Signs Of Stress

[Rummynose]

Have you checked your nitrate level recently? If you're overstocked nitrate will rise quickly, and an additional 10% WC won't bring those levels down. I change 50% - 75% when my tanks nitrate levels are between 10 and 15 to bring the levels well below 10. The fish love it!!!

 

[soybean]

He'll be finding food. Fish don't need as much food as we think, platys are very greedy! Females tend to be larger than males too.

Take a step back and look at the situation. You do good water changes, feed good food, and look after them. Whatever is wrong with him, he has no physical symptoms of disease at the moment. There isn't a great deal else you can do, so I'd leave them in darkness for a day and leave them to it.

 

[Akasha72]

Just done a test. Ammonia and Nitrite are both at zero, my nitrate is at it's usual level of around 5 but my ph is down a little on normal. It's normally around 7 but it's down to 6.6.

Could that be because they've been recently fed?

 

[Akasha72]

Thanks Soybean, your right I'm stressing over very little ... time of year maybe. I just hate seeing what I think is signs of stress in any animal.

They're looking chilled out now (the one's I can see anyway) so I'm going to leave them for an hour or so then just do a quick gravel vac later on - 10-20% w/c as I won't have time over the weekend and they didn't get their mid week 10% cos I've had a busy week.

Bit concerned my ph is down a bit but at least I know everything else is looking normal with the water

 

[soybean]

6.6 down from 7 is a very small change, I wouldn't worry about it - mainly because there's little you can do about that either!

I'm quite philosophical about my fish. I do my best, and the rest is up to them.

 

[Akasha72]

I'm quite philosophical about my fish. I do my best, and the rest is up to them.

I think I need to take a leaf out of your book

 

[Akasha72]

The tank has now had a thorough clean. The filter refused to run properly when I switch it back on after the water change so it forced me to take it to bits. It was minging!! The impeller was gummed up, the top was off where the cyramic balls are (it's never been off before so that was a learning curve and a half!) and the sponges were so slimy! I've taken the fine water polisher sponge out and thrown it away, rinsed the two course ones in tank water along with all the other bits too and plonked it back. It's working a bit better now but still seems a bit less powerful than before. Could it be that it was brand new and has just got settled in?

I've just got back from p@h as I tried to replace the fine sponge but they don't stock them. I got the measurement for the new tank I've got my eye on, listened to a guy I know getting really bad information about ammonia in his tank, tried to stick my oar in and help, got a mucky look from the staff so walked away!

A little bit stressed now ...

And there was me planning to spend the day resting up before the mayhem hits this weekend