Sick Platy :(

[Lizzie71]

One of my original 3 platys is ill. She has been hiding under the driftwood all week, only coming out occasionally to eat, but when she does come out she seemed to be swimming OK etc.

But today when she came out I noticed a white mark on one side, only a few mm long, but it looks like someone has painted a strip of tippex on her.

Tank stats:

34litre, stocking as below
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
ph around 7.5
Temp 27

Recent additions - 2 guppies and 3 shrimp a week ago. One of the guppies we bought dropped dead after 3 hours, but we fished him out straight away, and he didn't have any marks on him - I put it down to the stress of moving.

Any advice on medication I may be able to give her? I can go to lfs tomorrow.

 

[WILDER]

The marks you are describing can be columnaris to parasite.
Any red edging where the white is, does it look fluffy.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.

 

[Lizzie71]

Red edging - can't see any but the fish is orange so hard to tell.

Fluffy - no

Flicking - no the fish is just staying still under the corner of a piece of wood, barely moving.

 

[WILDER]

She dosn't sound to good to be honest.
You will need a bacterial med.

 

[Lizzie71]

Nope, I'm pretty sure it's serious for her - she was the most active one before, and she's just sulking now.

Will get the med tomorrow, it might be too late for her but at least I might be able to save the rest of my fish from catching it.

 

[WILDER]

Good luck.

 

[Lizzie71]

Went to the lfs, they advised me to feed some live food to try and perk her up. Didn't really help as she isn't eating

Luckily I had the sense to buy the anti-bacterial meds too and gave the first dose this afternoon. Hopefully it will help.

I now have two platys not eating or moving, but only one has the white mark on. Other fish seem unaffected.

 

[WILDER]

Good luck.

 

[Lizzie71]

Well I kind of assumed the medicine wouldn't work, but actually they are a bit better today They are swimming a bit more and even ate a few flakes this morning!

Hope they continue to improve.

 

[WILDER]

Promising but seen sick fish that seem to look better then go down hill again.
Good luck.