"mask" on pleco???

Hi - I am a new member but have been a long time pleco mom. I have 2 fairly large plecos that I have had for approx. 18 years and (thanksfully) they have always been healthy. My lighter colored one has developed a dark brown "mask" over the last year or so. I doesn't seem to bother her but I'm wondering if anyone knows what it is or what has caused it? The other pleco shows no sign of it. I do regular water changes and keep an eye on the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Tank mates include an old algae eater, a danio, a bala shark and a green cory cat.

absolutely no idea!

has she developed a form of skin cancer possibly ?:dk:

also no idea. :welcome: to the forum. Maybe it is going dark brown as it is maturing. There are some Ls, which start off white/light and then go dark when they age. Have you googled this aleady ?

cheers jk :thumbup:

http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=35868

not sure I did this right,, but I recently read something similar to your question and tried to transfer it to here..hope it worked. HTH

welcome, 18 years old is a good age. is the fish showing any other symtoms, such as not eating/pooing normally etc. hanging around filter a lot or anything?

"mask" on pleco

The pleco with the "mask" has been acting normal. She is eating and not doing anything out of the ordinary. I failed to mention before and it is hard to tell from the picture - but the "mask" is bumpy. It is not smooth skin but rather a "growth". It doesn't seem to bother the fish but it does seem to be spreading and I hate the thought of losing the fish because I failed to treat it. Are there any medications that you recommend? I have been hesitant to stress the fish by randomly trying different meds. I appreciate everyone's responses and I hope to find out what is causing this condition. Thank you!!