pleco troubles *Pics Added!*

[plecoL83]

I have a beautiful L83 juvenile pleco (3 inches) in my 50 gallon tank and lately I've noticed his fins are looking rather frayed as in instead of displaying a full well rounded dorsal fin it looks like cunks of it are dissapearing (I'll upload some photos later) it doesn't look like he's been fin nipped and it affects all his fins, my Ph is 6.7, GH 75ppm, Kh 75ppm, N03 15 ppm, N02 0, NH3 NH4 0. I'm feeding him tetramin tropical food tablets for bottom feeders every 2 days and every so often cucuber or carrots. Please help I really have groan attached to him, I also have a 1 inch albino bushynosed pleco who's full fins and growing fast who is unaffected by my L83's ailment.
Thanks,
Pleco L83



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[Nerine]

this happened with one of my plecos before he passed, his belly caved in even though he was a healthy eater...I don't know what it was. I had treated with Pimafix and Melafix but it didn't help currious to know what others have to say...

How is your pleco doing ?

[plecoL83]

My pleco's belly is as it always has been fine it's only his fins that are affected.

[mseguin]

Then I would say he's being picked on, even if you can't see it, possibly by the other pleco

[plecoL83]

Can you be sure, I've never seen my  b/n show any agression in fact it's the opposite  then there's also the fact that my L83 is 3x bigger than my b/n.

[Laura]

What kind of loach do you have?  I know skunks can be nippy.
Also, your signature mentions 3 algae eaters - what are they?

[plecoL83]

my algea eaters are Acanthocobitis zonalternans and my loach is still yet to be classified (unknown) but he (or she) is very shy and runs from even my humble platy.

here's some pics from the internet of my algea eaters.

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[Toss]

You got CAE, Chinese Algae Eater. They could be the culprit.

[babblefish1960]

I would agree with Toss, that is one nasty fish, and not an algae eater at all once they start to mature.

[Laura]

I was confused as your algae eater name pulls up this link which is for a loach http://www.loaches.com/species-index/acanthocobitis-zonalternans and shows the photo.
It makes sense if you've mixed up a chinese algae eater (CAE) with this loach name as they appear quite similar http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Gyrinocheilus_aymonieri.php

If your algae eaters are CAE then I agree that they could be causing the trouble.

[plecoL83]

Thanks, yeah that does seem to fit.

[Fishnut]

I would take the pleco out and put it in a hospital tank.  If it's a disease, the problem will worsen and you can more easily identify it and treat it, if it's another fish picking on it, the pleco will get better.  Aren't BN plecos  more prickly than some of the more exotic plecos?  This might explain why the BN is being left alone and this cutie is getting picked on.