# Are plecos as dumb as frogs?



## robotman (Oct 1, 2012)

My pleco has a strange wound on it that I think appeared overnight. It's possible it's something that's been growing for a while, but I don't think so.

After lots of googling, I think the pleco took a nap on my heater and burned itself really bad. 

Can anyone confirm this with the picture?
What is the best treatment if any?
How long will it take to recover?

Just to be safe, I wrapped both heaters in mesh so it doesn't happen again.

Oh ... the title is because I've heard that if you put a (live) frog in a pot of cold water and slowly heat it up, it will stay in the water until it's cooked. I figure the pleco isn't that much smarter if it just sat on the heater to burn itself. (OK OK... I know it's a sensory issue and not intelligence.)


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Ive never had an issue with my plecos laying on the heater. Whats the water params? How often are you changing water and how much each time? What other fish are in the tank? What size is the tank and whats the decor?


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## robotman (Oct 1, 2012)

Thanks for the reply. I found some other posts with Pleco wounds, at most people don't know, but a couple people suggested heater burns.

I just got this 49g bow tank a couple weeks ago and it came with a bunch of fish. I'm trying to relocate them all except the ghosts.
- 3 chinese algae eaters (3")
- 2 plecos {6 and 8")
- 2 black ghosts (4 and 6")
- gourami (4 ")
- 2 tiger barbs (2")
- 2 pink skirt tetras

Substrate is flourite and there are about 10 plants in the aquarium. No UG filter.
Temp ~80F. Eheim canister filter (for 80g tanks).

Tetra 6-in-1 test strips show this (I'm waiting for an API Master kit for more accuracy:

nitrates <60 ppm
nitrites <0.5 ppm
hardness (GH) 200+
chlorine 0
alkalinity (KH) <20
pH 6.9

When I got the tank, nitrates were >200 (maybe as bad as 400). So I've been doing ~50% water changes every other day to get them down. The fish all seem happy and hungry all the time.

Would the chinese algae eater be able to do this? I think the Pleco is so much bigger (8") and frisky, that the algae eater wouldn't be able to attach.

Thanks for your ideas.


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## gtrider6 (Jul 7, 2012)

Looks like another pleco or alge eater was attached and it worsened. I my girlfriends plecos from time to time attach to each other. They both got a taste of dead feeders which could possibly be the reason.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

From what I can see from some of the rock in there, it could have been damaged on them. The underbelly of a pleco is pretty soft. I had one do that one time. Got rid of the rock that did it. Healed up nicely and no more problems.

That doesn't look like a burn at all.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I believe Susan is right looks more like a wound than a burn.


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## robotman (Oct 1, 2012)

Any ideas why it would get wounded (or eaten) after these fish have been together with the same rocks for a couple years?

I've been feeding them a bit less than the previous owner. Would that make the algae eaters eat the pleco?


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

My idea would sort of be that if it were a burn, you would think his mouth would be messed up being that he would attach himself to it. It does look like either a bite or a scrape. A burn would be more of singed area. Algae eaters move quick when spooked and he could've tore himself up on one of your decorations.

Also, with the 2 common plecos your tank is overcrowded. I would suggest downsizing fishies or possibly buying a new tank and seperating some fish.


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## robotman (Oct 1, 2012)

OK... plecos aren't as dumb as frogs.

Good point about his lips or other parts being singed. I guess it was a scrape. It appears to already be filling in.

All the tank contents I got with the tank. I'm hopefully relocating all the fish to a LFS today or tomo. The tank is definitely over stocked. I'm surprised the fish were so healthy when I got them. Good filter and cycle, but the nitrates were off the chart at >400 I estimate. Down to about 80 now. Couple more large water changes should do it.

Looks like I should head to Home Depot and get some urban fish tank decorations (drainage pipes) until I can find some affordable smoother rocks.

Thanks again for everyone's input!


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

You should go for a:







And get a couple more Black Ghost Knifefish once you get rid of everyone else. That would be a unique tank!... straying away from typical neon tetras in a planted..


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## jbrown5217 (Nov 9, 2011)

Brian757 said:


> You should go for a:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


His tank isn't really big enough for one black knife imo not to mention he'd almost never see them as they are super shy.


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

jbrown5217 said:


> His tank isn't really big enough for one black knife imo not to mention he'd almost never see them as they are super shy.


True. Yeah his tank is only really fit for 1 young knifefish. When they get bigger, they need like a 75-90 gallon. Well then sell all your fish on craigslist robotman and get tetras


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Actually he should only keep one in the tank, once they get a little bigger their electronic impulses which they find food will interfear with each other.


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## robotman (Oct 1, 2012)

Got all the fish swapped today at a LFS. I know this will sound overstocked, but they are young and I am going to be diligent with water changes and keep monitoring nitrates to see if I can keep the tank balanced. I'll relocate when the fish get too big for the tank.

*6 Bosmani Rainbows* (hand picked 4 males and 2 females, although now that they're home, they may all be males, so may have to trade a couple in. I'll give them a couple days to see if they differiate at all.)

*7 clown loaches* - my fav fish. I know my tank is way too small for adult ones, so plan to grow to 5-6" and relocate.

*3 yoyo loaches *- already dancing around with each other. Adults are only about 4".

*rubber lipped pleco, bristle nose pleco, and clown pleco *- all small variety plecos - grow to about 4".

All the fish acclimated fine so far and are hungry. It's great having so many "cleaning" fish. With good filtration and plants, I hope I only need to do simple water changes and may not need to vacuum the gravel. I've heard legends that it's possible. 

As for the knifes. They currently are 6" and 8" (I used a ruler this time.) The 6" comes out all the time. Both come out and dance around when fed. The entire back of the aquarium is a hiding spot that the big one likes. I believe that since they are bi-directional swimmers and use electric current, they don't need as long as tank as other fish their length. I've never heard about the electrical current interfering with each other. Steinhart aquarium in SF have several huge electric eels in a very small tank. Always seemed strange to me, but I assume they know what they are doing. Electric fish are different.

The other interesting thing with the black ghosts, is that they also must use smell to detect food. How else would the big one know when I put food in the tank vs. just open the tank for something else? He's hiding in the back far away from the food. They're fun especially when they get excited about food and spin around and do back flips.

Any advice or ideas are always welcome! I'm so happy to have a tank again. It's been so long since I last had my tanks. Water testing/changing has evolved to be much easier and Bosami Rainbows are no longer ~$100 each. .


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