# Help with my Bristlenose Pleco please!



## Rikis (Apr 15, 2010)

I am sorry about the poor quality of the picture, but I only have my phone's camera to work with.



This tank is mature and cycled (three years with me). Water parameters using API Freshwater Master Test Kit:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 10-20ppm
pH: 7.4

Tank is 29 gallons.
Temperature: 78 F

I've had this pleco (my first) for about a year now, I hadn't seen him in about two weeks and when I spot him out of the corner of my eye I see him in this condition. My only guess at this moment is that one of my False Flying Foxes has started attacking him (I've had the Foxes for longer than the pleco) which is disappointing, as they had been getting along perfectly fine (if it turns out to be aggression). The only thing I have going against my theory is that the circles appear to be perfectly round and I doubt the foxes could be that precise. Could it be a disease? All of the other fish are behaving normally and eating well.

He is fed algea wafers, the occasional cucumber piece I place in the tank, he also probably eats some of the flake food and frozen/dried food I give the other fish as well, and he has a piece of driftwood in there.

Edit: I unfortunately have no other tank to separate the fish.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

If you can catch him and put him into a dish with some tank water then take pics it would help a lot. Its hard to tell if those are sores on him or waterspots or what have you. Also do you have any rock formations in the tank? He could also be getting scraped on the wood.


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## Rikis (Apr 15, 2010)

susankat said:


> If you can catch him and put him into a dish with some tank water then take pics it would help a lot. Its hard to tell if those are sores on him or waterspots or what have you. Also do you have any rock formations in the tank? He could also be getting scraped on the wood.


He moved, so I was able to take a picture closer to him, can't see his head, but his dorsal wound is visible:


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

That can possibly be an injury from the decorations. What is all the fish, and deco thats in the tank.


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## Rikis (Apr 15, 2010)

This is a video of my tank that I posted a month ago showing all the decorations:

29 Gallon Freshwater - YouTube

All plastic plants.

As for the fish:

4 Cardinal Tetras
3 Rummynose Tetras
3 Tiger barbs
2 False Flying Foxes
1 Angelfish
And the Pleco itself

the only change is that, since I saw the the pleco kept trying to get under the driftwood, I made it hang between the jar and the false rock formation. I already moved it back to the gravel, in case the pleco is getting hurt because of it.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I would say he was hurt trying to get under the wood, Best to have it set to where he can get under it without hitting himself on something else.


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