Plecos
So first;
Pleco's are nocturnal. He comes out just not when your watching.
Second;
Put a piece of large drift in your tank, this is ESSENTIAL!!!!!
Third;
Most plecs die of starvation! The are omnivores, and in the wild live on insects, dead fish, and plant matter. A Hungry common will eat your fish eventually if you starve him long enough. (they have to be pretty big to do this but they will eat a hole right through the fish!)
Ok so what to do,
one it sounds like your albino was either sick when you bought him, or got sick because he didn't have good cover (plecs need DRIFTWOOD) and got stressed, he may have also just been really really HUNGRY, depending on what you were feeding him. (a lot of packaged food is high in ASH, low in protein, and is basically junk, Wardlys and tetra are the worst)
Buy him some PROTEIN wafers and look at the ASH content, buy the EXPENSIVE ones they usually have less ASH.
Next go to the grocery buy some ZUCCHINI! cut it length wise and then in half, give 1/4 zucchini every other to every third night (I strap mine to a small piece of slate with a NATURAL rubber band NOT COLORED!)
Finally, grab a power-head (I like Aqua-clear) stick it on a sponge filter (like 3.00 at the LFS) or a tube from your under-gravel (if you have one) and point it to where he likes to hide (likely the drift) hook an o2 line from your bubbler to it, all of your fish will like the extra o2, as well as the faster moving water but especially your plec.
I would guess that your plec will live longer this time. Also do not salt or medicate the tank with him in there.
So first;
Pleco's are nocturnal. He comes out just not when your watching.
Second;
Put a piece of large drift in your tank, this is ESSENTIAL!!!!!
Third;
Most plecs die of starvation! The are omnivores, and in the wild live on insects, dead fish, and plant matter. A Hungry common will eat your fish eventually if you starve him long enough. (they have to be pretty big to do this but they will eat a hole right through the fish!)
Ok so what to do,
one it sounds like your albino was either sick when you bought him, or got sick because he didn't have good cover (plecs need DRIFTWOOD) and got stressed, he may have also just been really really HUNGRY, depending on what you were feeding him. (a lot of packaged food is high in ASH, low in protein, and is basically junk, Wardlys and tetra are the worst)
Buy him some PROTEIN wafers and look at the ASH content, buy the EXPENSIVE ones they usually have less ASH.
Next go to the grocery buy some ZUCCHINI! cut it length wise and then in half, give 1/4 zucchini every other to every third night (I strap mine to a small piece of slate with a NATURAL rubber band NOT COLORED!)
Finally, grab a power-head (I like Aqua-clear) stick it on a sponge filter (like 3.00 at the LFS) or a tube from your under-gravel (if you have one) and point it to where he likes to hide (likely the drift) hook an o2 line from your bubbler to it, all of your fish will like the extra o2, as well as the faster moving water but especially your plec.
I would guess that your plec will live longer this time. Also do not salt or medicate the tank with him in there.
