Tiny baby bristlenose didn't make it :(

[redmare]

I brought home 5 honey gouramis and a teeny weeny baby BN (maybe 3/4 inch long, if that) on friday to add to my new 30 gallon tank that was currently holding 5 guppies. It's a brand new set up but I had been running the filter on another tank for a week. The little pleco seemed to be doing really well! He was wiggling all about and munching on the logs and the algae-covered rock I moved in from my other tank for him. But this evening, I found him no longer alive I am a little bit heartbroken. I'm thinking he was just too tiny and the move was too much stress for his little system. I tested my water after I found him and I have a very slight ammonia reading, not even 0.25ppm, and I did a 50% WC. Ni/Na are 0/10. As of yesterday afternoon, water was 0/0/10 so I think the ammonia came from the dead fish. All the other fish are doing well with no signs of issues. I just want to know if there's anything I could have done differently or should know for next time, except for get a slightly larger baby pleco!

 

[jkkgron2]

Poor guy Sounds like the move was just to much for him at his age. My only advice would be to get a larger one next time to help prevent this.

 

[Leeman75]

I feel your pain. I can't seem to find anything but that size BN around me and I have gone through 3 of them in 2 different tanks. The sad part for me is that mine completely disappear. They are there one day and then gone the next.

I'm interested to see the response you get from more experts, but my heart goes out to you and your loss. I totally get it!

 

[Betta'sAnonymous]

Yeah, i would probably try a little bigger myself...was this before the power outage you found it?

 

[redmare]

Yeah, i would probably try a little bigger myself...was this before the power outage you found it?

yes and no. I thought I saw him in a weird spot just before the outage and then before i went to check it out the power went out and we all got distracted. after it came back on i checked and found he was not so much alive anymore

 

[jake37]

Pleco are pretty hearty. I had some that were not much bigger shipped to me and they are doing fine. It is possible he was abused before he was purchased or if the store didn't have him long he was still seriously stressed. It is also possible that there was something in the tank not compatible with him. I will say that very young fishes are generally more vulnerable to poor water quality than older fishes. In the end unless a knowledgeable person does a post mortem analysis we will never know and even if such a procedure was performed there is no guarantee the root caused would be found.
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I also want to point out that when i jump start a tank using established filters i always get ammonia the first week - ranging from 0.25 to 0.75 but it is there. It normally takes a week after adding fishes for things to become stable and i do daily tests during that period and if necessary add a few drop of prime or water change to keep it in check.

 

[Lucy]

Aw, sorry to hear. Losing a fish is always such a bummer