Fish hurt help! :( - Platy is aggressive?

[Chels10117]

I hope it's okay posting this in this thread... I didn't know where this belonged.

Info on fish and tank:
36 gallon bow front. Aqueon quiet flow power filter, 200w heater, air stone, water is okay with low levels of nitrate and 0 of ammonia and nitrite. Tank has been running for 3 weeks and I have been slowly adding fish.

Fish:
5 glofish tetras (white skirt tetras), 5 platys, 1 algae eater.

I thought platys were peaceful community fish... I recently bought 3 from petco. Very healthy and happy looking. I already had one at home. I wanted to have a small school. I went and bought one more the day after because I decided on 5. I noticed shortly after I brought the new ones home the platy that I already had (Winston) had ripped fins... I thought that was odd because all I have in there are white skirt tetras and platys... I had the tetras before with him and he was fine. This didn't happen until I brought the new platys home. There is one big orange crescent one that I think may be the culprit... Also last night my biggest tetra (Packy) got stuck in my castle! It's such a small hole I have no idea why he would choose to swim through it... Unless he was startled or being chased. He is okay... But has some boo boos... I'm really upset. I don't know if I should take the castle back or the fish. My platy Winston is the only one with ripped fins (His dorsal fin).

Should I just monitor them closely and see what's up? I've been watching them though and all I see is light chasing and all of them kind of do this. Is that normal for a community aquarium or is that odd? They are all peaceful variety's... They'll chase their own kind or each other. Kind of sneak up behind one another and startle them, then swim away. The tetras don't chase the platys but they chase each other. But the platys kind of chase everyone.

Also, what should I do about Packy? I tried posting a thread to the "Unhealthy fish" section but I think since I added links and pictures it will take awhile for it to be approved. If you see it please check it out. I need help ASAP never dealt with an injured fish before.

I think i'm going to go ahead and do this plan if I don't hear from anyone soon...

Anyways, he's got a pretty narly cut into his body before his anal fin, like a cm big like right after his stomach... and a tiny nick before his dorsal fin. I'm thinking of moving him to a hospital tank and then treat him with aquarium salt and melafix? Do hospital aquariums need a filter? Or will that take out the medicine? I know I need a heater and thermometer... How long should I treat him for and will he be okay? The cut is not too bad... or maybe it is... but I worry. He was pretty freaked out last night but he is swimming around and eating like normal today. I just don't want him to get any infections. Will the cut heal normally or will he be disfigured?

I'm worried about the fish bullying each other... But I would hate to have to take them back.

Also, about my platy Winston will his fins heal on their own with regular water changes or does he need to be treated to? I've never had to deal with this before and I'm at a loss... I thought I picked good fish or I have no idea what is going on... Help would be appreciated.

 

[ImACoolguy]

It's probably an unbalanced M/F ratio causing males to fight over a female.

Regular water changes will help heal the fins.


Caleb

 

[biondoa]

Yes , you do need a filter in a hospital tank, but remove the carbon.
I would take the castle out of there right away.
As for Winston, I think lots of water changes would help heal his fins. Good clean water can help a number of things.

 

[ImACoolguy]

I had a castle long ago and had my rainbow shark get trapped in it. Fish can get in places you wouldn't think imaginable. I stopped using decor especially those with small areas after that.


Caleb

 

[Chels10117]

The platys are all males... I just went to get supplies for my injured fish. The guy at the pet store said that it could be a male dominance issue but before they told me that they would not fight. Should I take some of them back and get females instead? I don't want to have babies tho but I love platys. I'm going to put my hurt fish in this pet keeper I just got from the store. The filter that I have from my small tank which is a 1-3 gal bubble filter only has a carbon cartridge in it. So should I just not use one? Or can I put some bio media in it and filter it that way? I have a small package of it that is for my fluval 5 gal. I have some safe start that I could put in there and let it cycle for awhile with that in it, water conditioner and salt... Do you guys think that would work? Thanks for the help.

 

[PoppaRyno]

Use water from said tank to fill the hospital tank. Cuts down cycling. Then treat and care for. Id use a small sponge filter for the spital tank.

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[biondoa]

Use water from the original tank for the hospital tank. Do not used carbon if you are medicating since carbon will remove the medication from the water. you could put your bio media in the filter instead. Just don't rinse it with tap water. Use some dechlorinated water to rinse it prior to putting it in the filter. Hope you have good luck and save your fish.

 

[ImACoolguy]

Use water from the original tank for the hospital tank. Do not used carbon if you are medicating since carbon will remove the medication from the water. you could put your bio media in the filter instead. Just don't rinse it with tap water. Use some dechlorinated water to rinse it prior to putting it in the filter. Hope you have good luck and save your fish.

Why use old tank water? I would still acclimate a fish to a new environment even if he was in the water that was moved.


Caleb

 

[mikem691]

All old water will do is add nitrates. Squeeze old filter media into qt filter or add some used media. Water holds next to no bb

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[ImACoolguy]

All old water will do is add nitrates. Squeeze old filter media into qt filter or add some used media. Water holds next to no bb

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That's why I asked. No need to use old water. Just use new dechlorinated water.


Caleb

 

[PoppaRyno]

I know bb doesnt transfer with water. I also still re acclimate fish. I use original tank water for less variables of stress on the fish. I.E. Ic its a 10gl i put 5 gals of old water and 5 gals of new. So its basically just a water change transfer, lol. Part of it is that ive been doin that since i was in junior high. Its always worked. So im afraid to change it up, lol. Ol' sayin if it aint broke dont fix it.

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[Chels10117]

Thanks guys. I have him in a 3 gallon hospital take with a heater, thermometer, small plant, and filter that has my bio media in it. I just added dechlorinated water with salt, the meds, and some safe start. He's doing o. k. Swimming around and such. But I don't know if he'll last. The cut is pretty bad under him. I could try to add a picture or video, but I don't really know how.

My new fish tank is stressing me out so much. First he gets hurt and now my fish are fighting... The platys chase the tetras and the tetras are not schooling. Are they supposed to school all the time or just do their own thing? Idk what to do if I should take them back and just get different fish instead of platys or what. And one of my platys just sits in one spot not doing anything or moving around much... I'm at a loss...