Bloated Pleco; Bubbley skin

Question

Pleco  
Pleco   QUESTION: My Common Pleco has suddenly bloated massivley. His belly is about twice his normal size! He also has 3 bubble like growths on his skin. They seem to be filled with liquid/air and look very delicate, they move around when he moves and look as if they could pop easily.
I have attached a picture which shows both the bloated ness and the bubbles.
We have had him about 4/5 years and hes about 4/5 inches long. I have not done anything different to normal - partial water change (of our approx 33gallon/124L tank) 4 days ago; usual feeding routine (daily algae wafer) and all our other fish look fine. I think he is breathing slightly more heavily (but suddently cant quite remember how fast he usually breathes!)

ANSWER: Hi Claire,
Wow! Poor guy. Thank you for the photos... This does seem like a bit unusual case. He obviously has a lot of fluid retention. It could be a problem with his kidneys. Which unfotunately is difficult to diagnose and nearly impossible to treat.

There may be a problem with his digestive system as well. A possible infection in his digestive tract...  Does he still try to eat? Do you notice him pooing? Does it look normal?

Plecostomus have complex digestive tracts, being mainly herbivores. Its easy for something to go wrong.
Some sources suggest making sure to offer some vegetable foods like mashed peas for several days. But if this is an infection, treatment will be difficult.

Do a big water change (50%) to make sure the water is nice and clean for him. Theres nothing worse for a sickly fish than a polluted tank.

Let me know how he is doing!
Good luck!
Susan~

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

QUESTION: I've not noticed him trying to eat but he often doesn't when im watching! I also don't think I've seen him have a poo for a day or 2. And what i did see didn't look normal-paler/slightly green possibly. i put peas in last night. Not sure who ate them though! Was told they could help him poo? Any other veg specific that are good?
Will do a water change tonight/tomorrow. Did one 4/5 days ago and was worried another would make him more stressed than he probably already is! We have some internal bacteria treatment stuff which improver rather tempted to try putting in?
He's not looking much different today, so that's about 48 hours he's been like this that i know of. Do you have any idea how long such things could take to get better (if they will!). its obviously not some quick overnight fix but not sure how long to expect.
Thanks, Claire

Answer
Hi Claire!
Try to give him some zucchini and romain lettuce as well. Plecos are big poopers (for lack of a better word!) and what you described to me didn't sound too normal.

Green peas are great for providing the needed fiber/vegetable matter these fish need.

As long as the new water being added is treated with a water conditioner and the temp is equal to or just a little warmer than his tank's temp, water changes should not stress him at all. They could only do him good.

Definitely hold off from algae wafers and just give him fresh/frozen vegetables. If he has an internal blockage it may take up to a week for him to get fully recovered. Its very hard to tell. And hopefully it hasn't become life-threatening.

The fact that you did see some poo means there may be hope.

I'm hesitant to advise medications at this point. Its a risky business medicating blindly for something. And remember many medications will destroy the good bacteria that keep ammonia levels low. So it could evolve into a whole other problem. A less invasive medication like Pimafix + Melafix I would feel much more comfortable with. You can use these together for a more potent punch on bacteria infections+fungal infections or you can simply use Melafix which treats bacteria more so. These are generally safe medications that are less likely to interfere with the 'biofilter' .

I hope he doesn't have internal parasites. Pale, stringy poo is a common sign of internal parasites. Normally the fish would look a bit thin but ive heard they can bloat up too... Prazipro is a medication added to the water or to the fish's food. I've had good luck with it before in treating internal parasites.

*But try lots of veggies first for a few more days.

Cases like this are tough to break down an figure out. It takes a lot of investigative work and treatment unfortunately can really be a gamble.

Best of luck!!
Susan~