Don't look if sqeamish

Another storm another death. Honestly I don't know whats wrong with my plecos lately, they are positively vicious.

Pretty sure this is an attack job on my only adult female (yeah tech it was the one I got off you) but I thought I better put up photos just in case its something like a sickness or something.

Apart from a very slight ammonia trace in the water nothing else showed up on tests and ph was7.1. There was an old female guppy sitting on the bottom but all the other guppies looked ok so based on her behaviour I am suspicious something else could be going on. I did wc just to be safe.

All the other L260's look good and I couldn't see any fin fraying evidence at all. Shining a torch closely on guppies didn't turn up anything like fin rot or white spot either.

If this is an attack by a male on a female its a particularly nasty one which killed her. I didn't notice her hanging out at all yesterday like she was sick or anything.

Any opinions?

Definately looks like she's been munched on.
Very sorry for your loss.

Hmmm sad, It's looking a bit suss now...first one of your L134's and now a L260...just hope that the city council hasn't put any additives into the Wivenhoe dam after all this big rain we've been having lately...just a thought.

I am using stored rainwater and a buffer. As far as I know the rainwater is fine.

Sorry to hear of another one Bren, Hugz

oh, Bren, sorry to hear/see this , so sad, hope you can get to the bottom of the problem asap. You said you put the flashlight on the guppies,and they look fine, but over here in US , i have been hearing of sick guppies from the over-in-breeding and the word over here is dont get guppies. Have you had yours a long time? thats all i can think of. Pleas keep us informed,again ,sorry

Georgie

the damage on its neck looks oval/round shape, so it could be signs of a agressive male.

She has always been a little bit of a hairy sort of girl. Is it possible she got mistaken for a male by an aggro male?
I've had the guppies several months. They were all quaranteened before adding a few months ago.
I thought maybe I could be guilty of over cleaning the tank during a water change but gee that damage doesn't look like a little bit of ammonia could do that.
I caught them all exactly one month ago for piccies and she was fine then.


I'll just have to wait now for the 16mth old juvies to mature and see what I have.

so so sorry for your loss. The bite marks indeed look oval. I would tend to say if th others are fine and the other guppies as well, that maybe a male got her indeed. I would as usual still observe the tank for any other signs. Sorry again cheers jk :thumbup:

sorry to hear poor little girl:cry:

Animals will not see a female for a male. We humans do...but that's just because we don't use any other sences then eye sight..

Very sorry to see your loss :cry: Terrible.....
But it is common among L260. The males can get very aggressive. My breeding group was reduced to only the one breeding male with his 2 breeding females. Any other male in the group and you'll get a fight sooner or later. Most times the female will spawn with the male and then an other male will want to spawn with that female again. Because he will get frustrated they will harm the female. I've lost a female like that....
I know of several people the have lost female L260 by aggressive males :cry: They also need a lot of space, so the fish can hide or flee if needed.

Keeping a close eye on the tank and apart from the old female guppy finally going to guppy heaven, everyone else is alert and of good appetites.

oh dear, hard to tell as it has been chewed, red marking in flesh could indicate infection. I would do big w/c.
also are you sure she is female cos pec fin has good hair on it.?
have you considered uv ?

I did have uv once but it would put the water temps up 2C which isn't so great in hot summers.

yes 260's are a mean pleco thats for sure.... i have lost a sub adult male because he would not give up the cave he got into while the main man was out feeding... absolutely massacred poor little fella and death soon followed...

um im not totally convinced its female either bren... hairy pec fin is not really a good guide to go on... as some female 260 bloodlines look italian... i think body shape points to being more male.. but either way male/female it looks to be a victim of a bad domestic...

:cry::cry::cry:

if it makes you feel any better i have young adult females spawning at 2 years old.... barely 7cm and laying 7-10 eggs a time....