I purchased 2 bristlenose plecos yesterday. One is doing fine, but the other is very lethargic and barely moving. At first I though it was dead and was about to flush it when it wiggled a bit. Right now I have it in a seperate container of tank water and put a pinch of salt in the water. What else can/should I do to help the little guy? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The only thing that I've found out is that too much salt or any treatment with metals can be harmful for plecos. Other treatments may be used though.

1) Can you give us any more information on the water parameters?
2) What does his poop look like?
3) Is he eating?
4) Press on his belly. Is it hard or soft?
5) Is his belly concave?

Here are the numbers I got from my water test.
Nitrates-40
Nitrites-0
PH-7.8
don't have an ammonia tester yet.

I am not sure exactly what his poop looks like as until recently he was in a 10 gal tank with 1 other pleco and 4 white clouds.

I believe he ate some algea waffer yesterday, but today he was just staying in one spot on the bottom of the tank not moving.

His belly is flat and feels slightly soft, he is small so it is hard to tell excatcly.

I have a lil bristlenose pleco I just bought two weeks ago! He's still in ISO with the common pleco I took out of my GF tank when I learned he may harm them.

Pleco's like the water a little warmer than GF do. Have you checked the temp? Also, my big pleco is a slug..he's never been active at all. In fact if he can hide behind some plants and never see you...all the more happier he is. My lil new bristlenose was very quiet for the first 2-3 days. He didn't move much..but he was breathing so I didn't worry about him overmuch. He too, tends to be pretty quiet and seems content to lay/or hang on the walls around.

He has some new surroundings...I'd check ammonia...I've read here somewhere where high ammonia can burn them...but from the looks of your other params..I would be surprised to see ammonia that high in your tank...

Otherwise...he may just need a small adjustment period for his new living quarters...I also put a bit of aquarium salt in my tank for the two plecos.

Just my

We have not forgotton you!!! I have been asking around and have found no suggestions. Lisal is about the best we have

I will continue to see if I can find anything more for you, though....

Thanks for the help, but unfortunately the little fella didn't make I had to work from 2-8 and when I got back, like 15 minutes ago, it was definately dead. No response to my poking or being turned over on it's back. I think it just got to stressed, cause the guy in the pet shop that got them for me didn't seem to know what he was doing and it took him like 10 minutes to catch two of them for me. Thanks again for the help, my other one seems fine, eating some algea wafer at the moment, and my four white clouds are swimming around.

I am so sorry! I just realized I'm following you on 2 posts! Poor lil guy!
On a good note, one is probably plenty for your tank...you must have 2 tanks?

Mine was hard to catch..but I stood right by the guy while he caught him..took about 3 attempts...he scooted him up to the wall and then gently grabbed him by the sides. The guy told me was the easiest way to get them out (bristlenose plecos). I just checked my lil guy and he is growing a bit! I also forgot to tell you that my plecos love it dark. I keep their tank dimly lit...don't know what he will do when I move him into the active tank. Since I just started feeding medigold..I will wait another 21 days before moving him now!

It's so hard to find a LFS that really cares for their animals. I just keep looking for workers who show signs of being fish freaks! I've even talked with other customers for information..depending on what they are looking at!

I am sorry.

I think Lisa is right......stress is a big factor in a new fish. Catching my little algae eater was like Emma described: "like trying to nail jello to the ceiling. You get very wet and have little success."

After chasing him frantically through the tank for a long time, he was so stressed he lost all his color. It took days to get him to his monster eating habits again.

lisal:
I definately don't think this guy knew what he was doing. He used a net and I was afraid he was going to squish them, and they were all pretty small like half and inch or less so I don't think it would take much to harm them. Right now the tank I have him in only has natural lighting since I need to get a bulb for my hood. I do have 2 tanks, my 20 gal main and a 10 gal. quarantine tanks for any new or sick fishies.

daryl:
I think it was probably stress that did him in. He was the smallest of the two and I think it was just more than he could handle. Luckily my other one seems to be doing fine, and is hanging out on the side of the tank.

Sorry to hear about your fish. In case it helps for next time: I've read that it's best to wait to buy until a shipment of baby plecs has been in the store for a while. The stores lose quite a few early on.

Caroline in San Jose

I'm so sorry for your loss. It can be really sad when you bring one home and try so hard to get him adjusted and then because of previous care they die. I'm glad that you didn't lost both though, that would've been really tragic. Do you think that your other one will adjust the same way when he's moved to another tank (if he does that is) or are you confident he'll be able to handle it?

Robyn

Iam planning on keeping the bristlenose I have left in my quarentine tank for a few weeks and then move him into my 20 gal with my two Orandas. I'll definately keep and eye on him to make sure he is ajusting well and not getting harrassed or anything by my other fish. I think he should ajust well when I move him and will probably like eating the algea off the side of my 20 gal since my 10 gal doesn't have very much. He seems to have ajusted well to my 10 gal so I don't think the move to my 20 gal will be a problem.