiny white dots in the cloud of white uh… excreta… about ¼ ‘ich’ sized. I wondered, could these be the parasites? Are they visible to the naked eye?
I’ll continue to keep you posted,
Amy
<<Hey Amy, that sounds great! You are doing a wonderful job :) My only concern is the UGF, when it is disturbed a lot of nasty build-up can be released into the water. Perhaps you might want to run some good quality carbon for a few hours in between medicating just to add to the safety margin, and keep doing those water changes :P Carbon removes meds, so I normally would not suggest it, but I am unsure about what might be lingering after the UGF cleanup....The white dots in her poop could be anything, but yes, parasites are possible, most likely small worms. A good microscope might help you see them easily. Doesn't matter if you don't actually manage to figure out what they are, the Metronidazole should clear them up. Keep up the good work! I can't recall offhand how long the treatment has been going on at this point, but a few weeks is not too long, so keep treating her until the poop becomes normal. Even three weeks, if necessary. Keep us posted! :) -Gwen>> 

Peppermint Pleco
hi
let me first say what a very informative site.
I've recently purchased a peppermint Pleco L30 which I understand will become an L31 when it matures and have tried to find some information as I do with all my fish as I like to understand there needs as best I can and have spent hours trawling the internet and all I can find is pictures which as im sitting looking at my Pleco as I write isn't much use to me.
could you please help or tell me where I can find what im looking for
< Planetcatfish.com will have everything you need.-Chuck>
thank you for your help
Darrell

Egg bound Whiptail Catfish?
Hello,
I've been reading your site for some time now, it is absolutely amazing!
I have a 45 gallon freshwater aquarium that houses 5 calico platies (2 male, 3 female), 1 female pineapple swordtail, 2 'skunk' Corydoras catfish, 3 Oto catfish, 4 serpae tetras, 1 nickel-sized blushing angelfish and 1 magnificent 6" female whiptail catfish (I've been trying to find out exactly what kind, I'm reasonably sure she's a 'Loricariid parva').
Tank and water specs: The tank is planted with many plastic plants, with a medium sized piece of driftwood in the centre. I use an Aquaclear 200 power filter (with 2 bio sponges; never changed, only rinsed, carbon; changed
every two weeks, and floss; changed weekly), a Penguin 170 Bio-Wheel filter, a UGF (bubbles, not powerhead) and a smallish Fluval internal filter with an Aquaclear sponge instead of the regular insert.  The tank is cleaned with a
diatom filter every two weeks (to 'polish' the water and reduce the population of parasites like ich). I do a 20% water change every week.  The pH is a very steady 7.3 (a little high, but I don't want to alter it with chemicals and none of our fish have objected so far) and has 0 ammonia and nitrites, nitrates are <20ppm.  The temperature is a steady 80F.
I feed a varied diet of veggie and regular flakes, bottom feeder algae and regular pellets, freeze-dried krill and occasional freeze-dried Tubifex and bloodworms.
And now that you know all that, here's my question:
Our whiptail seems very healthy, has a voracious appetite for almost everything I put in front of her (although I've never seen her eat in a traditional 'Pleco' way from the glass or on the driftwood, she just puts entire pellets into her mouth and 'gums' them until they're gone), but has been growing fatter and fatter over the last four weeks.  At first I thought she was just settling in, growing up and filling out, but now I'm worried she may be egg bound.
I have been looking high and low at all our local (and not-so-local) fish stores for a male of the same species, without success.  
Is there anything I should do, or can do, to encourage her to let go of her eggs? Her poor belly is very distended; she looks horribly uncomfortable, and a little bit like she's going to explode!
< Unfortunately I don't think she is egg bound. Females are typically wider that males and have fewer whiskers around the head. You little whiptail probably has eaten some left over rotting food and now has a case of bloat/dropsy. In the wild they eat mostly algae. They have a very long intestinal track and the fiber in the plant matter takes a long time to digest. When they are fed lots of animal protein, then it is quickly utilized in the gut but still has a long way to go before it gets excreted. This indigestible material starts to be broken down by the bacteria in the gut. As the bacteria eat this matter then they multiply and grow and give off gas. As the fish continues to eat, then the bacteria continue to grow and blocks off the intestine. Your fish is in real trouble. Isolate the fish in a quarantine tank. Treat with 250 mg of Metronidazole per 10 gallons of water. Treat every other day and do a 30% water change too. A good sign would be to see some long stringy fecal matter. Do not feed until the swelling has been reduced. In the wild these fish do not get this much animal protein and really can't handle a constant diet of it.-Chuck>
Thank you for any insight you can provide,
Amy

Can Plecostomus be effected by skin flukes
I have a 29 (long) aquarium, I have had problems keeping any fish alive in there except 2 large, super veil angels and a (Hypostomus) Plecostomus. (Every Cory Cat fish I put in there, came down with a "pop eye" disease). So the 2 angels and the Pleco have been the only residents for 2 years. The angels were a breeding pair, until the female came down with a bad case of huge growths on her upper lip, (they looked like 2 large peas, but white or gray in color). After that she got really grumpy, I talked to an expert on angels, he said it was "kind of a wart" or a better lack of words, and that surgically removing them, and not accidentally removing her lip was the only was to get rid of them, or these growths would eventually get so big, that she will no longer be able to eat, and she'd starve. Monday the male Angel died. I couldn't see anything wrong, I have had good water conditions, certainly no over crowding. The next day I noticed white spikes coming out of my female angel, up close that is exactly what they looked like. >From the other fish experts I've talked to, it sounds as though she had body flukes. All I can think of is they must have came in on a live plant I purchased. Can Body flukes at some stage in their life be transmitted on plants? 
< Anything is possible but pretty unlikely> 
Nothing else was new in the aquarium. She had 12 or more of these "spikes". The next morning I had her "put down", so to speak. I have the Plecostomus out of that aquarium now, in quarantine. As far as I can tell I have done everything right with him. He has never shown any signs of problems. He still doesn't, he went into quarantine yesterday. 
I have a 2000 gallon outdoor decorative pond, I have Koi and a very large Plecostomus who will be going into very soon, ( I am waiting for the pond to do it's bacteria build up thing.) The Koi are various sizes, but I three which are 17 or 18 inches long, there are 9 Koi all together, and the Plecostomus in the pond is 18 inches. 
How long should I keep this other poor Plecostomus in quarantine? 
< If you are really worried I would keep him in quarantine between two and six weeks.> 
Also, do you have a good suggestion on how to really sterilize that 29 gallon aquarium? 
< I am not a really big fan of sterilization. My suggestion would be to heat your tank up to 80 degrees plus for a week or two. Any pathogens will starve without any hosts in that time period. At the end of that time I would do a 50% water change. Pick out some new fish to add to your tank and put them in the quarantine tank. In two to four weeks they could be added to your main tank. Make sure your filter is cleaned often. The BioWheel is a great invention and gives you many options. Make sure that you gravel vac the sludge from the gravel.> 
It has gravel, plants (one live one, which I plan on pitching), a nice large back flow filter, with a bacteria wheel, also a good powerful pump with an under gravel bacteria filter. What should I do. 
< Check you water conditions. You left out some important information. Keep the water temp at 80 degrees. I would clean the filter at least once but no later than twice a week despite what it looks like. Check the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. You should have no ammonia , no nitrites and the nitrate levels should be no higher than 25 ppm. Elevated levels of these compounds lead to long term chronic problems that you have described.> 
I also have another 29 long ~ aquarium, with fish, and the 150 gallon decorative pond in my living room, which is the Koi's winter residence. But water changes every three days and running 3 pumps in there (and all the fish are healthy) this is driving me nuts. I am fished out. And I still have to decide what to do the Pleco in quarantine, and the tank with a problem. Suggestions please ~ Deb 
< Unfortunately big fish generate lots of waste. There is no magic potion to make this problem go away, but I do have some suggestions. With all those koi you need a pump that moves at least 450 gallons an hour. This could easily be done with one pump instead of three. You need a filter that is easy to maintain. Look at the Marineland Tidepool line of filters. The trays are easily removed for cleaning and nothing needs to be turned off. Look at the food and make sure the fish are eating it all in a couple minutes. Excess food is usually a big problem. Check the water chemistry. If your nitrates are fairly low as described above then maybe the water changes are only needed weekly.-Chuck>

Goldfish and Pleco nutrition
Hello-
<Hello.>
Right off hand id like to thank you for taking the time to read my message.
<Glad to have the opportunity to help.>
There area few things am concerned about.  Firstly, I'm worried that my goldfish are getting too much protein, and I had read that it is good to give them vegetables to balance out their system, but they wont eat anything except their fish food, and blood worms. They're completely uninterested in spinach, lettuce, nor will they eat tiny pieces of cut up carrots.  They spit them right back out...  I cant seem to find anything they like!
<Try frozen/thawed peas (just squeeze the shell off), blanched zucchini or cucumber, and offer them some anacharis/elodea/Egeria plants to eat - these plants should be quite inexpensive at your local fish or pond store.>
Also, I just bought a gold nugget plec.
<Oh, one of my favorites!>
I purchased algae wafers to drop in after my goldfish are fed for him to eat, because I don't recognize any significant amounts of algae... the goldfish are eating these.  I'm worried he may not be getting the nutrition he needs either.
<Well, to be honest, this plec (L-018/L-085, L-081, or L-177, all Baryancistrus sp.), is actually a meat eater.  I doubt that he'll ever accept algae wafers, but he would benefit from a bit of blanched cucumber or zucchini once in a while.  Offer him meaty foods, like frozen raw shrimp (just like you would eat), frozen bloodworms (from the fish store), or frozen prepared foods like Ocean Nutrition's "Formula One" (my meat-eatin' Hypancistrus plecs LOVE this).>
Please help.  I don't want my plec to starve or my fish to get sick or die!!
<Try the above suggestions, I'm sure they'll take some of those offerings.  The plec may be a bit tough to feed at first, as they're a bit skittish during the day, so you might try using a veggie-clip (like the ones for saltwater fish feeding) to get a piece of shrimp near him just after lights-out.>
Thanks,  -Shiga Ryukin
<Wishing you and your fishes well,  -Sabrina>

Baby Plecs!
Great article on the WWM site regarding these little workhorses...
<Sabrina here, this evening - sorry for any delay.>
had I known the information on them that you presented with regard to their breeding it would have made more sense for me to purchase only one of these little guys.  
<Indeed, I do normally recommend one plec per tank in most cases, but due to territoriality, size, etc....  Definitely breedable, though, given proper circumstances, proper genders, and a large enough space.  I do believe these fellahs are bred in huge quantities, both in the US and abroad, for the aquarium trade.  A very fun fish.>
My two Plecos spent the summer in a tiny 90 gallon outdoor pond and came indoors for the winter, where they apparently decided to plan a future together.  
<New tank, new digs, new water, a bit of Barry White, and presto!  Breeding season!>
The 12 or so fry seem to be tolerating their new environment, and their hungry shubunkin tankmates have been moved to larger quarters which should make the water quality easier to keep stable.  According to everything that I have read, I have inadvertently treated these little guys to horrible conditions (too much light, too large a temperature swing, not enough plants, undesirable water conditions, etc) and yet they still  reproduced...
<These really are pretty durable fish!  Could be, though, that stress induced them to spawn - the "our world's coming to an end, let's reproduce!" idea, but I would think it more likely that the big change from the pond to the tank simulated their rainy season and triggered reproductive behaviour.>
what is the average life span and average frequency of reproduction for my pair?  
<Lifespan?  Well, that's not an easy question, ever - but I would think it likely that these fish will live upwards of ten, fifteen, perhaps twenty years, even.  As for frequency of reproduction....  I think it's more a matter of stimulating them by "faking" their rainy season, with a huge influx of new water, perhaps incorporating a bit of a drop in pH and temperature.>
Thank you so much in advance for your response.  Sincerely, Carol Thrush
<Any time, Carol.  So glad to hear you're enjoying WWM.  Please also take a look at PlanetCatfish if you haven't - http://www.planetcatfish.com/ - for more information, perhaps even specifics on breeding, etc., and good luck with your new little charges!!  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>