Sick Dwarf Platy

R

richardsonval

Small Fish
#1
Mar 24, 2005
13
0
0
56
Kentucky
#1
I am having trouble with my dwarf platy. I just bought a couple from the LFS to join my third in a five gallon tank. One broke out with ick and I added salt to the water, upped the temperature and waited the ten day period. The ick was cured and didn't turn up on any other fish. I have done two 25% water changes since then.

One of my platys is happy in healthy. The other two (one being my daughter's favorite - named Big Foot) aren't looking too well. Their fins are not standing upright but are laid back against their bodies and the tailfin is kinda squished looking as well, not fanned out as the other platy does. Big Foot is not eating and is hanging out under a rock ledge with my African Dwarf Frog. The other platy (Spot) is still eating and moving around. Spot also appears to have a little pink around the gills. I can't tell if this is a natural coloration or something going on. Any suggestions as to what this could be and how I can treat it would be greatly appreciated.

By the way I have a five gallon tank with 3 cardinal neons, 3 dwarf platys and 2 dwarf frogs. PH is about 7 and both amonia and nitrates are at 0.
 

Lotus

Lotus

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
#2
Aug 26, 2003
15,115
13
38
Southern California
home.earthlink.net
#2
Red gills are usually a sign of either ammonia poisoning or gill flukes. Were the platies in there during cycling?

I would recommend doing some extra water changes and see what happens, just in case there is a water quality problem of some kind.

You do have quite a large fish load in that tank. How often have you been doing water changes?
 

R

richardsonval

Small Fish
#5
Mar 24, 2005
13
0
0
56
Kentucky
#5
No signs of scratching. Both Dwarf Platys died. The third one appears to be doing fine. I know the tank has a heavy load - the ADFs are going back to my school aquarium in the fall. All my other fish from that one were transferred to our huge (200+ gallons) aquarium in the school hallway. I was afraid the ADFs wouldn't get any food in such a large tank and would die in there so I brought them home for the summer. Frequent water changes are being done and water parameters appear to be doing fine. I just can't seem to keep Dwarf Platys alivwe. The Cardinal Neons are doing great. Have not had any problems with them. Giving up on Platys and am going to look for another type of fish to put in with the neons in the fall. Any suggestions? At that pointy I should just have the 3 neons, and presently 1 platy still going. (Don't expect it to last until the fall - for some reason they just keep dying.)

Thanks for your help.
 

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