Help with common plec - don't know what to do!

[orange]

Hardly pooping or eating for a month!
Water since meds - .25 amonia - once was .5 before a water change
Temp 80-82
PH 8-8.2
GH?
KH?
He's about 13" in a 25 gallon - we've been waiting to put him in a 65 until he's better!
He's 10+ years old. No other fish.
Aquclear 50 & Tetra 40 - they need rinsing every other day when he's well & pooping like crazy!
Feed zuccini, tetramin, wood chips, peas.
Probably over feeding
Water change every 3-5 days depending on how dirty.
He has gravel & driftwood and mopani? wood.
This was all when he was well.
It's been a little over a month since he hasn't been normal.
He's been getting constipated every few months. Just for a day or 2. Sometimes a week. Last time was really bad so dosed for 5 days with epsom & he was back to normal for 2 months. Happened again - tried epsom again but didn't work. He was hardly eating. Slightly bloated but not too bad. Oh - he also always seems to get bulged out on one side - when you look from the front it's the left side. Seems worse when he's blocked up. Dosed 6 times (every other day) with kanaplex. He seemed to be a bit better. Pooped a bit, ate a bit but still not normal. Started metro with the 6th dose of kanaplex. Have given 2 more doses since then. Also added epsom to the water - 6 teaspoon for 25 gallon tank. Change about 1/3 tank water before every dose - amonia is always at .25 with meds - never had any before. Before the change it will be .5 Nitrite is 0. PH is 8-8.2 (always has been) Nitrate has been up at 20 but lately always 1-5. Dosed peas with metro garlic and epsom. Give 2x a day. Think he's eating some. Took wood chips & dosed with epsom. Tried feeding those too. What else can we do? He seems ok but is not eating or pooping normal! This has been over a month!!! Please advise! Thank you!

[naturalart]

I'd be careful. You could easily love your fish to death. I believe this is a middle-aged fish by common pleco standards? its metabolism is probably slower and therefore can go longer periods with less food. Also remember fish biology is not the same a human biology. Relax. If the eyes haven't sunken in and the stomach profile is at least level I wouldn't panic. Maybe move him into the 65 so it can move around, this could work up an appetite. And maybe increase the light to get some 'aufwuch' growing on the walls and driftwood. Pleco's love 'live' food as much as humans do. And be open to the idea that maybe this fish could have a gastrointestinal condition that medication cannot fix.

[Jools]

I agree, move him to the 65 once it's mature and don't worry for a couple of weeks. You could drop the temp 2-4 degrees if you can.

It may not be diet, for example, it could be a female and there is trouble with the ovaries.

What are wood chips?

Jools

[orange]

Thank you for responding! We are going to try to post a picture.
He has a few round marks on his lateral line that look like scrapes?
You can tell he's trying to poop! But it's not happening.
Will post more details with the picture!
Oh wood chips are Sera Catfish Chips.
We are afraid to move him if he's sick! He has something - just don't know if it's an illness or a condition.
He always prefers warmer water. It's hard to get the heater to stay at 80 - usually 81 or so.
Will try to get the picture up tonight!
Thank you again for responding!

[orange]

Also - we were planning on seeding the 65 gallon with the filters from the old tank - but the bb is probably very low now because of the antibiotics... We would love to move him but are scared to stress him when he's not 100%. Though if it's a "condition" and not an illness then better to have him enjoy the bigger tank.
We will upload a picture. He definitely is bloated but not bad.
His color is whiter than usual on his bottom half. (lateral line and under)

[orange]

Ok finally got a few pictures.
The ones from behind him show the bulge.
The ones from the side look worse than they are - the white is odd but not as odd as it looks in the pictures.
The thing the pictures don't show well is on the very left where the lateral line goes up there are some red spots - look like scrapes?
He's still not pooping. Hardly eating. But seems to react normal and seems ok.
????????
Tomorrow will be the last dose of metro.
He had 6 doses of kanaplex & 6 doses of metroplex.
Peas with epsom, garlic & metroplex.
Water dose with epsom.
Gonna take a break from meds.
Put back the carbon.
See how he does.
Any ideas what that bulge or lateral line "scrapes" could be??

[Bas Pels]

Last time I saw a pleco in this state it had been dead for a few days.

You´re certain it is still alife?