Help Required From Experienced Platy Keepers

Backlash · Dec 27, 2011

Hi Guys and Girls..

My name is Mark, and I have been keeping Platy's at some level for the last 10 or so years..

Throughout that time, I would occasionally I get a Platy that will become noticeably thinner in the body, with the usual belly bulge disappearing, giving a flat apearance from the lower jaw area of the mouth through to the lower tail fin section.. I'm not sure if it is happening, but flattening of the belly area gives the illusion that the backbone is bending.. Sadly all of the fish that I've had do this seem to cripple up, and eventually die..

I have just noticed that I have one female from my display tank is starting to look this way now.. She does try to eat, but will spit out the food after taking it into her mouth.. I have just moved her to another tank where I can keep a better eye on her.. She seems to be in good spirits, and has her dorsal fin up, and will swim over to me when I approach the tank....

Has anyone got any ideas as to what the problem could be, and is there anything I can do to save my fish..

Thanks

Mark

Man of fish · Dec 27, 2011

What are you feeding?
I wouldn't call myself an experienced platy owner, not even close, I'm at about 6 months of fish keeping, but sounds to me like underfeeding, poor water quality, too small tank, or bad diet.

Backlash · Dec 27, 2011

Man of fish said:
What are you feeding?
I wouldn't call myself an experienced platy owner, not even close, I'm at about 6 months of fish keeping, but sounds to me like underfeeding, poor water quality, too small tank, or bad diet.

Dieses Madchen · Dec 27, 2011

How old is she?

Backlash · Dec 27, 2011

Admittedly I do not vary their diet as much as I should, but I normally feed them crushed Sera Vipan flake, and occasionally with freeze dried blood? worms + whatever else that eat from their tank (bugs, fry, algae etc)..

The tank is a 5ft x 2ft x 1.5ft, with 2700l/h canister filter and approx 25 Platy's I wouldnt say it was over crowded.. lol. I do 25% - 30% water changes every 2 weeks.. All the other Platy's in the tank are healthy.. The tank has been up and running since March 2011 (this year)..

The only negative thing I can come up with in this case is that most of the fish in the tank are males, but the males seem to spend more time chasing each other than they do harrassing the females..

I probably lose one, maybe two fish each year like this, and I was just curious to know if there was a reason why.. eg, old age, illness, etc... I think that I have lost both males and females, but this time its a female thats sick..

Mark..