Posted by blacklightning42 on March 07, 2003 at 14:27:10:
Fool that I am, I believed the petshop owner when he told me that the cute little Sailfin(?) Pleco we bought would stay small and cute. While he's no longer all that small, now measuring what is probably somewhere between 14-18", he is still really cute - and until just a few days ago, he's seemed the picture of good health.
Two days ago, I noticed that there were a number of nicks and holes in his dorsal & tail fins, nothing that looked particularly bad, but enough to cause concern. Thinking that this may have been from scratching against the piece of rock that makes the top of his 'cave' hide-spot, I removed the piece of rock (he has other places to hide, of course). Since then, however, he's developped a number of places along his back and sides(relative to the size of the fish, these spots are huge, taking up alost the length of his back, and a good amount down his sides, as well) that look completely raw - his scales are all visible, but there's no pattern there, and they're very light, a sort of white/tan, unhealthy color. I don't know what to do for him - can anyone suggest anything? I'm really worried about him.
About the tank: He's in a 33 gallon right now, which, I know, is far too small. I'm planning to get a new one ASAP, but, being a kid, it takes many, many weeks of saving one's allowance - and despite the fact that it's my father's fish tank, he's not ready to buy a huge, expensive tank just yet either. He's got a number of hide spots. There are some 'real' plants floating at the top of the tank (he takes great joy in unearthing these plants within 15 minutes of their being planted, every time, without fail - we've called 'uncle' and abandoned these as a lost cause) and a few plastic plants at the bottom of the tank, all of which were gone over with a proverbial fine-toothed-comb prior to going in, to make sure they wouldn't be dangerous to the fish. The Temperature in the tank hovers around 75-80 degrees, give or take, most of the time. The pH is good. He's being fed algea pelets mostly, and is often over-fed, as is obvious by the 'belly' he's developped. I think he's lost a bit of weight in the past two days, but I don't think that he's dropped enough to be in danger, yet.
Currently, in the tank with him, there is another plecostimus, who is (unlike the Sailfin) very shy, and we hardly ever see him, he's very reclusive. For reference sake, the sailfin's name is Rosencrantz, the other Guildenstern. Guildenstern, also, is very large now, and while the two will occasionally come in contact, they rarely seem to have a problem with one another, and when they do seem to have any kind of 'difference of oppinions' it's very calm, and it's usually Rosencrantz who 'wins'. Also in the tank, there are seven Rummy Noses (Don't know if this is the 'real' common name) a couple of what-the-heck-is-it? Tetras, a charming, and usually quite laid-back Yo-Yo Loach, one single, lonely Zebra, and more guppies than you can shake a stick at (I'd say that they breed like rats - but I've had rats, and they weren't nearly so prolific as the guppies). Point being, in this case, that all of these animals have been in the tank long-term, and there's never been trouble before now.
On the topic of tank size - I've read that he'd be happiest in a 150+ gallon enclosure. I'm thinking that he might be happy in a 'pond' type environment? I've been considering buying a pond-liner (to be set up inside, of course) in which he could have some space to himself, is this a good idea? At that, should he be kept in a spot by himself right away, if he's as sick as my paranoid imagination is making him out to be? Would he do better in a low-stress environment, that is? I'm not too worried about finding a space to give him a tank to himself, I'm just worried about getting a the best possible tank for him that is available to my somewhat limited funding.
I can get a picture of him at reasonably short notice, if needed, but the picture will likely not be spectacular, as the picture would be taken through the side of the glass tank. I already have a single (out of many) picture of him that turned out reasonably well in the past, but it's rather out-dated, and still not very clear.
Any help at all that might be offered will be greatly appreciated, I'm really fond of the little (big?) guy, and have had him for well over two years. I'm really hoping that he's gonna be okay. Please, if anyone knows anything that might help him? I'll do anything in my power to take care of him!
Thanks in advance,
--- Whitney & a very sad-looking Rosencrantz
