Stressed Platy

[itonlyrains]

For about two days in a row I have a stressed sunset platy. She recently (a week ago) dropped and still looks pretty big. Up until a couple of days ago she was fine but now spends most of the time hiding in the plants or at bottom of the tank. She still comes out to eat and has good appetite. Visually she is looking fine as well. For about half and hour after the feeding she swims normally, but getting chanced by a male red wag platy heavily and then just hides. That red wag male is chasing another two sunset platies as well (1 male, 1 female), but they don't seem to bother much. The only fish that male doesn't chase is another red wag female that is pregnant and do not seem to mind the male in the slightest (although most of the time they swim together side by side). So what is up with my sunset female?

*edit* forgot to add - there are also about 20 fry of sunset platy around...

 

[the_lock_man]

The behaviour you're describing sounds very much like imminent birthing behaviour.

Did you actually see this fish dropping fry a week ago, or could those fry have come from another female?

 

[itonlyrains]

I haven't actually seen it dropping, but 10 days ago the fish was bigger than now and was also hiding in the plants for a day, after which there were a lot of fry in the tank and she was no logger hiding. This time it's been a lot more continuous hiding ( almost three days now). So unless it didn't drop everything a week ago it's hard to imagine it's still happening.

 

[itonlyrains]

Today my platy looks better, less hiding and I also noticed she no longer retracting top and bottom fins like she did when she was hiding. Very weird behaviour.