Sick platy? or about to deliver?

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JenNewbie

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Dec 12, 2003
Messages
211
Location
Davis CA
I have a very pregnant coral platy (she is big as a house, looks like a balloon molly) who today has isolated herself in the leaves of some of the plants and at feeding time she drifted around, even came up to the surface, but didn't eat. For the last 2-3 days she has been flashing off of the plants. I've watched her and the other fish for signs of ich, but nothing so far. Is she near her delivery time? Are platys "moody"? It's a 5gal tank, temp is about 78 degrees. I had the water tested yesterday and there was no measurable ammonia, the nitrite was just measurable (0.25, I think??) so the lfs guy said the tank is probably almost finishing cycling, the nitrite spike is on its way down. The blue platy in the tank is just fine. The other coral platy did die earlier this week after no other symptoms. I don't think it's the tank, so any advice on the fish?
 
Well, the platy died... When I was getting ready to flush the body (is this still the accepted way to dispose of dead fish, btw?), I noticed what might have been two long worms coming from the body? Unfortunately, I wasn't going to get the body out of the toilet, so I can't say what, if anything, may have been on the body. What do gillworms look like? Any other potential culprits? I really don't want to watch the rest of the fish die off one by one. So far, only the coral platys have died.
 
Where were the worms coming from exactly? I'd imagine some intestinal worms could make a fish look bloated. Did you notice if she had a "pregnant spot", a dark spot in the middle of her body?
 
If they were worms, they looked like they were coming from her gills. Based on my reading, though, my most likely suspects seem to be ich or velvet (she clamped her dorsal fin 2 days before she died, and she was flashing off of plants). But I didn't see any discoloration on any fish. I've started raising the temp in the tank today. Should I just hit the tank with a parasite med, just in case?
 
Hmm... could the bloating have been dropsy? My platies normally don't hide when they're about to give birth - they just sort of hang out in the corner. They do hide when they're sick or annoyed by my gravel vac.

As for flushing, no, I don't think this is the preferred way to dispose of the body. I bury them beside the garden. I read somewhere that if you flush a sick fish down the toilet, because it's going into the water system, it could affect live fish or something like that. Even if it's not true, I prefer not to flush.
 
I think she truly was pregnant, for what it's worth. Her backbone was well-defined, ie., she didn't appear just swollen, if that makes sense. But now the dalmatian balloon molly is clamping her dorsal fin. Which means she may be next to go. Arrgh! Well, I'm going to do a 30% water change even though I just did one on Thurs. I'll get the water tested again, and if the water is ok, I'll do the salt/temp treat for ich. Would it be ok to hit the tank with a general parasite med, too?
 
I have a culprit!

Finally saw a cyst on one of the fish, so it is ich. Wish me luck w/ the heat & salt method of treatment.
 
Sorry about your fish losses, JenNewbie :-( I actually don't think you are supposed to flush them either. I just wrap mine in a papertowel and dispose of it in the wastecan :-(

When my platies were pregnant they had amazing appetites, all the way up till they gave birth. And before giving birth they would just sort of hang out in the corner or somewhere in the tank, but always low and near the gravel.

Good luck with your ich treatment.
 
Balloon molly has horizontal stripes on abdomen now.

The balloon molly that I finally saw a cyst on this morning has 3 yellow stripes on her ventral abdomen. Are they congested veins? She was sitting right underneath the outflow from the filter, which I assume means she's having trouble getting oxygen. I had a devil of a time getting the temp of the tank over 84 degrees. I hope the beach towel I wrapped around the tank helps keep the temp higher today. I am at work, so there isn't anything I can do except fret. The only thought I do have is that I have a spare crappy air pump and I could stick some tubing in the tank to provide more oxygenation. Any ideas, anyone?
 
At higher temps there will be less dissolved oxygen in the water so adding an air stone would probably be a good idea. Watch out for evaporation as well. Any top off water should not have salt added or the salt level will quickly raise.
 
What about the stripes on the fish? Are they from stress/lowered oxygen or are they a sign of a parasite other than ich?
 
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