New Platies...with sickness

[PK Tester]

Hey everyone...

Aren't plattys supouse to be hardy ?

Gah...Well I seem to be having the same problem with them as I did fancy guppies.

I got 3 platies from the pet store...2 males, and 1 female. Well I should have know that was a bad combination...Pet store employees are idiots.

But anyhow, Today, while I was at school, the only female I have jumped out of the tank and killed her self. I'm really agry about that, as I have a tight fitting top, but the back needs a new plastic piece by the filter and heater and such.

Well anyhow, the one male had a torn fin from the pet store. I asked the guy to make sure I didn't get any with torn fins but apparently that is TOO much to ask for.


The fish is a little lethargic, but has been swimming a lot more to day. I have been treating the tank with Melafix, which I'm wondering if kills fish? But I don't really see much of a difference in the fin. It does not seem to be healing much.

Now one thing I noticted is I awlays followed the direction on the back of the melafix and waited 7 days to change water. Well my water in this area is not good enough. PH Drops on about the 5th day...water NEEDS to be changed about every 3 to 4 days in a 10gal. So I decided today that I would change water. I did about a 25% change, and I re-dosed the tank with the Melafix + about 25% of the original dose. I'm not sure if that adds up properly, but I really need to change water frequently. I really want to save this fish's life...I will do almost anything!

Does anyone have anymore advice? Or as to why the female may have jumped out?

I have yet to test the levels on this aquarium...but it has been cycled for a long time, I recently did a 90% water change though, as I had guppies die on me because of a PH slip.

Any advice will be considered!!

Thanks.

 

[Zagz]

The fish store may have bad stock.That is a possiblity. Did you buy the guppies and the platies from the same store? I would take the fish back to the store and choose the fish from the tank that seem the healthiest to you. I often have to change water during a treatment of meds. Sometimes it just can't be helped. It sounds to me like the lfs stock might be the culprit and not anything you are doing. I've not had any adverse reactions to melafix myself with my fish.

 

[PK Tester]

Thanks Zagz, yeah I think it is the fish store, but I have no where else to go. Their guppies are always terrible as they stuff about 50 - 100 in a small 10 gal tank...so of course they suck.

I really can't bring the fish back...and they were by far the healthiest I have seen in a long time from this petstore. I plan to go back and buy probably 2 or 3 females...maybe even 4 but I'm really scared of pushing my Bio-Load. I have a 40 gallon that is WAY under-stocked that fry can be put into. I just need to get some healthier fish :-(

Anyhow...thanks for the advice!