Is my female platy fish sick?

[pointypancake]

Please help! Does my platy look sick? She looks puffy and extra white on the stomach. She did previously have babies, so maybe pregnant again but it doesn’t look like last time or normal

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

It looks like someone has been biting her tail and maybe her dorsal (top) fin. Apart from that she looks fine?

How long have you had her?
Is she eating well?
What does her poop look like?
What other fishes are in the tank?

How long has the tank been set up for?
Have you tested the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH?
If yes what are the results in numbers?

How often do you do water changes and how much do you change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
Do you dechlorinate the new water before adding it to the tank?

What sort of filter is on the tank?
How often and how do you clean the filter?

 

[pointypancake]

Thank you so much for your response! I've had the 10 gallon tank set up for about a year now. I originally had 2 platies which had babies eventually. Only 1 survived leaving me with the 3. About a week ago I found the male dead. He was completely puffed up, and his eyes were even bulging out of his head, I cried. I don't know what I did wrong and that's why I'm so afraid my other fish will get sick.
She is eating fine, but only comes out of her rock when it's time to eat. I find that she is always leaving those really long strands of poo. I even tried giving them less food because of that but they finish it so quickly.
I did recently test the water with API test strips and according to the chart, everything is on point for tropical fish.
I always do a full water change when I clean the tank. (I did one as soon as I found my fish dead) I honestly have never done a 25% or 50% change, and I clean it every 2 weeks. Maybe I'm stressing them too much doing that so often? When I clean the gravel, I just run it all under water and mix it. Keep filling and dumping the water until it comes out clear. I also add a new filter everytime I clean it. I never use any type of soap or products to clean anything in the tank. Just water and paper towels. When I add new water to the tank, I use API Quick Start and API Stress Coat.
I am fairly new to owning fish which is why I chose platies. Please don't judge me if I'm doing a lot wrong. I really want the best for them and would appreciate any type of advice you have. Thank you again!

 

[Carp890]

Hi I'm new too.
You say you wash your gravel in tap water when you do a clean there is no need. With your fish stocks just do a light clean.Do a 20% water change weekly. Use prime or any other water conditioner with your new water. Your filter does not need renewing every clean, once a month if need be. Wash it very lightly in the old tank water.
I think your getting rid of the natural bacteria when you clean your tank for sure, I don't think it's cycled properly.
Platies are tough fish maybe get some more to help the cycle, possibly put in some plants again to help the cycle. Do you have any type bio blocks in your filter? If you do I hope so, do not wash them at all.
I do suggest you get a chemical type of test kit, far more accurate it will help you
Good luck

 

[Colin_T]

I originally had 2 platies which had babies eventually. Only 1 survived leaving me with the 3. About a week ago I found the male dead. He was completely puffed up, and his eyes were even bulging out of his head, I cried. I don't know what I did wrong and that's why I'm so afraid my other fish will get sick..

That is usually an internal bacterial infection and can occur from a dirty tank, bad food, or the fish had an infection and it slowly got worse before overcoming the fish. It happens and there's not normally much you can do to fix it.

She is eating fine, but only comes out of her rock when it's time to eat. I find that she is always leaving those really long strands of poo. I even tried giving them less food because of that but they finish it so quickly.

If the poop is coloured then it's fine. If the poop is white/ cream and stringy, then it could be an issue. However, if the fish is eating well, that is a good sign.

I always do a full water change when I clean the tank. (I did one as soon as I found my fish dead) I honestly have never done a 25% or 50% change, and I clean it every 2 weeks. Maybe I'm stressing them too much doing that so often? When I clean the gravel, I just run it all under water and mix it. Keep filling and dumping the water until it comes out clear.

You don't need to change all the water and wash the gravel every few weeks. Get yourself a base model gravel cleaner like the one in the following link. Use it to clean the gravel and drain out 50-75% of the tank water. Then refill the tank with dechlorinated water. The fish, plants, gravel and filter all remain in the tank while you clean it.
Turn the filter and heater off when you do water changes. Turn them back on after the water change and make sure it is running properly.

Aquarium Cleaning Made Easy

Aquarium cleaning should take 30 minutes every two weeks. Learn how the professionals do it in 18 easy steps.

www.about-goldfish.com

I also add a new filter every time I clean it.

You need to stop doing this bit here. The filter media/ materials become home for good bacteria that keep the water clean and free of ammonia and nitrite. If you replace the media, you get rid of the good bacteria and the fish end up having to deal with ammonia and or nitrite poisoning.

If you have filter pads/ cartridges in the filter, these can be rinsed/ squeezed out in a bucket of tank water and the media is re-used. The bucket of dirty water gets poured on the lawn/ garden outside.

You can re-use the filter pads until they start to fall apart, then replace them with a sponge. You can buy sponges for different brands of filter and use a pair of scissors to cut the sponge so it fits in your filter. You can add sponge while you have filter pads in the filter. Then when the pads break down, throw them out and add a bit more sponge.

Sponges last for years and can be cleaned in the same way as filter pads are cleaned (squeezed out in a bucket of tank water).

I prefer AquaClear sponges but there are lots of other brands. Just look for one that is slightly bigger than the filter pad/ cartridge, and cut the sponge to size.

After about 4-6 weeks, the good filter bacteria will be growing well in the sponges and they should keep any ammonia and nitrite at 0ppm. This will help the fish remain healthy. Until then, reduce feeding to 2-3 times a week, and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate 4-8 hours after feeding.

You can also get an ammonia and nitrite test kit and monitor the water. Do a 75% water change any day you have an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0ppm.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

 

[Finn6419]

I think she is pregnant but there is might be chances of some kind of infection.