Paraniod

[Batgirl]

After losing my goldfish I am no seeing symptoms everywhere I look so please tell me if I am paranoid.
I just read a magazine that said a white patch is a symptom of bacterial disease, not just a simple loss of color.
One of my orangey-red platys had a large white spot on her tail a while ago and seeing some chasing I excused it for that. It has sort-of broken up and most of its gone away now to the point were I'm not sure I can capture it on my phones camera but I will try tommorow. Yesterday I thought I saw some bubbles coming out of her gills when she was eating but once more I am seeing symptoms everywhere (including on my dogs). She's eating and swimming regularly.
I will continue observing and will post pictures but does this sound like my fish is sick? If she is sick what can I do to make her better? If I am overly paranoid what can I do to stop that?

 

[Delapool]

Hi, I think you have got it - if the fish are swimming and eating regularly it's a good sign. Generally IMO if they have some missing scales or split fins from fighting I might put in some API stress coat but generally see how it goes for a day or so as long as the fish is still getting around well, eating and fins up. If there is any sort of abnormal growth (spot, fungas, scale swelling, etc) or the fish is swimming at an odd angle or sitting by itself with clamped fins then I start investigating. I do get bad with my mollies as they are black with white and I tend to look at the white (particularly if a scale goes) and worry but touch wood, they are doing quite well. If the white patch is going away that sounds good news. My fish will get some air go through the gills when they are gulping fish flakes at surface every so often but never had any troubles there. If it worsens or just in case, then photos are ideal and some-one should know. Also I tend to test my water specs if any concerns or as just routine.

 

[Batgirl]

I haven't been able to get a good picture as their not learning sit and stay as well as my dog, but is there any other signs fish are healthy?

 

[Delapool]

I haven't been able to get a good picture as their not learning sit and stay as well as my dog, but is there any other signs fish are healthy?

Lol, there are some amazing photos and I don't know how it is done. I have also tested my tap water specs just in case but mostly I just watch them. For example I've found my platys don't like cold water changes and go off to sulk whereas the rosy barbs must think it is breeding season or something.

 

[Batgirl]

I started watching them today (my form of procrastination) and I noticed my male sulking in a corner. When he swam again my larger red female attacked him, what should I do? Could this be the white patch I saw? If I put him in a hanging bucket in the tank and wait for my new fish to get out of quarantine will the aggression be spread out? Should I remove the mean fish?

 

[Batgirl]

Please help I'm conflicted I want to take out the mean fish because I'm worried he will attack a different fish BUT my other fish turns sideways when the other fish get near it and is huddled by my heater in a corner so I want to let him heal and only have one way to separate them. Also I can't easily catch the mean fish. What do you guys think?

 

[Delapool]

Hi, good questions. What sort of fish do you have all up and for the platys (or other live bearers) F/M ratio. Also what is tank temp and what is the heater temp set at?

 

[Batgirl]

The tank temp is around 78-79 and that's what the heater is set on. I didn't really understand the first bit but Ill answer them the way I interpreted them, before today I thought there was 1 adult male and 4 adult females but now I'm questioning wither or not the mean fish (just calling it mean for sake of identification) is a female or a male.

 

[Delapool]

Not a problem, wasn't sure if you had other fish. I will get my live bearers keep nearer the heater over winter but the temperature sounds fine. Yes, I would try separating them until you can get a bigger school. Ideally I would separate the aggressive one, I have two nets and try at feeding time. I've had two males squabble over a large tank and in the end my neighbor took one. I do find the females very good but the males more fight prone and can be aggressive even though a more placid species. I would also try increasing the number of hiding spots and break the tank up with plants so the fish can't see one end to another (just in case useful).

Edit: also I find that if it is just aggression over a night then I treat that as the 'young bull sorting out with the old bull'. Longer then that and I've found the more aggressive one can fixate on the other and I have to split up.

 

[Batgirl]

Not yet I'm quarantine some. Do you think in should keep them separate until some of my fry grow up? Do you think the mean fish would hurt my quarantining fish (young angelfish and kuhli loach (getting him more buddy's when lfs has some))

 

[Delapool]

Not yet I'm quarantine some. Do you think in should keep them separate until some of my fry grow up? Do you think the mean fish would hurt my quarantining fish (young angelfish and kuhli loach (getting him more buddy's when lfs has some))

I have never keep angelfish so can't comment directly. One of the guys at work had some, I'll ask next Monday. I have angelfish listed as semi-aggressive and the platy and loach as semi-peaceful and I don't find platys fin nippers on other fish in general.

Can you tell if it is two males fighting? It sounds like that fish is only picking on one fish in particular which makes me think it is two males? One fish can harass another to death so if it is ongoing, then I would keep separate or re-home, particularly if the picked on one is keeping fins tight to body against surprise attacks or not doing well. This sounds extreme but if it gets a secondary fungal infection from fighting then it becomes a tank problem. If it is just one-offs or the fish swim back together then I'm not so worried. I have two mollies that fight every so often but swim together in a group.

I would suspect that by the time the fry are big enough to spread the aggression out over a larger school this will be sorted. The fry just aren't in the pecking re-ordering until they get to decent size.

 

[Batgirl]

The fry are a little to big to be classified as fry and more of tiny fish which is why I ask I do think they are both males so I will keep them separate and remove the mean one when I remove the fry.

 

[Batgirl]

I had my fish in a separate container hanging in the tank and he jumped back in? What should I do reseller ate them the smaller less mean male isn't being attacked but he's not swimming as much. I did add more hiding spots but my stupid plants won't grow (I'm sure it's my lack of care) so most of it is rocks and driftwood I don't want to separate them if I don't have to but I don't want to wake up to a dead fish

 

[Delapool]

I had my fish in a separate container hanging in the tank and he jumped back in? What should I do reseller ate them the smaller less mean male isn't being attacked but he's not swimming as much. I did add more hiding spots but my stupid plants won't grow (I'm sure it's my lack of care) so most of it is rocks and driftwood I don't want to separate them if I don't have to but I don't want to wake up to a dead fish

Drat! Some fish!

Well it's all good ideas and observations you have, we're just up against it some times. If he is not being attacked I'd give it 24hrs and see what happens. Separate into the QT if repeated attacks occur as last resort (I think this had been going a week for just observation?). Longer term and depending on tank space I'd either rehome or increase the school size if they just can't get along as said. Out of interest are they the same colour? I had two reds fight over a 4ft tank - a white male used to lord it over both of them but it was always each other they fought.

I really struggle with plants as well.

This website also comes up with some good notes in case you hadn't seen it.

http://www.aqadvisor.com/

 

[Batgirl]

Yah I've seen aquadvisor I just thought I had 4 females and 1 male, no the mean ones big and red and the one I'm worried about is smaller and blue. When I woke up they were all charging each other including the blue male.

 

[Delapool]

Yah I've seen aquadvisor I just thought I had 4 females and 1 male, no the mean ones big and red and the one I'm worried about is smaller and blue. When I woke up they were all charging each other including the blue male.

Hmm, well I freely admit I'm out of ideas if anyone else can chime in. I'd look at re-homing then and see if the LFS will trade in, etc.

 

[Batgirl]

There is another spot now? Could this be a result of the mean fish? Could this be stress related? Is this something I should medicate for? I have attached the best photos I could get of the spot and the fish getting the most beat up.

 

[Delapool]

There is another spot now? Could this be a result of the mean fish? Could this be stress related? Is this something I should medicate for? I have attached the best photos I could get of the spot and the fish getting the most beat up.

Is it the spot on the tail base of the red and black platy? Does it look similar to the one that went away?

 

[Delapool]

Hi, well the fish look pretty active and swimming in the middle of the tank which is a good sign. I had a look on the larger screen and to me it doesn't seem to be a fungal infection (I'm assuming its just on the black). I'd keep an eye on it to see if it gets any cottony growth plus treat with something like API stress coat or similar if you have any. I find looking nose on to the fish can be helpful to see if anything is extending outside the body shape but that could just be me .

Also I remembered that I have divided up tanks before using a glass panel. Now I would probably just get some perspex from the hardware store and cut to fit (with holes for water flow). That could provide a short term solution if nothing else. I remember it did muck up the filters, space for the fish to swim and water flow but just in case it is useful.

 

[Batgirl]

Yah the spot is exactly like the one that went away, I don't have any thing like that but will get some next time I go to the store.
I have a quarantine tank I can put the mean one in but I don't want to if she's sick because I'm quarantining some right now that seem healthy.
Do you think he's healthy? I will look at sides when I'm done with homework.