Pleco has not moved for ongoing 4 days

I recently purchased a Queen Arabesque Pleco, and it literally has not moved in 4 days from the moment it went to the aquarium. It is still breathing, but it has not eaten anything. I am perplexed about what could be the cause, and I am honestly at a loss what to do. I have dosed stress guard every day, but still no reaction. Any help or advise will be greatly appreciated because this pleco was not cheap at all.

 

I recently purchased a Queen Arabesque Pleco, and it literally has not moved in 4 days from the moment it went to the aquarium. It is still breathing, but it has not eaten anything. I am perplexed about what could be the cause, and I am honestly at a loss what to do. I have dosed stress guard every day, but still no reaction. Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated because this pleco was not cheap at all.

I have no idea can you fill this out because we need more info------- Emergency template

 

I just looked those plecos up....yeah, you ain't kidding! Uhm...what have you tried feeding it?

 

Plecos are nocturnal. They will be most active at night.

 

Tank

What is the water volume of the tank? ----> 90G
How long has the tank been running? ----> Years
Does it have a filter? ----> Yes, x2 Canister
Does it have a heater? ----> Yes
What is the water temperature? ----> 79F
What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts.)

1. x2 Angelfish
2. x18 Emperor Tetras
3. x5 Panda Garras
4. x5 Kuhli Loaches
5. x1 Pleco

Maintenance
How often do you change the water? ----> Once a week, every Sunday
How much of the water do you change? ----> 30% weekly, 50% monthly
What do you use to treat your water? ----> Seachem Safe
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water? ----> Vacuum substrate using a turkey baster to blow up debris into the python water changer

*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish? ----> Yes
What do you use to test the water? ----> API Test Kit
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 15 ~ 20
pH: 7.4

Feeding
How often do you feed your fish? ----> Daily except for Sunday
How much do you feed your fish? ----> Pinch serving
What brand of food do you feed your fish? ----> New Life Spectrum, Hikari, Fluval
Do you feed frozen or freeze-dried foods? ----> Freeze-dried, but presoak it for 5 minutes prior to serving

Illness & Symptoms
How long have you had this fish? ----> 4 days
How long ago did you first notice these symptoms? ----> 2nd Day
In a few words, can you explain the symptoms? ----> Breathing, but literally has not moved for 4 days from the same spot it landed to the at the bottom
Have you started any treatment for the illness? ----> Dosing Seachem Stressguard
Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase? ----> Honestly showed no symptoms from the fish store
How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all? ----> Minor fin rot and has some body, idk. A picture will be provided.




Explain your emergency situation in detail. - The initial post

 

Tank

What is the water volume of the tank? ----> 90G
How long has the tank been running? ----> Years
Does it have a filter? ----> Yes, x2 Canister
Does it have a heater? ----> Yes
What is the water temperature? ----> 79F
What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts.)

1. x2 Angelfish
2. x18 Emperor Tetras
3. x5 Panda Garras
4. x5 Kuhli Loaches
5. x1 Pleco

Maintenance
How often do you change the water? ----> Once a week, every Sunday
How much of the water do you change? ----> 30% weekly, 50% monthly
What do you use to treat your water? ----> Seachem Safe
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water? ----> Vacuum substrate using a turkey baster to blow up debris into the python water changer

*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish? ----> Yes
What do you use to test the water? ----> API Test Kit
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 15 ~ 20
pH: 7.4

Feeding
How often do you feed your fish? ----> Daily except for Sunday
How much do you feed your fish? ----> Pinch serving
What brand of food do you feed your fish? ----> New Life Spectrum, Hikari, Fluval
Do you feed frozen or freeze-dried foods? ----> Freeze-dried, but presoak it for 5 minutes prior to serving

Illness & Symptoms
How long have you had this fish? ----> 4 days
How long ago did you first notice these symptoms? ----> 2nd Day
In a few words, can you explain the symptoms? ----> Breathing, but literally has not moved for 4 days from the same spot it landed to the at the bottom
Have you started any treatment for the illness? ----> Dosing Seachem Stressguard
Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase? ----> Honestly showed no symptoms from the fish store
How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all? ----> Minor fin rot and has some body, idk. A picture will be provided.

Explain your emergency situation in detail. - The initial post

So, I think you need to add food for the pleco to the list such as repashy morning wood and blanched veggies. WC's , tlc, and stress guard should help. Just keep a close eye on him.

 

So, I think you need to add food for the pleco to the list such as repashy morning wood and blanched veggies. WC's , tlc, and stress guard should help. Just keep a close eye on him.

I dropped a slice of zucchini and some Fluval bug bites for plecos right near him. Still nothing.

 

I dropped a slice of zucchini and some Fluval bug bites for plecos right near him. Still nothing.

Hmmmm...I am so baffled. Maybe he/she is moving, maybe?

 

I dropped a slice of zucchini and some Fluval bug bites for plecos right near him. Still nothing.

Try feeding at night. Plecos are most active at night.

 

Have you watched it with lights off?

 

Have you watched it with lights off?

I haven't, but trust me, it is literally in the same place at night. I used to have a clown pleco and seen it actively moving at night and sometimes when the lights are on. It has not moved an inch from the left-hand corner of that giant Amazon sword. Still breathing, and I am thinking about force-feeding, but I want to assure if there are any other resolutions to this.

Try feeding at night. Plecos are most active at night.

Tried that with Zucchini. I literally put the pleco on top of it, and it does not even bother munching away.

 

I haven't, but trust me, it is literally in the same place at night. I used to have a clown pleco and seen it actively moving at night and sometimes when the lights are on. It has not moved an inch from the left-hand corner of that giant Amazon sword. Still breathing, and I am thinking about force-feeding, but I want to assure if there are any other resolutions to this.

My first thought was maybe it was moving around at night, but then thought how improbable it was that it came to a stop at the EXACT same spot/angle/etc.

Can't blame you for being nervous though. That is a bit od an investment for sure.

 

Sometimes when I have a fish that isnt moving at all for a few days or that I'm worried about I like to softly prod it with a blunt glass rod and see if it reacts at all, I don't know whether thats good advice or not but It's helped me see whether or not there was something very wrong with my fish in the past

 

Sometimes when I have a fish that isnt moving at all for a few days or that I'm worried about I like to softly prod it with a blunt glass rod and see if it reacts at all, I don't know whether thats good advice or not but It's helped me see whether or not there was something very wrong with my fish in the past

It literally does not react. I wonder if it is brain dead to be honest and just muscle memory causing it to breathe. I picked it up and sat it right on top of the zucchini at night. Literally no reaction at all.

 

It literally does not react. I wonder if it is brain dead to be honest and just muscle memory causing it to breathe. I picked it up and sat it right on top of the zucchini at night. Literally no reaction at all.

That's very, very strange. You know it could just be in shock or it could really just be brain dead or maybe it just has a disease that just isn't showing. Is it doing anything but breathing? Like anything else?

 

My first thought was maybe it was moving around at night, but then thought how improbable it was that it came to a stop at the EXACT same spot/angle/etc.

Can't blame you for being nervous though. That is a bit od an investment for sure.

I thought the same and gave it the benefit of the doubt which is why I waited 4 days before posting. This is the oddest behavior, and I can't tell if it is sickness. I never experience anything like this at all.

That's very, very strange. You know it could just be in shock or it could really just be brain dead or maybe it just has a disease that just isn't showing. Is it doing anything but breathing? Like anything else?

Literally nothing. If it is a disease, then idk what it is, but trust me, if it passes away, then imma burn it. It could be some unknown new disease.

 

I thought the same and gave it the benefit of the doubt which is why I waited 4 days before posting. This is the oddest behavior, and I can't tell if it is sickness. I never experience anything like this at all.



Literally nothing. If it is a disease, then idk what it is, but trust me, if it passes away, then imma burn it. It could be some unknown new disease.

Well I don't think you have to go that far, but I would maybe want to get him out of that tank, do you have a cycled tank by chance or some sort of container that you could turn into a med tank? Could be parasites

 

Well I don't think you have to go that far, but I would maybe want to get him out of that tank, do you have a cycled tank by chance or some sort of container that you could turn into a med tank? Could be parasites

Yes, I'll get that set up tonight

 

Reach into the tank & try to gently slide your hand underneath the Pleco. Don't grab it, the fins are sharp.
If you can reach under it, he's a goner.
If he is able to swim away, be a good idea to turn off the lights for a few days & feed the tankmates as you normally do. No special attempt to feed the Pleco.

 

Reach into the tank & try to gently slide your hand underneath the Pleco. Don't grab it, the fins are sharp.
If you can reach under it, he's a goner.
If he is able to swim away, be a good idea to turn off the lights for a few days & feed the tankmates as you normally do. No special attempt to feed the Pleco.

Welp, that was a doomsday bombshell that went off when you said, "If you can reach under it, he's a goner," because I can.

 

Be sure to notify the vendor about the situation. Maybe they will replace or refund your money.