My sucker fish is freaking out! :(

Question
I have had this sucker fish for about 4 years.  He's just lost his tank mate last week, an Oscar.  My electricity was off for 2 days and the Oscar died. :(  Since yesterday the sucker fish has been bashing into the sides and the top of the tank and I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG?  The temp of the tank is good. Please give me some insight?  Thank you in advance for your time.  Louise

Answer
Hello Louise-

I'm very sorry for the loss of your Oscar. They're great fish. :(

Since both Oscars and Plecos are very messy fish, and your filter was down for two days, your tank is probably full of ammonia. Here's what you need to do, ASAP.

1.) Do a 50% water change and get your filter up and running again. This will reduce the ammonia, but will not remove all of it.

2.) After you do a 50% water change,  take a water sample to PetsMart (or another pet store) and get your water levels checked. Don't expect them to look pretty :(

3.) After you get your levels, you'll need to buy some chemicals. One that might be helpful is AmmoLock (to convert ammonia to a non-toxic form.) The pet store can help you find what you need, since chemicals vary by location.

4.) Dose the tank accordingly, and do a 30% water change daily until your levels are back to normal.

Hope this helps - Sorry for your loss :(
-Amber Worman