Rubbernose pleco died, but why? Can I get another one?

We have a 39G tank with jewel cichlids. It was just a breeding pair, then they had babies, then we got rid of the babies (sold them), then the dad started bullying the mom, so now they're divorced and living in different tanks.

Anyway, the tank just has a large male cichlid, and some babies that escaped the net. The babies are quite small, probably about 10 of them in total.

That tank has always had a horrible algae problem. I mean, there is no direct light on it, and yet all walls go green in a week or something. The cichlids are happy, they ate all the snails (have a snail infestation in another tank), and with nothing left to eat the algae, I went off to the LFS to ask for advice.

The girl there suggested a rubbernose pleco (I told her we have cichlids), and I got a nice excited one. Brought him home, acclimated him in the tank, released. So this was 3 weeks ago, I think he was about an inch + 1/4 long.

Originally he stuck around the front, but it's quite open, so he swam away. I couldn't find him for 4 days or so, and got worried, but located him hiding behind the filter. He was alive and active. He was eating all the algae there.

I checked up on him every day or so, he was ALWAYS behind that filter. For the record, the tank is very full of vegetation. We have a log in there (hollow in the middle), and a TON of java moss. I can take a picture if you'd like. So there are plenty of hiding spots.

Today I found him on the floor at the front of the tank, partially under gravel, dead. He was about 2 inches when he died, so he grew a bit. His back fin was all tattered, but otherwise he looked ok.

So I guess the question is, is the cichlid place basically a deathtrap? Should I avoid getting anything else? Should I try getting a bigger one? Can I get a small one again? I feel maybe he ate everything there was to eat and just starved to death, but I would think he would just move over an inch to basically tons of food. He left a very clean corner I really like plecos but I have horrible luck with them (I had one when I was about 12 and he died under some rocks).

PS. The tank has been there for about 8 months. We do a 20% water change weekly.

 

I think the suspect is your male cichlid. I don't know much about jewels but I know that chiclids in general (particularly males) are supposedly very aggressive. The fish probably couldn't catch the fast, small fry, so turned on the pleco. That would explain the tattered fins. He most likely passed due to the constant stress of this threat, as their were no fatal injuries. I love plecos, but would not put them in a tank with your chiclids. I am very sorry about him I think chiclids need a 55gal+ tank so that could explain the aaggression

 

Thanks for your reply!

I thought African cichlids were ok in "smaller" tanks, given there were only two adults in there originally. And just one right now. He's actually very protective of his fry (attacks the net). He lost his dominant male color since we took the female away. Anyway I will keep that in mind, perhaps I will see a 55 gallon tank on sale on Friday. I asked the girl at the LFS and she said the pleco would be ok with cichlids, but what do you know

 

A rubbernose is for a bigger part carnivorious than lot of other species and especially younger ones need protein to grow.
Could be the onesided diet (algae) that caused this.
Besides of that a rubberlip is more ot less a hillstreamfish that likes flowing / cooler / oxygenrich water. They are all wildcaught so often have problems to adapt.

 

A rubbernose is for a bigger part carnivorious than lot of other species and especially younger ones need protein to grow.
Could be the onesided diet (algae) that caused this.
Besides of that a rubberlip is more ot less a hillstreamfish that likes flowing / cooler / oxygenrich water. They are all wildcaught so often have problems to adapt.

I agree, I would get a bristle nose pleco, the juveniles tend to eat more algae but you will still need to feed them . I think you may have just gotten a bad fish or your other fish killed him. If yo get another pleco and it also dies I would suspect the cichild. I also don't think they are good tank mate but I might be wrong. sorry if I was no help.

 

I read some threads about Rubberlips and Otos arriving in the LFS starving. Possible dead-cause could be dieing off of bacteria in these fish' intestials, so they aren't able to digest any food!! No proof, but this could indeed be te case and cause a lot of dead oto's and rubberlips.