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I was gutted to find one of my L046 Zebra Plecos dead this afternoon during a routine water change

Tested the water and all is spot on so don't know what happened. I had worried it had got trapped somehow but belly wasn't sunken at all so am puzzled as to what has happened

Don't appear to be any marks on it but it had been dead a couple of days as most of the fins were gone and hardly any colour left on it

Hi joby sorry to your zeb has died.
Sounds like it could be of natural causes and will not affect other fish.Thats one thing I am not looking forward to find in my tank not if but when it happens.I think its one thing we all will suffer from one day.

I wish you the best of luck with your other zebs

Jerry

Thanks Jerry, yes was sick to my stomach to find it

Going to be paranoid around the remaining 5 now, but can't see any reason for it to happen so will just have to watch and hope the rest continue to do well

Hi

Im sorry to hear that... I know the feeling of having to deal with one dead zebra in your tank.

May I suggest that you test your water's parameters and you place the results it in here for us to take a look?

Saul

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
PH 7

Temp 28c

Bare bottomed with slate/clay caves and stacked slate running for 18 months with Tetratec EX600 external filter plus a Fluval 2+ internal filter and an internal UV

The remaining zebs are behaving normal as before

They seem to be normal but the Nitrate 10 will need to be brough down to 0 if possible. A would recommend a good water change of 30% when possible.

Maybe He was trapped? do you have your tank bear bottom?

Sorry for your loss Joby.

Hi unungy

Think you mean Nitrite not Nitrate this is ok at 10 my zebs have bred in more and I have checked my water in breeding tank while breeding and tonight with Interpet easy test kit its under 6 months old (3 part liquid 1 part powder)and reads 12.5.
If your test kit shows 0 Nitrate then you probably need a new one.

Hope this helps Jerry

Yes you are right... I'm at work and had a quick escape to check the forum.

What would you recommend? do you have any ideas?

Saul

Hi
Think best thing to keep an eye on others and keep water perimeters good as can be as they are,is the best thing.

Jerry

Check the others for injuries. If I had to bet, I would bet that a good fight got it.

I've been peering into the tank often since it happened and seen them all now and nobody appears to be injured, all fins ok and stripes look nice and clear plus 2 came out to feed right in front of me so don't think its anything wrong with the water

There were always 3 that occupied the caves and only 2 are now so not sure if that means it was a male that died as another bigger male didn't want the competition

Thanks again everyone am getting over the shock of it now and I guess will never really know what happened but hopefully was not my fault

If its any consolation...

I started with a proven breeding colony of 13 fish in Apr 06. So far I have lost 4 fish since then. I know my water is kept clean and conditions for the fish are good. I chalk up the losses to natural causes and/or fighting. The other side of that coin is a few 100 fry have also come out of that tank alive and healthy in that period.

Thanks does make it a little easier knowing its not uneard of, but sorry you've lost some