Para pleco (Peckoltia sabaji): need your input

[Rupununi]

All,

I have a couple of concerns regarding my para pleco.

1) I have a breakout of ich and would like to do the temperature treatment (raising to 87F for ~10 days) and adding Ich Attack (but no salt treatment). Does anyone know about the sensitivity of Peckoltia or other plecos to increasing water temperature? I'm confident my cichlids can handle 87F but am worried the pleco may not.

2) I'm worried that my pleco is not getting enough food. The fish is housed with eartheaters which are extremely effective at removing all food from the bottom of the tank in short order, even algae wafers. I have wood in the tank, and the wood has a nice film of bacteria/fungi on it which I assume is providing some nourishment as Peckoltia is a wood-grazing fish. However, is it enough? How do you deal with conspecifics preventing plecos from getting food?

 

[Warborg]

I wouldn't do it, planetcatfish has a max of 78.8 degrees

Try dropping food in at night with all the lights off

 

[bigfishsmallpond]

the temp is not the problem. i keep my plecos at 84-86
its the ich meds "dont use it" it may be a one way ticket to the toilet
you need to use salt 1tbs for 5gal and do a wc in 3 day and see if you need to do it again

 

[Jackson]

Use kordons ridich+ it's safe for plecos. If you are going to up the temp add more oxygen to the water vis a HOB.

 

[Rupununi]

Thanks to all for the replies.

 

[Deeterl@hotmail.com]

I agree with bigfish do the heat and salt treatment