my pleco passed away tonight

Question
QUESTION: I had my pleco for 16 years, I got him in 1995. The past week he hasn't been eating and tonight when I went to filter water out he started splashing and trying to jump out of the aquarium. He's never done that before, he's never been afraid of me because he's always used to me filtering out water. I ran to get a bucket and fill it with water because he was trying to jump out of the aquarium and he was almost removing the top, when I came back to catch him with his large net and put him in the bucket he was laying upside down on the floor of the tank breathing heavily and after I placed him in the bucket, he died a few minutes later. I don't understand what happened. I love him very much, he was like a family pet.

ANSWER: Amanda,
The life expectancy of a pleco is between 10 and 15 years if housed well. I would have to say he died naturally. It is common for fish to act the way that yours did, before they die. You are very lucky to have had him that long. You truly took good care of him and I know you will miss him. SOrry to hear he passed.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you. Why was he trying to fly out of the aquarium? The water quality was fine.

Answer
Amanda,
That is just what some fish do. I believe he was not doing it on purpose, it was just something his body was doing. We humans often do that kind of thing as well. I doubt there was anything wrong with the water, nor did you do anything wrong. It was just his time.