Common Pleco disease?

[Donimal28]

I don't know if anyone rembers my last post in the cichlid health section, but I few weeks ago both my plecos died, one in a 30gallon another in a 75. So, I bought a few new ones and they aren't looking too good.

I tested the water and everything came out fine and all my other fish are doing excellent. After closely looking at the plecos it seems like some sort of infection or bacteria is eating away at their undersides. Their bellies are discolored and look as if they're detoriating. Does anyone know what could be causing this and how to stop it?

Any info/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance and have good memorial weekend everyone.

[toddnbecka]

No clue as to the cause, but I picked up a common pleco a while back with a used tank deal. I didn't want it myself, so it went to a friend at work. She told me last week that it wasn't eating, and that she had noticed holes in it's belly. I haven't seen it myself, but it sounds similar to what you have w/yours. If it is a bacterial infection, some aquarium antibiotics should help. In any case, I'd QT the fish until it's taken care of, one way or another, since it may be contagious.

[Donimal28]

Sounds like a good idea. I'm gonna head to my lfs and pick something up and ask the owner if he's ever heard of this happening. Thanks for the help.

[cracklingice]

Are you using aquarium salt in your aquarium. Some species are very sensitive to salt. The commons generally don't care.

[Donimal28]

I only use salt if one of my fish looks ill, and I actually used a little bit in my 30 gallon before the pleco died. But that still wouldn't explain why the one in the 75 gallon died, I didn't use any salt in there.

This is really starting to bother me. All my fish are fine except for the plecos. The original two died and the two new ones I got were fine for the first week or so, and than they stopped moving and eating.