Sick platy - help required!

[pmb_67]

Help!

I've had a tank going for 4 months now - all has been fine by and large, until a couple of days back my female variegated "high-fin" (I use quotes as she's not very high-finned really) platy started just hanging out at the bottom of the tank and won't feed - doesn't even look at flake and ignored frozen bloodworm drifting right past her. Her partner (I bought a pair - they've already had one set of kids, a few of whom I caught, raised and released) keeps checking up on her, then leaves her alone. No obvious signs of damage, discoloration, infection or anything externally, other than her faeces are stringy and white rather than the usual solid and pink - apols for the gross details but that's the only indicator I have of something being wrong.

No major changes to tank, other than that my heater broke and the temp dropped to 22C - spotted it at morning feed, so did a warmed water change to bring the temp up to 25C then put a blanket round the tank - temp actually stayed at 25C then until got a new heater in yesterday.

Water quality fine - zero NH3/NH4, zero NO2, some nitrate (the middle bar on a Tetra test kit), pH 7.5-8, GH 16 (drops on a Tetra test - whatever that actually means) - latter two measures have been this all along - tap water here is pH8 and GH19.

All other fish fine - the aforementioned male var. platy; 6 babies (M&F), 3 male guppies, 6 Neons, 4 Glowlights.

Tank - 70 litre, reasonably well planted, airline, Fluval 2+ filter and a box one on top of the tank.

Any suggestions? All ideas welcome!

Additional: just checked the NH4/NO2/NO3 again and levels same. Alarmingly though, one of the female young platies has started hanging out by mum and acting in pretty much the same way...

Paul

 

[black angel]

sounds like a bacterial infection going by the poo and lack of interest in food, how often and how much do you do gravel vacs with water changes? How often do you rinse out the filter sponges and how?
Even though your tests for water quality are good, theres no test for bacteria build up.

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, sounds like an internal bacteria or parasite. One of the users around here has had a similar problem of late, Breakthecycle2. His thread is on this page but here's the link for it. I dont know enough about diseases only to say it sounds like an internal bacteria or parasite...

Good luck and I hope someone more knowlegabel can help

Edit: wouldnt even begin to be able to reccomend treatment

 

[Annastasia]

Is she, by any chance, very pregnant? As they will start slowing down, and hanging around the bottom when they are about to give birth, and they also won't eat. They have a special hormone so that they won't eat their fry when they are giving birth. That hormone also applies to food.

Do you know how long since she had her last set of kids? If it's around 4 weeks ago, she will be pretty pregnant.


However, if she isn't very pregnant, ignore my post.

 

[pmb_67]

sounds like a bacterial infection going by the poo and lack of interest in food, how often and how much do you do gravel vacs with water changes? How often do you rinse out the filter sponges and how?
Even though your tests for water quality are good, theres no test for bacteria build up.

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I vacuum the gravel every water change - well, for the last couple of months anyway. Should have seen the gunk that came up first time (tank had been running a couple of months) (

Filters - the media in the original filter (a box that sits in the hood) was looking a bit cruddy, so I added a Fluval 2+ so I've got loads of filtration capacity and can swap media in either filter without losing all my good bugs ) Haven't cleaned the sponges recently - reckon I need to?

 

[pmb_67]

Is she, by any chance, very pregnant? As they will start slowing down, and hanging around the bottom when they are about to give birth, and they also won't eat. They have a special hormone so that they won't eat their fry when they are giving birth. That hormone also applies to food.

Do you know how long since she had her last set of kids? If it's around 4 weeks ago, she will be pretty pregnant.


However, if she isn't very pregnant, ignore my post.

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Well, last time she was pregnant she had a whopping big belly and the tell-tale dark spot on the side; this time she's normal size and no spot is evident so I don't think she is pregnant. Could well believe she is given what I've read (and how much the male hangs around her!).

My not-so-local fish shop (my usual is closed on Thursdays!) recommended medication, so I'm about to dose the tank. Fingers crossed!

 

[black angel]

If any filter looks cruddy or the flow rate drops, then wash it out well in old tank water or clean dechlorinated warm water.

 

[pmb_67]

Ok, so I treated the tank with Melafix yesterday (well, dose 1 of 7) and Madame Platy (as my fiancee calls her) is now hanging out at the top of the tank rather than the bottom, swimming occasionally )

BUT...

...she still won't feed (wow, this girl has energy reserves!)...

AND...

...there are small white spots on her sides, particularly on the side of the head between the eye and gills - more on one side than the other, though I guess this doesn't mean much.

So, today's big question - are these white spots the dreaded "White Spot"? If so, do I need another medication? And should I stop with the Melafix?

Thanks again,

Paul

PS Really appreciate all the feedback so far guys & gals! Nice to have some comfort in my hour of need )

 

[pmb_67]

Black armband time

At the news of white spots breaking out, my LFS said stop the Melafix and use a WS remedy - Interpet's #6 "Anti White Spot plus". Dosed the tank yesterday mid-morning, by end of day she'd gone back to hanging out at the bottom of the tank. This morning, not so much hanging out as, well, you all (sadly) know the drill.

Am really sad - if it's possible to have favourites among one's fish, she was mine; ok, so breeding platies, mollies and the like isn't exactly tough, but watching her go through pregnancy and popping out all the young made me really feel for her. RIP Madame Platy.

One final question on this thread - according to the anti-WS med, I should re-dose again on day 4; on the assumption that she did have WS and therefore there are possibly parasites in the tank, should I complete the course? Don't want to put the others through the stress of medication unnecessarily / don't want them to get the same ick.

Paul

 

[SkiFletch]

Sorry for your loss

Let me preface that I am NOT an expert on disease, however I would continue treatment as reccomended for stopping Ich. Ich is a parasite that has a dormant stage and only when it comes out of that stage can it be killed so it is important for you to continue treatment in case you have dormant ones in your tank to stop them before they infect more fish. The lifecycle of Ich is about 7 days at your water temperature so if after 10 your other fish show no signs of spots you'll be in the clear.

IMO continue the medication treatment and be sure you've removed any activated carbon in your filter so that the meds dont get broken down before they've done their thing

 

[pmb_67]

Sorry for your loss

Let me preface that I am NOT an expert on disease, however I would continue treatment as reccomended for stopping Ich. Ich is a parasite that has a dormant stage and only when it comes out of that stage can it be killed so it is important for you to continue treatment in case you have dormant ones in your tank to stop them before they infect more fish. The lifecycle of Ich is about 7 days at your water temperature so if after 10 your other fish show no signs of spots you'll be in the clear.

IMO continue the medication treatment and be sure you've removed any activated carbon in your filter so that the meds dont get broken down before they've done their thing

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Thanks, SkiFletch.

Planning to continue the medication on Monday as per instructions. Other fish looking fine at the mo (fingers crossed, touch wood, etc.) - only slight concern is Monsieur Platy (that's the male for non-Frenchies) is looking a bit lonely now; I'm hoping he accepts his kids as companions as I doubt he's into being alone. Just hope he doesn't, well, you know, get too friendly with his daughers...

Paul

 

[black angel]

Sorry you lost your fish and the male will court any female if she is old enough.