I was wondering if pleco's go through a stage in there life where they shed there skin. One of my pleco's had a white "film" on it's body. I thought it was an infection. The following morning, expecting it to be worse, I notice that he/she was totally fine and the "film" was floating around in my tank. The "film" was the shell of the pleco's body.

I've never heard of that though it sounds more like some kind of excess mucus shedding which often is a sign of disease or poor water conditions. What else is in the tank? What size is the tank and what are your water parameters?

My water parameters are perfect. It's a 29 gallon freshwater community tank which also holds..... 3 Corys
2 yoyo loaches
5 platies
1 Syno cat


I do a 20% water change every saturday (weekly). The Lights are on 10 hours a day. It's a Planted tank. The pleco is totally fine. Never aggressive towards any othger fish. No other fish is aggressive towards him.

i have never heard of a pleco shedding it's skin. i would have to agree with Teelie, that it sounds more like excess mucus.

also what are your actually readings on your parameters? "perfect" isn't exactly descriptive.

"perfect" is retrospective as perfect for one fish is not for another! what species is the pleco, and could you give the hardness, temperature, ph NO3 and NO2 readings?

I think basically the guys mucus was produced in response to a viral infection or being attacked and its just hardened and dropped, like a big lump of snot :green: