Sick Platies :-(

[Puddles92]

Plattie looking sick
I have a 25l tank with 2 platies, 2 corys and a shrimp. I recently added one of the corys and the shrimp and now one of my platies is sick. he seems to be clamping his fins, has stringy poo and I have seen him flash a few times but only when feeding off the bottom of the tank. He is now sitting at the surface of the tank and breathing quickly. No sign of ICH, fin rot or fungus. He looks fine apart from his behaviour.
Water readings were 0.25 amonia, 0nitrite and 5ppm nitrate so did a 50% water change yesterday and today but no improvement. Have started adding melafix to see if that helps.

Any idea what is wrong with him?

 

[WILDER]

Bless Him
How do his gills look. Do they look pale with excess slime, or red and inflamed.
Does he look thin?
Does he look pale or darker in colour?
Is he still eating?
Check his body  and fins for tiny white spots, or tiny bubbles.
Any tiny red pin pricks marks on body.
Does he swim in a jerky movement.
Check the fish anus to see if it's enlarged, or red and inflamed.
Is there a greyish film on fish body?

 

[Puddles92]

Gills are slightly pink but no more than usual
Slightly thin but has always been that thin
Normal colour
Eating more aggressively than normal-wolfing down his food
No white spots or bubbles
2 small red marks on his side but may just be his colouring
Hard to tell about the swimming as he is just sitting on the surface
Not sure what anus should look like but no redness
No grey film either

 

[WILDER]

Is it possible to load a pic of him onto this thread.
The red marks that you say could be his colouring. Is there a white dead tissue around the edges of the red
marks?

 

[WILDER]

How long have you had the platies?

 

[Puddles92]

just working on getting you the pics. no. no white areas around the red spots. just seen him flash a couple more times. he seems to be rubbing his belly when he does it.

i've had them for 7 months ish

 

[WILDER]

How long have you had him?
Does he look really thin, or just slender?
Does his spine look curved?
 
 
Turn tank lights out and shine a torch on  him for golden yellow spots.
Gold dusting on body, or gills.

 

[Puddles92]

He is the smaller of the 2
No curved spine, just slender and no sign of spots or dusting. Could it be stress or iritation due to the amonia and new tank mates? He is also a lot smaller than the other platie which was bought at the same time, both males. Approx 7 months.

 

[WILDER]

I don't know if it's the lighting but it looks like a white patch below his head region. If so does it look like cotton wool?
Sorry the pics are a bit small to make much out.

 

[Puddles92]

sorry just realised the computer flipped the pics upside down. no he has a very pale chest. rather translucent, can see his ribs and stomach through it. not cotton wooley at all. will see if i can make them better quality

 

[WILDER]

Has he been flicking and rubbing more since you added the Melafix.As medications can cause this
to happen.
 
 
What is your location please?

 

[Puddles92]

don't think so. it's only occasionally, maybe 3 or 4 times a day. i have noticed that he does it more when feeding, especially on tetratabimin sinking tablets. he seems to have perked up a little since the water change but i added melafix again after the change so cant tell if its that or not.

 

[WILDER]

Feed him some shelled peas.
 
Hows his breathing now?
Sorry but having trouble finding out what's wrong with him.

 

[Puddles92]

h



its ok. thanks for your help. i'm struggling too. if there was something visible apart from his behaviour it would be a lot easier.
 
seems better. he is still sitting at the surface a lot but he does that occasionaly anyway

 

[WILDER]

If no other fish are showing signs of flicking and rubbing, darting, erratic swimming or laboured breathing
I would take the bacterial route.
 
Can you isolate him?
What is your location please?