Plecos not eating

[elly]

I bought a small bushy nose pleco barely an inch in size and a small guitar pleco (turned out to be a hillstream loach, the store mislabeled it :miarockt:) two days ago and they are not eating any of the sinking algae wafflers I have dropped in at night. I have them in a 10 gallon tank with driftwood that has been running for a week before. I even tried dipping the wafflers in fresh garlic but still not eating. What should I do?

[Catsaholic]

I have them in a 10 gallon tank with driftwood that has been running for a week before.

I'll take it it's a new tank. Did you cycle it on bacteria or on fish? Is your filter brand new or you took it from mature tank?
Anyway, in case of a new tank, it's most probably still cycling, and your fish are very uncomfortable. If you have mature tank, move them there, if not, try to increase oxygen in the tank (air stone). Your fish have very little chance of survival in the cycling tank. You probably will be able to save pleco, but not loach.
Good luck.

[jlloydb]

watch your loach. if it is eating, then your pleco is also likely to be acting the same healthy way. it might be just a bit more shy, because of it's nocturnal preferences. if neither pet is eating, then i would pay very close attention to your water parameters, in particular the cycling issues of ammonia and nitrite, since this is such a new tank set.
IME, it can be very difficult to bring home pleco still so young as one inch. try sinking a small slice of zuchini to the bottom. then when lights out, take a peek to see if the pleco has moved over to it. raw zuchini can stay food safe for pleco for 2-3 days under water. HTH.

[elly]

It's an older tank and waterfall filter but the filter media is new. I have a 40G with 3 orandas in them, not sure they would like the temperature increase as I was told they like colder water. I'll try using an air stone. Both pleco and loach seem to be acting ok, they swim and hide when I come near but are not eating.

[Catsaholic]

Then give them time to adjust to their new home. They will be fine.

[elly]

@jlloydb

The water is new, I had it running for a week before. I'm not sure if the loach is eating because I dropped the wafer in at night then I close the lights and in the morning the wafer had dissolved into a mush. I got my bushy nose pleco at Big Al's Aquarium and they only had small ones, the bigger ones were the fancier type and cost $22+ each. I'll buy a zuchini and cucumber and try it.

[Hitch]

wait so the filters for that tank has completely new media? no old media?

did you test the water? if all of the filter has new media in it...then it looks like the tank is cycling right now.

[elly]

@Hitch

I could take some of the water from my oranda's tank or I can switch the filter media with my orandas' tank but I'm not sure how that will affect my orandas. I also have some old dry media sitting around I'm not sure if that would help.

[elly]

Would this Nutrafin Cycle Biological Aquarium Supplement (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3433706#prodTab1) help?

[Catsaholic]

So your water is actually new! Then your tank is cycling. Dry media won't do any good - there is no live bacteria on it. I wouldn't take anything from orandas' tank, this is sure way to kill plecos. Even if you'll add Bio Supplement, your tank will have to go through the cycle. By adding Bio Supplement you actually can send it into new cycle.
Just increase oxygen and hope for the best.

[elly]

So transfering them to the orandas' tank wouldn't be a good idea then? I know the loach's temperature range includes 65F but for the pleco I don't think so. I could use the heater in the orandas' tank but not sure if their range includes 75F which is what I have my 10G set at now.

[jlloydb]

-if you could buy a pack of test strips (ammonia and nitrite), it would allow you the small luxury of 'knowing' you water is safe while they continue acclimating.
-adding an air stone is a good precaution at this time, IMO.
-a dissolved pellet, still in place after an evening with both pleco and a loach, is a fair indication neither are eating. remove the uneaten debris, allow the fish to acclimate another day, then try again. HTH.