Platies dying off

[MDDad]

I’ve had a mostly livebearer 29G for a bit over a year. I’ve lost four platies in that time, about one every three months or so.

No signs of ich, they just start swimming funny (sometimes clamped fins), and are dead the next day.

Water parameters are good - no ammonia or nitrites. Nitrates stay around 40, they never get lower due to being in our well water to begin with. I do a WC of 25-30% every 7-10 days and a 50% WC once a month.

 

[flitabout]

You may want to try adding some fast growing plants to help soak up some of the Nitrates. You may also want try slowly moving to purified water. My high nitrates in the water are what got me in to planted aquarium. Also so you know nitrates that high are not safe for you to drink an can actually be deadly to infants. The EPA says that water over 10ppm isn't safe for human consumption.
Most people do water changes to remove nitrate I do them and have nitrates at 40ppm too. Thanks to my plants mine drop to around 5ppm by the time my week is up and it's time for a water change.

 

[MDDad]

I have several plants, but I have a VERY low light setup (just the cheap single-tube that comes with the hood).

 

[coralbandit]

You could try purigen to help the nitrates from getting higher ?
I am not sure it will remove nitrates but it will remove organic waste from fish before they turn to nitrates ..May help?
http://r.search.aol.com/_ylt=A0LEVy...igen.php/RK=0/RS=Jw5DA7JLboDO0sjM1mcfdyOZppo-

 

[Angellove78]

I’ve had a mostly livebearer 29G for a bit over a year. I’ve lost four platies in that time, about one every three months or so.

No signs of ich, they just start swimming funny (sometimes clamped fins), and are dead the next day.

Water parameters are good - no ammonia or nitrites. Nitrates stay around 40, they never get lower due to being in our well water to begin with. I do a WC of 25-30% every 7-10 days and a 50% WC once a month.

How many fish do you have? Are they breeding? Might wanta try to up the water changes to 50% a wk. or 2- 30% a wk. I'd try something simple first and go from there.

 

[Barliman]

I agree with the others that the nitrates are perhaps a bit high. As for the platy deaths, that can be frustrating, but four in a year isn't way out of line, either. They may simply have been old, for example. Are the others showing any signs of distress?

 

[Autumnsky]

How is their poop?

I had some issues with Platy. I think in part they had some internal parasites. What is their temp? I understand they can be in higher temps but I think they enjoy a little cooler like maybe 77F.

You mentioned well water. Do you use any product which would bind heavy metals? Like Prime?