Hey everyone, I have a question concerning my female platy that just gave birth about 3 weeks ago. I have a 20 gallon tank with 5 platies (1 female hifin platy, 4 different male platies), 4 neon tetras, 1 Julie Catfish, and 3 happy baby platies that just got big enough to swim around freely in the tank without fear of being eaten xD. My question about the female relates to her current activity level. When she was pregnant and before, she was very lively and when pregnant almost aggressive to the other non-platies in my tank. But once she gave birth, about a week later, her activity level went way down. Now she stays near the heater at the top of the water or sometimes goes down to the very bottom and rests. In each position, she stays in the same location for a very long time considering how active she used to be. She still eats, but I've seen this behavior mark unhealthiness in other fish I've had, but part of me wants to think it's due to the stress the other male platies have put on her. I didn't get her intentionally at first. The pet store owner accidentally gave me a female and I didn't realize it until I got home and she was in the tank. But the males would frequently swim around her because I guess they wanted to mate again. Her giving birth has obviously tired her out and I think the stress from the others are taking a toll on her. What can I do? Is she sick? Is there something to help ease the stress if that's what it is? I don't have another fish aquarium at the moment to put her in and there are no visible marks or any bacteria/parasites on her. Any advice is greatly appreciated. She's not in a dire condition, but she is getting slower and less active by the day.
Stress On Females That Just Gave Birth
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BerryAttack
Fish Addict
by the sounds of it, it is from stress because there are so many males in the tank and they are trying to mate with her. what you can do is get a breeder net and put her in that so that the males can not get to her. that is good that she is still eating because that means she hasn't given up.
try that and see if it works.
oh and check what your pH levels are nitrates, etc are at. just to make sure everything is good in that department.
try that and see if it works.
oh and check what your pH levels are nitrates, etc are at. just to make sure everything is good in that department.
PrairieSunflower
Fish Gatherer
If possible, I'd also start up a second tank for females only.
Okay, she's now in the corner of the tank, and starting to float more vertical if she stays there for a while. I will try to find one of these nets, but I was wondering if putting some stress coat in there would work if I can't find the net at the moment.
BerryAttack
Fish Addict
hmmm maybe because of all the stress she might die. when they start to float like that then i think her time has ended. you can put some stress coat in, but if she is already starting to swim and float funny it might not do anything.
oh and check to see if the babies are male and or female because if they are female this might happen to them later on when they are of breeding age. just a tip
so as PrairieSunflower wrote it would be best to have a female tank.
oh and check to see if the babies are male and or female because if they are female this might happen to them later on when they are of breeding age. just a tip
so as PrairieSunflower wrote it would be best to have a female tank.
basboi85
Fishaholic
If you can get a bit of perspecs plastic and cut it to shape and drill plenty of holes to help filter/air the water to make a temp divider in your tank and this might help reduce the stress. It'll cost you maybe 2 hours of labour( cutting to shape and drilling holes) and what £5-10 max
Alright, here's an update. I went out immediately and bought a small 1.5 gallon cube tank just for her. I came back, and she's moving around still (to get away from the males xD) I have a her in a holding dish with the water from the 20gallon tank I have. I assembled the 1.5g tank and the filter is working, the bubbles are working and I tested the water. (All of the tests came out the same as the 20g's) I filled the new small tank with the same water that was in the 20g. It has been running empty for about 15 mins at this time. I put new gravel in it as well, which was well rinsed before I put it in. Is it safe to put her in the small tank or should I let it run and put her back in the 20 gallon for the time being?
I bought the stress coat as well if that will help with anything. She seems to be still fighting pretty hard. She's not sick, just really really stressed from the guys.
I bought the stress coat as well if that will help with anything. She seems to be still fighting pretty hard. She's not sick, just really really stressed from the guys.
ashok.antony
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How long the tank has been running? The fact that you still have some Ammonia in the tank means that it is not properly cycled yet. Let us know about that. Any presence of ammonia WILL kill the fish or would permenantly affect the fish.
And yah. Folks here are right. When you have fish like guppies, platies, swords, mollies, it is always best to have 1m:3f ratio. You have too many males which might be very bad for her.
She is still alive as of now. And I can tell she's slightly less stressed, she swims around in her solo tank for periods of time. But she will go back to staying in one spot and I'm starting to worry for her. I don't see how ammonia is the problem here. I have checked the ammonia levels of both the 20g and 1.5g tank and they both read the same, having about .25 as the reading. I know that it should be 0, but the fish in the 20g are just fine. They haven't acted any different and none of their behaviors have changed. She on the other hand has. Maybe the stress has made her more vulnerable to the ammonia, but I don't know. It's so strange because she has moments where I look over at her and she swimming like she used to, then other times I'll look and she's looking motionless.
I don't understand what is meant by putting a fraction of the mature water media in the little tank. Can someone explain that? I'm really at a loss. She's confusing me with her flip flop moods. I hope she'll be okay, but I need any help I can get. I put water directly from my 20g tank into the 1.5g tank. The water from the 20g tank had been filtering for 24 hours before I put it in the small tank because I did a 40-45% water change yesterday, and it has been filtering in the small tank for 6 hours now. I have brand new gravel in the small tank that was rinsed before it was put in there, but like I said, all the water in the small tank is directly from the big one.
I don't understand what is meant by putting a fraction of the mature water media in the little tank. Can someone explain that? I'm really at a loss. She's confusing me with her flip flop moods. I hope she'll be okay, but I need any help I can get. I put water directly from my 20g tank into the 1.5g tank. The water from the 20g tank had been filtering for 24 hours before I put it in the small tank because I did a 40-45% water change yesterday, and it has been filtering in the small tank for 6 hours now. I have brand new gravel in the small tank that was rinsed before it was put in there, but like I said, all the water in the small tank is directly from the big one.
It doesn't matter if the water is from the old tank or if it is new. That doesn't cycle the tank, only the bacteria growing inside your filter (on your filter media) gets rid of ammonia and nitrite and converts it to nitrate which is less harmful for your fish. Without the good bacteria, your fish may suffer ammonia burns. So you need to cut a little bit of your old filter media and put it into your filter in the small tank so that the bacteria can grow.
PrairieSunflower
Fish Gatherer
We mean take a piece of your sponge/filter floss/whatever is in your type of filter and put it into the filter in the new small tank so you bring the bacteria culture to the new tank.
Ah, okay. Thanks for explaining that guys. Amazingly, she is still alive! And she isn't doing the vertical float of death anymore either. She seems to be on the road to recovery, but you never can tell really. I have been doing everything I can for her. Changing out 10% of her water each day to help bacteria grow in the filter, putting stress coat in as well as melafix to help with her fin damage. She is swimming around a little more at least. The only thing I'm concerned for is her eating habits. They've diminished and haven't picked up yet. But it's only been a couple days. She's a trooper! She has stayed alive for days longer than I thought she would. Thanks for the help guys, and even if she does die, this was a good learning experience for me.
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