[jah2]

Hi. I got 3 plecos and they cleaned whatever algae there was in the tank but a week later they died. And this is not the first time plecos have died on me. I was wondering maybe it is because there is not any algae in the tank for them to eat? Because everytime I do my once a week water change I clean the glass. Can anyone tell me what it might be? Thanks.

 

[ianmoede]

Sounds like water quality issues to me, give your water a test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. pH also. Then get back to us.

 

[yoink]

Do you feed them anything? They need more than just algae unless you have a really dirty tank(doesn't sound like it).

 

[jah2]

No I do not. What should I feed them? Shrimp pellets? I use to feed one of my plecos shrimp pellets and it lived for a long time.

 

[yoink]

Try a few differnt things and see what he likes. Shimp pellets, algae/veggie waffers, blanch vegetables suck as zuchini, cucumber, sweet potato, spinach. Some like to have driftwood in the tank to suck on as well.

 

[Anthony]

Yeah mine lives on the driftwood when it isn't in graze mode. I try to give it some algae wafer every once in a while too.

 

[ianmoede]

Again, dying algae eaters doesn't scream "they're hungry", it screams "water issues"

 

[cherokeetestpilot]

I agree, my plecos are EXTREMELY hardy and have even survived a power outage for 3 days when the temp went WAY down and no filtration (I was away). They breezed right through it. Has to be something else other than food.

 

[mnsnowdaboy]

Pleco's are one of the more hardy fishes you can get. What you cleaning the algea off the glass with, no chemical I right? Also do you do a 100% water change, I hope not either.

 

[Mori]

Although it probably would take longer than a week to starve to death, they will need additional food should they live long enough next time. What species pleco were they? Algae wafers are generally a good start.

 

[jah2]

I use a algae scraper sponge. And they are just the common pleco. And I only do a 35% water change once a week.