Platy females ill-looking

[fsparks19]

I have a 40 gallon tank that has been set up for 7 months. I have an Aquaclear 110 filter running at its highest capacity. I do water changes once a week between 30 & 50%. I currently have (2) female wag tail platys (the 2 that are sick), (1) female panda platy (healthy), (1) male sunburst platy (healthy), (3) yoyo loaches (healthy and thriving), (5) neon tetras (healthy and growing), (4) zebra danios (healthy), (1) chinese golden algae eater and pond snails (hence the loaches). The (2) ladies that look ill have clamped fins and have been acting funny for over a month. The loaches were the latest addition but they were acting this way prior to the loaches being in there. My parameters are checked weekly and i've had it checked by a pet store and everything seems to be OK. The male platy used to mess with the wagtail ladies a lot but I have noticed my Panda being pregnant and the wagtails haven't been pregnant in quite sometime. They still eat, they just aren't active and tend to just hang out in one spot. I keep thinking I will find them stuck to the filter soon but they keep beating the odds somehow. Anyone know how to help my ladies get back to their normal selves? PS forgot to mention I have had the platy's for 6 months, put them in as soon as my tank cycled.

 

[guppy44]

Have you tried api stress coat? It helped all my fish that ever acted out of the norm! I also recently picked up this new stuff called artemiss it's 100% natural expellant for bacterial disease! It treats up to 20 things! I was cleaning my tank one day and my poor guppy got sucked up the filter because I didn't think he would anyways I was so scared to see him dead but he wasn't !! He was sideways hanging on for dear life !!! I drop some stress coat on him and put the artemiss in the tank that was 1 week ago he is 100% back to normal !!!!


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[BBradbury]

Your Tank

Hello fs...

The 30 percent water changes are still leaving 70 percent of the dissolved wastes from the fish and the plants in the tank water. If the water changes aren't consistent, then neither is the water chemistry. Changes in the water will definitely have a negative affect on the fish.

I would start a more aggressive water change routine right away. Work up to the point you're changing half the water weekly and make the new, treated tap water a bit warmer than what's in the tank. Feed a little bit of minced garlic. Spice World has a good product. Garlic has many natural antibiotic properties. New water and some vitamins will likely perk the fish up in no time.

Just a suggestion.

B

 

[fsparks19]

Thank you both so much for replying. I will try stress coat and see if that helps my ladies. I definitely need to be more consistent and aggressive with the water changes. May I ask if it seems odd that only 2 out of all of my fish are having issues? perhaps the ladies just aren't as hardy as the other fish so they are being affected? Logical reasoning tells me all the fish should be sick, especially all of the platys since they are the same type of fish, perhaps the different types of platys are affected differently? Still learning, thank you for any advice!!

 

[guppy44]

Yeah I'm not 100% sure why it's not hurting all fish it may be a slow parasite or slow bacteria who knows ! Try the stress coat if you can try the other stuff too and it should be fixed !


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[dalto]

Yeah I'm not 100% sure why it's not hurting all fish it may be a slow parasite or slow bacteria who knows ! Try the stress coat if you can try the other stuff too and it should be fixed !

Or it could be a water quality issue and all these treatments will do nothing.

What are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels?

 

[guppy44]

Ph 7.2 Am less than 18


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[dalto]

Ph 7.2 Am less than 18

Sorry, I didn't mean yours.

I was trying to help the OP with their original problem.

I should have been more clear with the transition.

 

[fsparks19]

Thanks Dalto. My nitrate is around 20ppm so it looks like I need to do another water change this weekend. I'll try at least 70% this time. Thank you all so much for taking the time to help me!

 

[fsparks19]

Sorry, I didn't mean yours.

I was trying to help the OP with their original problem.

I should have been more clear with the transition.

Dalto, any ideas why it wouldn't affect all of the fish, just a few?