Platy-related Dramas Again

[LauraFrog]

20L tank, 3-part filtration, aerated.
No ammonia/nitrite/nitrate stats available but tank's cycled.
pH 6.8
Temp 22
4 platies, 2 mollies, 1 bristlenose.
Loads of people on other forums have flamed me for overstocking but I've had a range of opinions on appropriate stocking ranging from 2-15 platy-sized fish. 7 is about the middle and 8 was recommended by my LFS people. I trust them, they don't try to con me into buying stuff I don't need and I have loads of examples of situations where they DON'T give inappropriate recommendations to make a sale.

I posted here last week about a male platy with some kind of fungal disease. In the later stages of it there was white fuzz on his gills, and the black edges on the fin tear and tip of gonopodium were not healing. Pretty desperate, I FINALLY managed to get into town and hit the pet shop on Saturday. the bloke in the pet shop agreed with Wilder that it was poor water quality, and I've been working on fixing it. It was too late for the male. No specialist aquarium shops anywhere near me at all, the only medication I could get my hands on was a broad-spectrum antifungal Multicure (malachite green, methlyene blue, acriflavine) but it wasn't strong enough. He slipped away sunday night.

I put a new fish in the tank about two weeks ago. She was a rescue case from one of those fish-abusing chain stores. I had to get her, I thought she deserved a chance. She's still a juvenile (may even be a male for all I know, but I think she's a she) and was the smallest fish in a tank mainly filled with aggressive swordtails that were bullying her. She obviously was pushed out of the way at feeding time and was woefully skinny. I brought her home, introduced her to the tank, no problems. For a few days she was eating as much as any of the others. Then the male got sick and most of my attention left the other fish because i was so terrified about him. I think a few days after he started getting sick, she started spending all her time hanging around the top of the tank, hiding in the plants or behind the filter.

That was basically identical to what the male was doing a few days before he got obviously sick, so I panicked and isolated her. She's been acting pretty normal in the hospital container except that she refuses to eat more than a few bites of whatever i put in there. I decided that if it was poor water quality, she'd be better off in filtered, aerated, now-being-fixed up tank than small container. I put her back tonight and she's back to hanging around the top. Today she seems to prefer the plants to the filter.

She's still not eating, the only way I can find to feed her is by dropping flakes into her mouth with an eyedropper. She spat out some of them but I'm pretty sure she swallowed some of it.

She doesn't appear to be losing or gaining weight. It's very hard to tell. No symptoms apart from hanging around the top and being generally antisocial and refusing to eat. Breathing normal, no sign of fungus or anything else. There was a tiny - and I mean tiny - nick in her tail when I bought her but it's healed, can't even see where it was. No lifted scales. When she was in the container she would sometimes sit with her fins very still, but no sign of velvet rust.

Other than basically forcing flakes down her throat is there any way that I can convince her to eat? I don't know whether she's sick or whether she's just got no energy because she's not eating and is thin. If you want pics of just how skinny she is I can get them. Please help me. I really don't want to lose her.


Sorry about the essay but I'm almost in a panic. My favourite platy is hanging and I don't even know how serious her condition is. I have no clue what she has or even if she's sick, but the not eating bit has me pretty worried.

PLEASE HELP ME. *Round 2: Return of the Annoying Clueless Newbie*

 

[scooterchick]

Hi,

I know you've mentioned people sayign you're overstocked but clearly you don't think you are. I'm afraid I agree with the others, you're not just slightly overstocked, you're vastly overstocked and none of the fish you have a in any way suitable for a 4 gallon tank.

You're fish will continue to get sick unless you get a bigger tank for them, that is the bottom line and if you continue to go on the bad advice your lfs is giving you there's no-one here will be able to help.

People here give advice because they care about the fish, there are no other factors. Like it or not, your LFS is there to make money and their advice will be loaded that way.

 

[scooterchick]

Ok, been thinking about this a bit more and the advice I gave still stands but doesn't help right now.

It's possible and highly likely the new fish was already sick and that's why she was being bullied at the lfs. Unless you have the facilities to treat a sick fish without putting the health of your other fish at risk, it's not advisable (although admiral) to rescue one. There's no point in introducing disease to healthy fish, see where I'm coming from here?

Unfortunately you can't make a fish eat, and you wouldn't want to either, she's not eating for a reason. It's probable she has some kind of internal bacterial problem but again there's no point in throwing chemicals into the tank until you know 100% what's wrong. By the sounds of it she's not going to make it, but I hope she pulls through.

How often are you doing water changes? With current size and inhabitants you should be doing water changes everyday to keep the water sanitary for the fish. I strongly advise you either get a bigger tank or return the fish to the lfs and get a single betta. It's really the only fish that will happily live in a 4 gallon tank. Imagine yourself living in a glass box with room to stretch your arms, that's basically what your fish are living in.

 

[LauraFrog]

The tank is bigger than it sounds, and I'm sure the fish are comfortable in there - I'm not intending to replace the male that died because I have one virgin female and I don't need her pregnant, I have way too many fry. I've seen bettas in very small fish bowls and they all seem happy. I take out 80% of the water each week over several water changes. I've had the tank set up for months and I've had one death. The fish don't fight, and they are active and look happy. The LFS has about the same fish density and their fish all look fine as well. But I understand where you're coming from. I appreciate the advice. The LFS agrees that there isn't much I can do in the way of interfering, just hope the fish will live. If anything she looks better, still not eating and hanging around the top but far more active than before. I hope she makes it.

 

[scooterchick]

The LFS is a different kettle of fish, pardon the pun. The fish are in and out of the lfs, it's not a permanent home for them so they can afford to be way overstocked. Plus they're likely using a system that constantly changes the water.

The tank is NOT bigger than it sounds. It's 4 gallons. 4 gallons is 4 gallons no matter what it looks like and it has way too many fish in it.

Betta's are very lazy inactive fish, mollies and platies are very lively and need a lot of room to swim! At least rehome the mollies, they'll be misrable in that tank.