Pleco: Popeye?

Question
Hi, I'm volunteering at my school, they have a fish tank that I am attempting to pull out of the drain. They have 2 Plecos in it and one appears to have Popeye. It's eyes are bulging out of its head about 3-5 mm. They are normal Plecos and not any special species. there tank is in poor condition, they just got over an Ick infestation and they have a 50 watt heater in a 55 gallon tank. the heater is not fully submerged so it is not running. they filter they have is a whisper 60 power filter but there are no filters in and it is just moving water. I currently own 2 tanks of my own, a 10 gallon and 20 gallon. I am just wondering if this could be Popeye on the Pleco.

Thanks

Answer
Good evening Colin,

Wow, that's one troubled tank. As I am sure you realize, this tank is woefully underfiltered, and with no filter media, there is nothing in there for bio-filtration, in my opinion the most important function of a filter unit.

While plecos are very hardy fishes, there is a limit to how much stress they can withstand from sitting in their own waste - and plecos produce lots of it! Are these the only fishes in the tank? What I recommend you do is treat the affected pleco in a hospital container with Epsom salt. 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons should do the trick. This salt can be purchased at any pharmacy. It won't evaporate - so only add another tablespoon per 5 gallons once you have changed 100% of the water. In the hospital tank or container, you should be effecting as many water changes weekly as practical for you. Daily 25% changes or every other day 40-50% would be fantastic, if you could manage this. Then, figure out - what exactly should be done with this fellow?

Two plecos is really too many for a 55 gallon, their algae-cleaning abilities far outweigh their detrimental waste producing traits. A bristlenose pleco, even 2-3 would be fine - but one pleco is more than enough! Maybe you could talk the school into letting you have the pleco after you nurse it back to health? Or maybe they will let you have the other one, and you can treat the affected one in the tank? Even though that will require lots more salt! Maybe you can trade-in to the pet store whichever one you end up with. Unfortunately, most stores won't let you trade in specimens, and plecos are not particularly favored - one reason why plecos are everywhere in our waterways. Look for a mom and pop local fish store, or ask around and see if there is a pondkeeper interested in giving your pleco a home outside. Just *never* release captive specimens into the wild!

Now, the heater is inadequate as well. The 5 watts per gallon rule says that the heater should be at least a 250 watt heater - if a heater is even necessary. Is this fish tank in a climate controlled room? Find out just how low the room temperature can get, it's possible that it never drops below 70 degrees, and that would suit the plecos just fine. In fact, as long as the drop is gradual, mid 60s would be tolerable - although warmer temperatures are preferred.

It sounds like someone set this tank up and either doesn't work there any longer, or lost interest or was put off by the time and expense a fish tank requires. In general, a classroom fish tank only works if there is an enthusiastic participant who is willing to dole out a little cash (usually without expectation of reimbursement) when necessary. I definitely suggest you use rinsable/reusable media and not the cartridge filters, as replacing these is costly. Look into the AquaClear line of filtration and use sponges and Biomax ceramic rings instead of the Whisper cartridges. The AC reusable media needs only a rinse in dechlorinated water weekly to stay healthy - even two weeks without maintenance would be acceptable. You can even find "open pore" sponges at the craft store and cut these down to size. Another cheap and effective rinsable and reusable filter is the sponge filter, although plecos tend to nibble these down. Hydor makes these commercially (Google Hydor sponge filter and check it out) or you can build one. Google DIY sponge filter and read all sorts of variations. Yet another cheap media, but not rinsable nor reusable, is polyester fiber from the craft store or Walmart. $2 buys a bunch, but this is the least desirable option, in my opinion, since it provides only mechanical filtration.

In case you have never cleaned a dirty fish tank before, here's an article explaining what to do. You can use the bleach or not, I personally would omit it. White distilled vinegar removes lime deposits and is fish safe:
http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/fishqa/f/faq0110.htm

As you are probably aware, Colin, you'll need to stock this tank lightly and with hardy fish. A timer might be useful to keep the lights on and off on a regular schedule - unless someone is in charge of that already. Overfeeding might be a problem, so be sure to tell the staff (in your absence) to feed only as much as the fish can consume in a couple of minutes, and only once a day. Maybe a checklist would help?

Take care, and thank you for your kindheartedness. I volunteer in a number of ways myself, at the library and at this site, and it is every bit as rewarding as a paying job. In fact, in many ways it is more so! :)

Nicole