Odd lighter marks on BN pleco

Tank
hat is the water volume of the tank? 40gal
How long has the tank been running? 2yr maybe
Does it have a filter? Yes
Does it have a heater? Yes
What is the water temperature? 25 degrees C
What is the entire stocking of this tank? One small BN pleco, 10 corydora, 6 otos, 10 black neons, 4 female platy

Maintenance
How often do you change the water? every 3 to 4 weeks
How much of the water do you change? 25% give or take
What do you use to treat your water? Interpret Bioactive tap safe
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water? Vacuum every time.

*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish? Yes
What do you use to test the water? API Master test kit
What are your parameters?
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.5

I had a female albino BN pleco for 18 months and she started to behave oddly. She'd rear her face off the tank walls like she was a slug. She also had developed some patches of wounds on the top of her body.
I went away for a week leaving my husband in charge of my tanks (he's not into fish keeping) and when I returned, she had gone from happy healthy fish to remarkably odd, both in behaviour and appearance. I put her wounds down to irritating a female platy that had recently given birth that I saw "peck" at the albino's head.
I went through the usual... Tested water, changed water, added some Melafix and put her in my 60 gallon under stocked tank for a rest. Unfortunately she died two days later.
The water quality was perfect. The water is a bit high in terms of pH level (8.2 from the tap but bogwood takes it down to about 7.5 once settled) but the albino was fine on it the past 18 months. I feed a varied diet of algae, vegetables and bugs/shrimp.
The otos, corydoras, black neon tetras are all doing well.

I got another BN plec. They seemed active, eating, all great but tonight I am seeing the same sort of odd marks on the fish's head like was on the albino and it's not swimming about a great deal and fins are flapping a lot.

I've removed the ornament that was flaking paint before the new pleco arrived.

If anyone can kindly help me identify what might be up before it may be too late then maybe I might be able to save this fish.
Thank you so much!

 

I've just done a 75% water change, added Stress Coat and Melafix. Is there anything else I can do?
What could be wrong with my BN?
Thank you!

 

Tank
hat is the water volume of the tank? 40gal
How long has the tank been running? 2yr maybe
Does it have a filter? Yes
Does it have a heater? Yes
What is the water temperature? 25 degrees C
What is the entire stocking of this tank? One small BN pleco, 10 corydora, 6 otos, 10 black neons, 4 female platy

Maintenance
How often do you change the water? every 3 to 4 weeks
How much of the water do you change? 25% give or take
What do you use to treat your water? Interpret Bioactive tap safe
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water? Vacuum every time.

*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish? Yes
What do you use to test the water? API Master test kit
What are your parameters?
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.5

I had a female albino BN pleco for 18 months and she started to behave oddly. She'd rear her face off the tank walls like she was a slug. She also had developed some patches of wounds on the top of her body.
I went away for a week leaving my husband in charge of my tanks (he's not into fish keeping) and when I returned, she had gone from happy healthy fish to remarkably odd, both in behaviour and appearance. I put her wounds down to irritating a female platy that had recently given birth that I saw "peck" at the albino's head.
I went through the usual... Tested water, changed water, added some Melafix and put her in my 60 gallon under stocked tank for a rest. Unfortunately she died two days later.
The water quality was perfect. The water is a bit high in terms of pH level (8.2 from the tap but bogwood takes it down to about 7.5 once settled) but the albino was fine on it the past 18 months. I feed a varied diet of algae, vegetables and bugs/shrimp.
The otos, corydoras, black neon tetras are all doing well.

I got another BN plec. They seemed active, eating, all great but tonight I am seeing the same sort of odd marks on the fish's head like was on the albino and it's not swimming about a great deal and fins are flapping a lot.

I've removed the ornament that was flaking paint before the new pleco arrived.

If anyone can kindly help me identify what might be up before it may be too late then maybe I might be able to save this fish.
Thank you so much!

Not sure about the black one but the orange one seems to have holes in it's head? It could have hole in the head disease.
I've read some threads on other forums, it seems to be normal, the white patches coming and going depending on their mood.

 

Not sure about the black one but the orange one seems to have holes in it's head? It could have hole in the head disease.
I've read some threads on other forums, it seems to be normal, the white patches coming and going depending on their mood.

Thanks, I did read too that plecs can change in colour and camouflage themselves with the substrate and I would have thought that but the black BN was also behaving weirdly. Flapping their fins about wildly, pulling their face away from the glass, much like the albino did before the holes appeared and not moving around a lot either. The lighter marks came first then the holes on the albino.

I hope it's not hole in the head disease; I think that's hard to get rid of?

Thanks

 

Thanks, I did read too that plecs can change in colour and camouflage themselves with the substrate and I would have thought that but the black BN was also behaving weirdly. Flapping their fins about wildly, pulling their face away from the glass, much like the albino did before the holes appeared and not moving around a lot either. The lighter marks came first then the holes on the albino.

I hope it's not hole in the head disease; I think that's hard to get rid of?

Thanks

Weird. Yes it's hard. I hope you find out what it is.

 

Both plecos have multiple infections. Hexamita (a parasite causing HITH via damaging the intestines) is likely for the orange one (not an albino, no red eyes), but the fishes mouth tells me there is also a septic bacterial infection present, most likely entered via the eroded spots on the head.

The other one is in a less progressed stage of the same combination.

While Hexamita is treatable, I have little hopes of the bacterial infections being treatable.

Hexamita has to be treated in the main tank as it is a contagious protozoan parasite. The bacteria would have to be treated either with strong stuff in a hospital tank (which is very likely going to kill them) or you can try and beat it with fresh water and humic substances.

I would probably try with first treating the Hexamita and then improve conditions. If the latter doesn't work I'd consider euthanasia.

Your call.

Here you'll find a comprehensive list of Meds available in Europe and North America. Again, look for Hexamita.
Vendors | BSAVA Library

Good luck.

 

Both plecos have multiple infections. Hexamita (a parasite causing HITH via damaging the intestines) is likely for the orange one (not an albino, no red eyes), but the fishes mouth tells me there is also a septic bacterial infection present, most likely entered via the eroded spots on the head.

The other one is in a less progressed stage of the same combination.

While Hexamita is treatable, I have little hopes of the bacterial infections being treatable.

Hexamita has to be treated in the main tank as it is a contagious protozoan parasite. The bacteria would have to be treated either with strong stuff in a hospital tank (which is very likely going to kill them) or you can try and beat it with fresh water and humic substances.

I would probably try with first treating the Hexamita and then improve conditions. If the latter doesn't work I'd consider euthanasia.

Your call.

Here you'll find a comprehensive list of Meds available in Europe and North America. Again, look for Hexamita.
Vendors | BSAVA Library

Good luck.

Thanks MacZ for your detailed help.
I thought I was turning a corner with the black BN as it was swimming very actively and it looked significantly better in terms of its colour last night. Unfortunately, I found it dead some 8 hours later this morning. The only sign that something was wrong was it didn't have as much mouth suction on the sides of the tank and would slide down a bit. That makes sense considering how the orange pleco (thanks for correcting) was rearing itself up on its back fin like a slug. Had I known what the problem was at the time and no chance of recovering, I would have ended it's suffering.
I purchased some eSHa 2000 that arrived today. I'll have a look at the list you've kindly directed me to and see what I can do.
So far the Corydoras, tetras and platys seem absolutely fine but obviously I don't want it spreading to them.
Thanks

 

I purchased some eSHa 2000 that arrived today. I'll have a look at the list you've kindly directed me to and see what I can do.

If I had known eSHa is available I had warned you. Do not use it.
For one it's a broadband med, meaning it is not targeted. Secondly, many catfish drop dead from copper sulphate. It's a catfish killer basically. Avoid all meds that contain copper sulphate or Malachite Green when treating catfish and other scaleless fish.

Please use singular meds, first one specifically against Hexamita and you may try an antibacterial afterwards, provided the Hexamita treatment was successful. It can take weeks then until the wounds are healed up. So it's mostly when the fish regain confidence, actvity and appetite again that you can tell the treatment was successful.

 

If I had known eSHa is available I had warned you. Do not use it.
For one it's a broadband med, meaning it is not targeted. Secondly, many catfish drop dead from copper sulphate. It's a catfish killer basically. Avoid all meds that contain copper sulphate or Malachite Green when treating catfish and other scaleless fish.

Please use singular meds, first one specifically against Hexamita and you may try an antibacterial afterwards, provided the Hexamita treatment was successful. It can take weeks then until the wounds are healed up. So it's mostly when the fish regain confidence, actvity and appetite again that you can tell the treatment was successful.

Thank you. I will remember that about the copper and catfish. I have the eSHa Hexamita coming but not very quick as I'm in the UK and some of the medication aren't so easy to source and fast. I realised that on my smaller tank that I had the UV steriliser turned off so that's back on and hopefully that'll help clear up the water too.
I appreciate your assistance.

 

You have read in that list that eSHa Hexamita ALSO contains copper sulphate?