False Alarm??? BN Pelco Deaths?

[dan2x38]

I got 2 BN (brown) Pelcos added to my tank 3 weeks apart. The first died in a week or less the second I added 2-3 weeks later same story. No problem with 1 in my other tank.

Tanks been up for 1 year. The tank is a 29g community tank, med. planted, CO2 DIY, NH3- 0, NO2- 0, pH- 6.8-7.0, KH 3.5, GH- 6.0. Finished NO3 test kit last time was 20ppm & PO4 was 1.0. The NO3 is stable in that tank. The Fe (celulated) is 0.1. The temp. is 76f. The filter is an Emperor 350 Bi-Wheel. Twin tube lighting with T8 6700k tubes. I use 2 media cartridges fill them with: 1st stage with 50% carbon - 50% SeaChem renew & 2nd stage Bio-Max. Had been adding SeaChem liquid ferts. NPK & trace every other day diluted in treated water. Stopped that cycle because of a little extra algae. I do 30%-40% weekly water changes with matured water aerated with an airstone. To keep pH same as tank since CO2 injected I add SeaChem acid-buffer to lower tap water to 6.8 from 7.5. I treat the water with prime.

Tank is always very stable.

Fish:

3 Pineapple Swords- 1 male, 2 females
2 Julli Corys
4 Black Skirt Tetras- 1 male, 3 females
1 Hillstream Loach
1 SAE 3"
1 Fancy Guppy- male
1 Sun Burst Platy- male
1 Dwarf Gaurmai- male
1 Singapore Shrimp
2 Female 1" Cherry Shrimp

[plecoL83]

Alot of pleco's when you get them from the store are not very well fed and may need some additional feeding besides algea found in the tank, Every 4-6 days I like to put in three slices of cucumber along with pleco food (meaty) that I feed every 2-4. Did the pleco's appear to be ematiated if so you found your proleme.
Hope this helps, sorry to ear about your loss,
Pleco L83

[mseguin]

Were they wild or CB? I know I've seen wild BN come in with pretty bad parasitic ifnections.

[dan2x38]

Really stumped now!!!  I did a WC & vacuumed the gravel where I tought I'd found the dead pelco. The spot was all grey mass looked like a dead fish. I scoped it out and looked like the skull was left with the small mass. Well while vacuuming I found the bugger! Did a full fin count no one missing what the... %#*& What was that small mass of what seemd like a dead fish? Very WERID!!!  It was greyish with some brownish colour sure looked like a dead pelco.

[plecoL83]

ooooooooooooooook... um... ah... er... I have absolutly no idea.

[dan2x38]

ooooooooooooooook... um... ah... er... I have absolutly no idea.

I should have taken a pic. but thought it was the dead pelco. Watching him chow on some algae right now.

[PoisonJello]

maybe when you did your head count you counted one twice 

[dan2x38]

The fin count was right I got them to all stay still. I think I found the cause...  At that side of the tank I place the veggie clip. I've changed from brocolli to zuccini. With research I think that is what it was. When offering zuccini & cuccumber your suppose to remove the seed... DOH!!! The simpilist is usually the solution.