Maggot/parasite in plecys eye

Question
I have recently noticed a maggot type creature(much smaller) inside my 17" plecys eye. he keeps headbutting the roof of the tank, and stops breathing for long periods. any ideas???? can't find anything about it. any help would be great!
Cheers
Sean

Answer
Hi Sean,
It could possibly be eye flukes.There are medications to treat various parasites but the problem is that you really have to be careful when treating scaleless fish or any type of catfish. Usually you can use half the recommended dose but some medications are still not safe for these type of fish.
Jungle makes a couple of medications that might work. One is in the tablet form and is called Parasite Clear Tank Buddies. The other is Parasite Guard and it is in a crystal form. I have not found anything so far on either that said not to use on pleco type fish but I would still maybe only use 1/2 the recommended dose just to be sure it isn't going to make him sick. If you do use either of these be sure to notice any unusual behavior and if it seems to be bothering him  do a large water change immediately.You know how your fish normally behaves so just keep an eye out for anything unusual. Be sure to keep his tank water really clean since large plecos produce alot of waste and this will cause him health problems.
I don't know if the head butting the tank cover is connected with the eye problem but it isn't unusual for large plecos to suddenly swim to the top and gulp some air at times. It is somehow connected with adjusting their buoyancy so they can position themselves in the tank.
I hope this has helped in some way. It is really hard to treat some types of fish with medication without making them sicker. I really hope this doesn't cause more problems for your fish if he is medicated. Just be very careful about how much you use and observe any unusual reaction.
Best of luck,
Karen