Hi, I'm wondering if you have any suggestions.

My pleco, Suckie, has not been eating for weeks now! I have tried more than one kind of algae wafer, cucumber, zucchini, and he doesn't go for it. I only put in one wafer per day or 2 small wafers/day. I usually see uneaten food in the bottom that I have to scoop out.

Just today I have noticed that his top fin has become wafer thin and transparent, and he has several very light brown splotches on one side of his body. This is new, and I'm not sure what to do to help him. Any suggestions?

How big is your pleco? How long have you had him? How big is the tank? What else is in the tank? What's the temperature? Have you checked the pH, ammonia, and nitrite levels? What kind of filtration and aeration do you have? How much water do you change and how often? Plecos can go a few weeks without eating but normally they will eat something at least every few days. Could he be eating natural algae in the tank or other fish foods or is what you added for him all that there was for him to eat? Often, fish are eating something; we just don't witness or realize it.

Can you send a photo of the pleco? Plecos have lots of blotches and can change color with mood, health, and background. The fins become thin is a concern though. Anorexia shouldn't cause that though. If he's simply not eating, they will first look thin behind the gills and in the body. You can't make the pleco eat. It is best to offer lots of kinds of good foods as you have. Be sure the water quality is good, do some water changes, and look out for symptoms of illness.

Good luck!

Hi Robyn,

Thanks for your reply. My pleco is about 12 inches long. I've had him for almost 9 years, but the way I got him is the craziest story! I moved into a new apartment, and when I walked into the bathroom, the former tenants had filled up the bathtub and emptied their aquarium fish into it! I called them to see if they were going to pick up their fish, and they never did! So, with zero experience, I became a fishkeeper!

My tank is a 30-gallon (probably too small?) long. Suckie is the only fish in the tank now--no live plants. I did some tests, and the things that look unusual are water hardness (150), pH (less than 6.2), and ammonia (more than 6.0). So I will do a partial water change/treat for ammonia now. I have never altered the pH of the tank. Do you think that could be affecting his appetite?

I will admit I need to clean his tank more often; sometimes it's been 3-4 week or greater stretch between cleanings.

Suckie's color has returned to normal, but his top fin is missing a piece. Is something like Maracyn or Erythromycin best for this? I will try to get a pic to post, but will need a little time to do that.

Thanks so much!
winterwhite

Glad Suckie is doing better!
I read stories on here about how people come by some of their fish and can't believe how many have been dumped.
glad you have them!
tia

Thanks TLC,

It's so great that you and this community are here! It's such a great resource! I know I really appreciate it because I feel like what little I know has been learned the hard way.

Thanks again!
winterwhite

That's just horrible that people would dump the fish in the bathtub! The fish were lucky that you cared enough to help them.

It sounds like Suckie has been under the weather from the low pH and high ammonia. If you do partial water changes and gravel vacuumings, perhaps 30-40% once a week (with added water conditioner), that should perk him back up. The ammonia needs to be zero. Those conditions can certainly cause fish to stop eating. Any uneaten food will just make things worse as it rots and contributes to the dirty tank. Rotting food will lower the pH. There is one good thing though. At a pH below 7.0, ammonia (NH3) is in the form or ammonium (NH4+) which is much less toxic than ammonia. Sometimes people will correct the pH and bring it up above 7.0 while the ammonia is high. That can lead to instant fish death as the ammonia becomes highly toxic above a pH of 7.0. Plecos like a pH of 6 to 7 so the pH alone is not really a problem if you have no other fish. What is more of a problem is a sudden change in pH. I assume the pH used to be higher, and he was used to that? Anyway, I would aim for a pH of at least 6.5 (6.5 to 7.5 is fine if it starts to go up after cleaning).

The missing piece of fin may or may not regrow. As long as it's not white or fuzzy, it's probably not infected. If it is, then you can use Maracyn I by Mardel which has as its active ingredient the antibiotic erythromycin.

I hope Suckie feels better soon after some refreshing new water!