Platy Not Eating Or Swimming Much

[squeakyred]

I had 3 platies in a one-gallon tank. One of them (a littlesmaller than the other two) died ysterday evening (had for about a month and a half). When I took the dead fish out I noticed one of the other fish (the biggest one) was at the bottom of the tank not moving much and would not go up to eat. I checked this morning and that fish still wasn't doing much moving and wouldn't go up to eat. When I put a fish net in the tank to see her reaction (if she would swim away or just stay still) she moved away some (but not as erratically as usual).

I thought she may be sick so I took a sample of the water to the pet store. They said the ammonia was perfect, but the pH was just slightly high. I put 2 drops of pH down in the tank and will get another water test done tomorrow afternoon. When I went to the tank to put in the pH down I think I startled her because she kind of jumped up and swam for a little bit, but shortly thereafter stopped and went back to the bottom of the tank.

Anybody have any ideas why she is not eating or swimming much or what I should do? I don't see any spots and the fins don't look damaged. The other fish in the tank is acting perfectly normal.

 

[chibi]

How often do you clean the tank? I'm willing to bet the platy is going to die, sorry. 3 platies in a 1 gallon is too many. 3 in a 5 gallon would be okay, but in a 1? Too many, sorry.

 

[WILDER]

The tanks overstocked for a one gallon.
Livebeaers are active fish and need at least 10 gallon tanks.
I doubt the water quality is good, how often are you maintaining the tank.
Ph adjusters are more trouble then there worth.
What your tap ph reading.

 

[squeakyred]

I took a sample of the water to the pet store for them to test it. They said everything was good except the pH was slightly high. I put in some pH down and will get it retested again later today. I clean the test once a week.

 

[WILDER]

I wouldn't use the ph adjuster.
What is your tap ph reading.
I would invest in your own liquid test kits as lfs always say fine.

 

[squeakyred]

I wouldn't use the ph adjuster.
What is your tap ph reading.
I would invest in your own liquid test kits as lfs always say fine.

I don't know what my tap pH reading is. I use spring water in the aquarium. I will look into getting a test kit. The fish died yesterday morning.

 

[WILDER]

R.I.P.
Not sure on spring water.
I would ask in tropical chat about the spring water.

 

[squeakyred]

Like I said, the seemingly sick fish died on last Tuesday. I didn't see anything wrong with her fins, scales, body, etc. On early Saturday morning (when cleaning the tank) I noticed I had a fry. On Sunday morning there were 2. Yesterday evening there were 4. So, although I lost 1 fish, so far I have gained 4 (we'll see how many I have this evening). Does anybody know about how long it takes for all the fry to come out? I'm just wondering if I should still be looking for more.

I always had an incling that the fish that died last Tuesday might have been pregnant (especially since the one male fish-at first thought to be a female-always chased her around), but I wasn't sure. I couldn't tell if she just gained weight rapidly or was pregnant. I now know she was pregnant. I guess the pregnancy was too hard on her body and that may have been why she died. The male fish died 2 days before her. I don't know what may have been his problem. Maybe he knew he was soon to be a daddy and died from the shock of the idea.

How should I care for the fry? Do I need to put them in a separate tank? Right now there are 4 fry and 1 regular platy about 1 inch in length all in one tank. Also, just out of curiosity, about how long are they fry before they start looking like regular fish?

 

[WILDER]

You can issolate them so the bigger fish don't eat them.
If there plenty of hiding spaces in the tank they sometimes survive.
Crushed flakes and baby brime strimp.

 

[squeakyred]

I set up a 10 gallon tank last night and am letting it run (filter, air stone bar, conditioner). I will test the water tomorrow and if the tests turn out good, I plan to transfer the fish over to the 10 gallon tank at that time.

When transferring fish from one tank to another do I put them in a plastic bag with water from their first tank, let the bag sit in the new tank for 15 minutes, then let them out of the bag into the new tank? Do I need to let them sit in the bag longer and also do I need to pour some of the water from the old water tank into the new tank when I let the fish out into the new tank?