Inactive, Gravel-hugging Platy

[TRDNiteLife]

This past Sunday I added 3 Zebra Danios and 3 Sunburst Mickey Mouse Platys (female I think) to my tank. All were fine and swimming actively. The next day they were still fine, and when I fed them they ate like pigs. After feeding them, I went and bought 2 Gold Twin Bar Platys (1 male, 1 female) and added them later that evening. All the fish were getting along and swimming around. Starting yesterday one of my Mickey Mouse Platys has just been hiding in the plants. She doesn't really swim around and doesn't eat anything during feeding. She just sits, plunked down in the gravel. Not hovering over, just right in the substrate. She moves around once in a while only to find a new place to sit. Hasn't eaten for a couple days either. No noticeable color changes. Everyone is fine but her.

72G tank. Water parameters - Amm - 0, Nitrites - 0, Nitrates - between 5-10, ph - about 7.6.


Anyone have any ideas?

EDIT: It appears the Platy is actually a MALE.

 

[kribensis12]

Hmmm, maybe stress? HOw old is teh tank? Is it cycled? Whats the entire stocking list? Do you usea Liquid test kit or a dip strip test kit?

 

[TRDNiteLife]

Hmmm, maybe stress? HOw old is teh tank? Is it cycled? Whats the entire stocking list? Do you usea Liquid test kit or a dip strip test kit?

The tank was set up 02/28/08. It ran fishless until 03/10/08. My friend had an emergency and I had to watch his Kennyi for a couple weeks. During that time the Ammonia slowly rose and then dropped to zero. The Nitrites spiked over a couple weeks and then dropped to zero as well. I used an API liquid test kit. That is the entire stock list. 3 Zebras and 5 Platys.

 

[kribensis12]

Hmm, maybe just a bad platy? That is odd. I would just watch and see what happens. There isa possiblity that it is a bacterial infection though.

 

[Duck and Dive]

If you could get a good pic I could examine it and look for disease or infection signs.

 

[5teady_2012]

Maybe she is pregnant.

 

[TRDNiteLife]

Update: Ok, I finally got to see the fins of the Platy and it looks like it's actually a male. Since the original post, some of his bottom scales have turned a reddish color near his anal fin to about the pectoral fins. Honestly I don't know if his scales have been like that the entire time or if it just happened. When I added a fancy male guppy and two female guppies, the Platy started becoming active. He doesn't constantly hide all the time, he swims with the others and has been feeding too.

 

[TRDNiteLife]

I looked more into Ich and now I see white spots on all three of my Sunburst Mickey Mouse Platys. So they have Ich. I'm going to start reading up on treatment. Should I use meds or salt/water temp treatment? I don't have a heater.

New thread in Emergency Forum - http/www.fishforums.net/content/Tropical...ies/238427/Ich/