My little Rubber Lip Plecos dying

[Dale]

I got a couple of young rubber lips from Petsmart last week. One seemed a bit lathargic the other was doing good lots of energy Two days in the slower died. Petsmart replaced it a day later the I found the feisty one dead akkkk. I have one left I'm stumped. I don't want to keep killing the little guys. I haven't had any other fish sick.
Dale

 

[Loren]

I'm sorry for your loss. I would take the other one back and get your free replacement. Many times plecos are starved almost to death at the big box pet stores. I have seem more than my fair share floating belly up there. I assume that this type of pleco either needs algae, algae wafers or something that they can find without fighting against the fish that are quicker. So if you have those things you should hopefully be okay with the replacements. The plecos that I have don't eat a lot of algae so I feed them blanched green beans, Sera tabs, blanched spinach and vegetable wafers.

 

[KaraWolf]

Probably not something you are doing. Generally, especially plecos and other algae eaters, are pretty starved during shipping/at store. When you pick up the replacement look for ones with big fat bellies. Any that have a belly that curves in like they're really hungry have been without food for so long their gut bacteria might have died and there isn't much you can do to save them(lost a lot of Oto's trying to stock my tank once >.< ). Unfortunately all you can do is keep replacing them until you end up with healthy ones. Or shop somewhere local. It's a bit of an major adventure(at least for me) But I've taken to just heading all the way up to aquarium coop and getting my fish from Cory. They're generally in a lot better state, and he is willing to order anything you like if he can get his hands on it XD

 

[Dale]

Thanks Loran and Kara
Very helpful and encouraging information
Loran I esp like the diatary info. Now I just have to find a way for them to actually eat. My silly parrot heads eat any and everything lol

 

[fish fanatic centeral]

Ide try and get them from a local pet store, they tend to have better quality.