Did New Top Fin Heater Kill My Platys?

[territerri]

2 wks ago I acquired six blue platys from a LFS, all of which were healthy, horny and hungry. I placed them in a 5 gallons QT with filter but no heater. There was also a new moss ball.

Two days ago, I placed a new Top Fin 50 watt aquarium heater in the tank (so they could get used to a higher temperature in the community tank), switched the temperature two degrees F higher than their current temp. The next morning, all platys were huddled at the bottom of the tank, appearing to be "gasping" and not moving around like before. They also didn't have any interest in food. I turned the heater temp down by one degree, thinking the water may be too warm, too soon. By that time, two of the fish were swimming sideways and quickly went "belly up." I immediately purchased and added an air pump and stone to better oxygenate the water yesterday evening. By early this afternoon, the remaining four platys had perished.

BTW when I smell the rubber-like "bumpers" on the heater, they still have a nasty, "new plastic" odor emanating from them. It seems too much a coincidence that the fish died only over the last two days when the heater was placed. Before that, they had shown no signs of illness, i.e. irregular swimming, lack of appetite, etc.

Your thoughts?

 

[Calypso77]

My thought is even though you say it was a QT it was 5 gal none the less that had 6 Platies in it. Not a good combo.

 

[eduguy]

For 5 gallons you usually use 25 watt heaters I think and I think you shouldn't get so many to quarantine at once since 6 platies in a 5 gallon isn't going to work very well even if it is temporary.

 

[Calypso77]

For 5 gallons you usually use 25 watt heaters I think and I think you shouldn't get so many to quarantine at once since 6 platies in a 5 gallon isn't going to work very well even if it is temporary.

The watt isn't a big issue really. I run a 25 watt on a 2 gal tank perfectly fine.

 

[territerri]

My thought is even though you say it was a QT it was 5 gal none the less that had 6 Platies in it. Not a good combo.

Does that mean it was too much fish for the size of tank?
I thought temporarily slightly overstocking (in this case for 1" of fish to the gallon I had approx. 6" vs. 5 gallons) would be ok... i guess not...

 

[territerri]

The watt isn't a big issue really. I run a 25 watt on a 2 gal tank perfectly fine.

I agree. Higher wattage just means the heater may need to stay on a lower setting. I do something similar w/ my 25G tank.

 

[Calypso77]

My guess yes too many fish in such a small tank. Why did you have them in a 5 gal?

 

[territerri]

My guess yes too many fish in such a small tank. Why did you have them in a 5 gal?

5G is all I had for a quarantine tank until I moved them into the community aquarium (25G). I figured they could tough it out for two weeks. So sad they died right before I was going to transfer the new platies. (I use a QT b/c I had a bad experience with not separating the new fish when a few neon tetras I bought had undetected ich and spread it to my existing fish.)

 

[JerseyGirl1385]

How high was the temp of the water when they were all huddled at the bottom?

Had you checked your parameters?

 

[territerri]

How high was the temp of the water when they were all huddled at the bottom?

Had you checked your parameters?

I only had a crappy stick-on LED thermometer that didn't seem to be displaying the temp at all. I touched the water when the heater was on and the water was cool-lukewarm... the heater was set at ~80, so it could have been as high as 82.

My parameters I didn't check them at all. I guess even if they are in QT the params should be checked...

 

[JerseyGirl1385]

I only had a crappy stick-on LED thermometer that didn't seem to be displaying the temp at all. I touched the water when the heater was on and the water was cool-lukewarm... the heater was set at ~80, so it could have been as high as 82.

My parameters I didn't check them at all. I guess even if they are in QT the params should be checked...

Well 80-84 isn't bad, bc that's how a lot of things, like ICH are treated are with heat.

With 6 platy's in a 5 gallon QT your parameters could have been the issue. ( platy's have very big bio loads )

I'm sorry for your loss, tho. It's never fun to lose a fish.

 

[territerri]

Well 80-84 isn't bad, bc that's how a lot of things, like ICH are treated are with heat.

With 6 platy's in a 5 gallon QT your parameters could have been the issue. ( platy's have very big bio loads )

I'm sorry for your loss, tho. It's never fun to lose a fish.

Thanks so much! Do you think they'd all die within a couple of days, though? Just wondering... All the same, next time I'll QT only three platys at a time just to be on the safe side.

How about that "new plastic smell" of freshly purchased aquarium goods that will be immersed? Maybe I should post that in another section to see how people deal with that?

 

[JerseyGirl1385]

They could have.
My first tank was a 5g also and the store sold me 4 platy 4 mollies 2 snails and a pleco and I wondered why the mollies died next day.

Was your QT tank cycled? Throwing that many fish in a small space could have thrown the tank into a mini cycle.
The fish were stressed from being moved... They could have been weak before that. So many factors.

And as long as you rinse things well ( I rinse all my new decorations in HOT water) I don't think that would have contributed.

Good luck the next time around put some pics up when you get your new platy's

 

[territerri]

Finally got around to testing parameters -- 4 days after the fish died. I left the filter running and the moss ball in there during that time. There was also some uneaten food particles I couldn't remove with the net.

Parameters as follows (5G tank):
pH = 6.6
ammonia = 6.0 ppm
nitrite = 0 ppm
nitrate = 20 ppm

 

[ejaramillo01]

Yeah, looks like this was a case of ammonia poisoning.
Too many fish for two weeks in a small tank... maybe not even the QT filter was cycled or fully ready for the amount of bioload...

Learning experience.

 

[territerri]

Yeah, looks like this was a case of ammonia poisoning.
Too many fish for two weeks in a small tank... maybe not even the QT filter was cycled or fully ready for the amount of bioload...

Learning experience.

I appreciate the feedback, thank you.