Pleco - Very sick

Question
I recently merged the livestock from two tanks into one (the size of the tank permitted this)to restock plants and generally tidy one of them - as a result 2 plecos were housed together, at first there was a little hostility but they appeared to keep apart after that.  I have noticed that a very large patch of scales is missing from one of the plecos, and the guppies in the tank have been feeding from the patch, in addition his fins appear to have been damaged.  I have resurrected the other tank and put him in isolation for the time being but he doesn't look well, we have had him for about 5 years, can you help I don't think that I have much time left to save him!

Answer
Hi Rachel,
  Plecos look pretty peaceful but they can be highly territorial and aggressive about maintaining their personal space. It is very possible that the one attacked the other.

  Isolating the injured fish was the right thing to do.  Now it is basically up to him to recover.  The wounds may develop secondary fungal infections for which products like Paragon II are helpful, but be careful because many catfish are quite sensitive to treatments.  

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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