Platy Problem

[redgirl]

Hi there.


I have been keeping fish for 3 years and currently have a problem with one of my platys. She obsessively swims up and down the side of the tank, over and over, only stopping to eat. None of my other platys do this, except when they pass by her and get caught up with what she is doing, but they always stop and carry on behaving normally. I can get her to stop briefly by placing my hand over the area of the tank that she is swimming against, but as soon as I take it away she starts again. I saw online that this is called 'pacing' and is caused by stress, however I can't find any problems in the tank. She doesn't appear to be being bullied and the water parameters are normal.
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I have had her for about 8 months and she hasn't always behaved like this, only in the past month or so. I have checked my water quality and the results are as follows:

Cl2 - 0

PH -6.8

KH - 6

GH - 8

NO2 -0

NO3 -0

the tank is 40 gallon with 5 platys and 7 danios in it, it is well planted.

There are no visible signs of disease on her, although she hasn't dropped fry for a while.

Does anyone know what she is doing and how I can get her to stop? She seems so distressed!

 

[Mothi]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I really wouldn't worry about her swimming this way. Like you said the water parameters are fine, she is showing no visible signs of disease and is eating well. If she likes to spend her time swimming up and down the glass then I wouldn't try to stop her from doing that.

Cheers,
Mothi

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I really wouldn't worry about her swimming this way. Like you said the water parameters are fine, she is showing no visible signs of disease and is eating well. If she likes to spend her time swimming up and down the glass then I wouldn't try to stop her from doing that.

Cheers,
Mothi

All of my platys do this. My tank parameters are fine. I think mine do it because my tank is taller than in is wide so do the whole racing thing up and down the tank. Mine eat well and when they aren't swimming up and down and side to side in my tank, they are nipping at my fingers when I do water checks lol

 

[Mothi]

they are nipping at my fingers when I do water checks lol

My platies are very shy and go in to hiding soon as I take the lid of for maintenance. My juvenile guppies on the other hand are like your platies. Soon as my hand goes in their tank for maintenance, they are all over it. I can literally take them out of the water with my hands if I wanted

 

[Rickzayne]

I thought they did this to clean a section of a tank to lay eggs.. or was that just corys

 

[Mothi]

I thought they did this to clean a section of a tank to lay eggs.. or was that just corys

Platies don't lay eggs. They are livebearers.

 

[Rickzayne]

doh! =[