Common Pleco red tip tail. Being chewed? Help appreciated

[RichardCichlid]

His name is Jerry and I believe he is a common pleco? Please correct me if I am wrong. He hides mostly, but today he made a rare front and center appearance after a water change. I noticed his tail was red at the tip. Is he getting chewed on? Or is he somehow rubbing it against a mostly smooth piece of driftwood? He's easily 7cm bigger than anything else in the tank.

Any help is greatly appreciated,

Richard.

[PETFISH]

add some aquarium salt to the tank, pleco's like soft acid water and africans like hard alkaline water, ???

[RichardCichlid]

Yeah I was misinformed when I first bought them. I was told the Africans will do fine with the Pleco. Then joined here and read up on everything more and turns out it's not ideal. But they are all doing really quite well, besides this red tail just coming up. The Africans have grown quite a lot rather quickly!

I only have Epsom salts, would that do??

[PETFISH]

not ideal, e/salts are salts of magnesium which is more of a laxative for fluid retention than anything else,you could use rock salt from the supermarket

[RichardCichlid]

Got some of that, thanks a lot. Will have to get some aquarium salt asap however

[Donny@ageofaquariums]

Plecos are usually fine with Africans.

its likely a bossy mbuna trying to take his cave lurk away from him.

Could be a good time to rearange the hardscape.

[RichardCichlid]

Awesome thanks Donny! I did that coincidentally today, even raked the gravel with my fingers to give it that tranquil Japanese garden effect although I doubt it will last long ahah hopefully it clears up soon (:

[RichardCichlid]

Just like to say he's healing up very well, and is around 45cm mark, how big is he gonna get?!

[Craigo]

JUst a heads up for all, I lost a few plecos in one tanks using salt to cure some scrapes on a toga from jumping &smashing lid

[RichardCichlid]

That's awful, thanks for the warning :/ will have to be wary of that

[tutters187]

JUst a heads up for all, I lost a few plecos in one tanks using salt to cure some scrapes on a toga from jumping &smashing lid

Depending on how much salt you added to the size of your tank - i doubt the salt killed it. Recommended dose on some packs is 1tbs/20L = approx 1g/L - i would double that for catfish

People are WAY to scared to use salt (aquarium/rock salt) it's good stuff but you can't add more without some water changes first.

[Craigo]

Yeah it was when I was a total newb. Russ gave me the dose & straight after they all got red bellies & died, went back talked to Kim, they agreed salt & plecos don't mix.

Just my experience, we have all learnt a lot along the way. Possibly not the salt I would just be careful, I am pretty ignorant on regards to keeping plecos other than they eat the scraps & poop like no ones business!!

Love salt, it has worked wonders for me with many a fish.