# Death By Java Moss?



## RCShevalier (Oct 6, 2015)

My albino bristlenose pleco died today. I wasn't around to see, but my fiance said she saw it happen. I have a clump of java moss that this pleco would often rest in. Apparently this time around he got himself caught in it and ended up dying. She said when she realized that he was caught she tried to move some of the moss for him but that he had already died by the time she got her hand in the water (seemingly a matter of a few minutes where she saw him die). She mentioned that he was caught up particularly around his head.

My question is, is this possible? He was adult size, probably 5" and often swam in and out of the moss, and would even thrash his way through thicker parts. Last I saw him the fish looked healthy, but I'm thinking he must have had something wrong with him and he just happened to die while in the moss? I had the fiance check the water parameters and ammonia and nitrites were both 0 and nitrates were 20 ppm. Is it possible that some java moss got caught in his gills or something? Very confused here.


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## Bullet (Apr 19, 2014)

Firstly, let me say that I am sorry for your loss however, it sounds a bit unrealistic that the moss is to blame 
Java moss can get quite thick but that's a good sized fish to get tangled up and become unable to free itself 
My suspicion is that your Pleco may have been in some sort of weakened state / fighting off illness / undernourished perhaps and did not have its full strength
The Java moss may have been the straw that broke the camel's back


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## RCShevalier (Oct 6, 2015)

Bullet said:


> Firstly, let me say that I am sorry for your loss however, it sounds a bit unrealistic that the moss is to blame
> Java moss can get quite thick but that's a good sized fish to get tangled up and become unable to free itself
> My suspicion is that your Pleco may have been in some sort of weakened state / fighting off illness / undernourished perhaps and did not have its full strength
> The Java moss may have been the straw that broke the camel's back


Yes, this sounds more realistic to me as well. I will keep my eye on the other fish. Thanks for the response.


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## Pocky (Jun 20, 2015)

Maybe he was sick and knew he was dying and went to hide in the java moss and die. Some animals do that, when they know they're goign to die they hide. I doubt the moss killed him. Even if he got stuck it shouldn't suffocate him because plecos stay still all the time and can breath without continually swimming.


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