Variatus Platy Dying

[Spader]

Well I came home today, then ate dinner, and found one of the 2 variatus platys stuck on the filter intake. i took him out and he cant swim straight, and some fins are ripped. hes in a hospital tank now. i just bought him yesterday, and he was fine swimming a bit but staying near the sand bottom. the other one thats female was on the bottom all night but now shes swimming at the top witht he other platys. DO they have some kind of disease? THe male that was in the filter is now laying on the bottom of the hospital tank, when he swims his head is down, and he isnt moving now, but is alive. any help/

 

[Spader]

???

 

[sussexgirl]

???

doesn't sound too promising, what are your water parameters? One of my own platys swam in just the way your're describing for a few weeks before he gave up the ghost, but I've heard that once they are lying on their side on the bottom it's pretty much the end and that's true in my experience. Let us know how they are. Also, you say your bought him yesterday, how did the other fish look in the tank at the place you got them from?

 

[WILDER]

Bacterial infection and they have finrot which is bacterial if they are not being nipped, typical sign of a bacterial infection is resting on the floor and going to the top of the tank, but sorry once they do this behavour they are dying, i would add a bacterial med if alot of fish are doing this, good luck.

 

[Spader]

Well everyone in the main tank is fine, including the female. the male in the other tank moved a little more, and doesnt look worse. he isnt on his side, he's just sitting onthe bottom, occasionaly changing where he is, although i havent seen him move. my lfs, which is very good, said it probably is a parasite so i have some parasite med running. i also have a fungus/bacterial medicine too.

The other fish at the store where fine, at the surface chasing each other etc, normal behavior. Like i said, the female is fine now.

 

[sussexgirl]

Well everyone in the main tank is fine, including the female. the male in the other tank moved a little more, and doesnt look worse. he isnt on his side, he's just sitting onthe bottom, occasionaly changing where he is, although i havent seen him move. my lfs, which is very good, said it probably is a parasite so i have some parasite med running. i also have a fungus/bacterial medicine too.

The other fish at the store where fine, at the surface chasing each other etc, normal behavior. Like i said, the female is fine now.

Well best of luck with them Spader and let us know how things go

 

[Annastasia]

What are your water stats and how long did you acclimate for? Is it possible to add in a bit of salt?

 

[Spader]

stats in community tank are

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate: 20
ph:6.8

I added some aquarium salt last night, and i acclimated it for 20 minutes

 

[WILDER]

The ph is not good for livebearers, what was the ph of the store.

 

[Spader]

im not too sure........

anyway i can get it up?

 

[Annastasia]

They might have been shocked if the pH was different. 20 minutes isn't that long of an acclimation period. How did you acclimate them? What kind of salt did you add in?

 

[Spader]

I put the bag in the tank and let it float adding some water eery 5 minutes. the kind of salt i added was Doc Wellfishes. i saw some white on his fins, and it appears he has fin rot so i am treating him with a medicine. so now he has salt, parasite med, fungal/bacterial med. can all these things make him worse??

 

[Spader]

my ph may be low because i just added a fertilizer tablet that releases co2.

 

[Spader]

Ok well he died. Open examination of the body i found that alot of scales were off in one section of the body. almost no back tail was left, and some white things were on it. what was this disease? and should i treat my community tank too just in case?

 

[WILDER]

Can you describe the white things, do you mean strings of cotton, or parasites with a forked tail, parasites like that can cause bacterial infection on top.