Plattie trouble help asap

[Speed]

I have a Mickey Mouse plattie that's been acting very strange today. Not swimming, laying on the rocks @ the bottom & hidden whine the thermometer all day & now the two Cory's (very tiny ones) are eating at him but he's still alive. I done a test & ammonia was .25. I done a 50%wc but its not helping at all. I transferred him into about 1.5gal bucket until tomorrow hoping I can find some meds to help him. Anyone know what's going on ? Just lost 2 clown loach's last night & bala shark is acting different, like the clown loach's. seems he has "bubbles" all over him. Is it the dechlorinator or tap water. ? Plecos, neon tetras & cory are doing fine still. I need some help here ASAP

 

[bud29]

I have a Mickey Mouse plattie that's been acting very strange today. Not swimming, laying on the rocks @ the bottom & hidden whine the thermometer all day & now the two Cory's (very tiny ones) are eating at him but he's still alive. I done a test & ammonia was .25. I done a 50%wc but its not helping at all. I transferred him into about 1.5gal bucket until tomorrow hoping I can find some meds to help him. Anyone know what's going on ? Just lost 2 clown loach's last night & bala shark is acting different, like the clown loach's. seems he has "bubbles" all over him. Is it the dechlorinator or tap water. ? Plecos, neon tetras & cory are doing fine still. I need some help here ASAP

Are you sure they are bubbles? There is a good chance it could be the ich parasite. Does it look like salt is sprinkled over the fish?

 

[Speed]

Are you sure they are bubbles? There is a good chance it could be the ich parasite. Does it look like salt is sprinkled over the fish?

Idk. Kinda hard to tell. When you set up a new aquarium, new decor, tap water, it gets the "bubbles" all over everything. This is what it resembles (to me). The bala shark has gotten it all a sudden, the 2 clown loach's that dies with days, a neon tetra has it on its tail but the plattie has just seemed to lose all motivation, laying on the rocks, loss of color, & letting the 2 tiny Cory's eat away on him while he's still alive. I feel so helpless & dnt know what to do. Maybe it is ick, idk. I will get treatment for it in the morning hoping it dnt hurt them if that's not the cause. J dnt have salt on hand either. Hope they make it. Clowns looked the same way & within 2 days they were dead.

 

[Speed]

Are you sure they are bubbles? There is a good chance it could be the ich parasite. Does it look like salt is sprinkled over the fish?

Yes it's ick. Just pulled up some google images. I will get a treatment tomorrow & hope they make it till then. Any idea what causes it or ways to prevent ?

 

[Dizzydea]

Could be your water quality, also if you add a new fish from your pet shop without quarantining that may have caused it. Get some paragaurd. It works great and it's safe for all fish. Raise your temp to 82 degrees. Test your water parameters.

 

[bud29]

Yes it's ick. Just pulled up some google images. I will get a treatment tomorrow & hope they make it till then. Any idea what causes it or ways to prevent ?

Lots of fish you buy have ich and you are unaware. That is because it starts out very small in the gills of your fish and waits to strike until the fish is stressed. So, you may not done anything wrong.

As for treatment, turn the temperature up to 86-87 and add 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt per 5 gallons of water. The high temperature should keep the parasite from reproducing, and the salt should help kill any free-swimming parasites. Do add the salt VERY slowly though, as loaches can be very intolerant. Dissolve the needed amount of salt in a cup of tank water and then add it to the tank over the course of SEVERAL hours.

 

[Speed]

Lots of fish you buy have ich and you are unaware. That is because it starts out very small in the gills of your fish and waits to strike until the fish is stressed. So, you may not done anything wrong.

As for treatment, turn the temperature up to 86-87 and add 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt per 5 gallons of water. The high temperature should keep the parasite from reproducing, and the salt should help kill any free-swimming parasites. Do add the salt VERY slowly though, as loaches can be very intolerant. Dissolve the needed amount of salt in a cup of tank water and then add it to the tank over the course of SEVERAL hours.

Thanks. The clowns have both died though. I have a few neon tetras that I read can't tolerate salt either. I know salt can be good for different things but considering I have the tetras, and other freshwater tropical, I was thinking of just getting a bottle of ick treatment. Not sure which would be better & safer ?

 

[Dizzydea]

As I said before forparaguard works great. I've used it to tread Ich and its safe for all fish.

 

[Aquena]

Check your Ph immediately! I just went through this. My Platys had this bubble-like slime on them with white over their eyes over night.

Check your Ph first. Then add 1 tbs. aquarium salt per gallon. To rid of the bacterial infection.

If your Ph is low, add 1/8 teaspoon per gallon ARM & HAMMER Baking soda once per day till Ph is 7.0.

The aquarium salt knocked off the bubble slime within a couple hours.

My problem was low Ph. Must use Arm and Hammer brand. It buffers the Ph, unlike the chemicals at LFS. Hope this helps.

 

[Aquena]

ALL freshwater fish, including Cory and plecos can tolerate 1 tbs. of aquarium salt per gallon for treatment purposes. Do 50% water change as soon as symptoms disappear, then weekly water changes to eventually remove salt. Ick looks like salt directly on fish, bacterial looks like slimy bubbles - not ick. If it wasn't for my knowledgeable and trustworthy LFS guy (he owns the fish store) my fish would have died. See my list of fish on my profile - they all did fine with the treatment I suggested. Good luck !

 

[Speed]

ALL freshwater fish, including Cory and plecos can tolerate 1 tbs. of aquarium salt per gallon for treatment purposes. Do 50% water change as soon as symptoms disappear, then weekly water changes to eventually remove salt. Ick looks like salt directly on fish, bacterial looks like slimy bubbles - not ick. If it wasn't for my knowledgeable and trustworthy LFS guy (he owns the fish store) my fish would have died. See my list of fish on my profile - they all did fine with the treatment I suggested. Good luck !

Ok thanks. Still not sure what it is. Hard to tell. He's still not acting right ( neither is bala). Both are staying near top of water in a corner not swimming & bala wldnt eat this morning which is unusual. 2 Cory's were what looked like they were eating the platy alive last night, but thinking they may been trying to eat something off of him ? Idk, I'm really clueless @ the moment. 2 clowns recently died & now this. Checked levels last night. Ammonia was .25 & I did another 50% wc. Going to check all levels again soon when I get back. Going to get some salt now

 

[Aquena]

Ok thanks. Still not sure what it is. Hard to tell. He's still not acting right ( neither is bala). Both are staying near top of water in a corner not swimming & bala wldnt eat this morning which is unusual. 2 Cory's were what looked like they were eating the platy alive last night, but thinking they may been trying to eat something off of him ? Idk, I'm really clueless @ the moment. 2 clowns recently died & now this. Checked levels last night. Ammonia was .25 & I did another 50% wc. Going to check all levels again soon when I get back. Going to get some salt now

Good Luck! I hope any advice I gave may help. Check your Ph too. Only add Arm & Hammer baking soda if Ph is LOW. It raises the Ph and buffers it. Also, do 1 tbs. salt per gallon (not five gallon) my fish expert told me this, and I was scared, but he was right. Bump your temp to 78 degrees. You can add salt without waiting, just don't pour ON fish, pour in area that has good water rotation/movement so the salt disperses. My Platys and two danios were literally coated with bubbly slime and had popeye (white covering over eyes) and seemed literally dead. I followed this advice, and they were like new in eight hours and today are back to normal. Salt will help both ick and bacterial. If after a few days they don't improve, then determine what the symptoms are and treat accordingly. My Pleco, Corys, tetras, and marble hatchets are all doing well, and my tank is still salted. Keep an eye on your parameters. Don't always believe what you read on the Internet. But I truly can say thus advice came from my local fish expert. Good Luck! Keep me posted!

 

[Aquena]

Also, I have a baby neon tetra in my tank and this little guy is just fine through all of this, so I know the treatment I told you about is safe.

 

[bud29]

Check your Ph immediately! I just went through this. My Platys had this bubble-like slime on them with white over their eyes over night.

Check your Ph first. Then add 1 tbs. aquarium salt per gallon. To rid of the bacterial infection.

If your Ph is low, add 1/8 teaspoon per gallon ARM & HAMMER Baking soda once per day till Ph is 7.0.

The aquarium salt knocked off the bubble slime within a couple hours.

My problem was low Ph. Must use Arm and Hammer brand. It buffers the Ph, unlike the chemicals at LFS. Hope this helps.

Low pH does not cause ich. Ich is a parasite.

Honestly, I would do the heat + salt treatment. Meds only are effective during the free-swimming stage of the parasite's life cycle. If the water is 86F or above, the parasite should stop reproducing.

 

[Aquena]

Low pH does not cause ich. Ich is a parasite.

Honestly, I would do the heat + salt treatment. Meds only are effective during the free-swimming stage of the parasite's life cycle. If the water is 86F or above, the parasite should stop reproducing.

Right, my fish didn't have ick. It was bacterial - a bubbly white slime. I just had a Ph problem, which caused my fish to get sick. The salt worked with temp bumped to 78.

 

[Aquena]

I think "Speed" was having same symptoms as my fish.

 

[Speed]

I think "Speed" was having same symptoms as my fish.

I'm gradually adding salt in over a few hrs period & hope this helps. As far as the heat, I just bought (ordered) a new digital 200w heater that's really nice. Unfortunately it doesn't work right. Has a button on top where I can turn it on/off, & change & set temp. The button doesn't seem to work. It's stuck on 80. So that's what it stays on unless I unplug it. Seems most of my fish need to stay in mid-upper 70's so it's pretty close & I never sent it back. So salts going in - temp is gonna stay 80 lol. I have another 300w heater but was afraid it wld scorch them. All others seem to be doing fine. No changes at all, platy seems a lil better but still not himself. Bala is staying in corner still & hasn't ate all day. Do what I can & see what happens.

 

[Speed]

I bought salt as recommended yesterday. Even though everyone posted different amounts to add, I went with what seemed to be right & what the pack said. I added 8 tbl spoons. (1 per 5 gallons for sickness) (40g). Added it over about a 6 hr period. It's been about 16 hrs since fully dosed. All are still alive. Platy still isn't very active though tending to stay in one spot when he's usually all over constantly. Bala is still at the top in a corner & hasn't eaten in about 2 days. Dnt know how much longer he's gonna hang in there, & since I've added the salt, appears I may have a albino cory heading south. Other cory is doing fine. Albino won't swim either, staying @ the bottom & trying to get underneath logs when he's usually constantly darting everywhere. About to do another dern test. Dnt guess ick wld have anything to do with this but last test, showed .25 ammonia. I done a 50%wc & seems like everything has went south since. Should I done a 25%wc instead ? (Still not fully cycled ). Never sure weather to do a 25 or 50%

 

[Aquena]

What is your Ph, nitrates, nitrites, alkaline at? Don't do another water change, let tank rest and try to cycle. Temp? How many gallons in your tank? Do you have enough oxygenation/circulation? Is this a new set up and never cycled?

 

[Speed]

What is your Ph, nitrates, nitrites, alkaline at? Don't do another water change, let tank rest and try to cycle. Temp? How many gallons in your tank? Do you have enough oxygenation/circulation? Is this a new set up and never cycled?

It's 40g. (Freshwater tropical). Have had the tank running with fish in for - idk, maybe 5-6 wks tops. Dnt believe its ever been cycled. Working on that now. Temp is 80. Ppl are telling me to check daily or numerous times a day & stay on top of wc. Doing MORE test now. Ph & high range ph are both off the charts. Not a color for them on the chart( freshwater masters kit). I have some correct ph fizz tabs but wanted to finish testing & possible wc before adding. I'm thinking its either the new tank, or my hard tap water. Last I checked I had .25 ammonia which was my 1st test so I didn't bother testing anymore. It obviously had to be changed anyway so I done a 50%. Finishing readings now. So I dnt change if the ammonia or nitrites are above 0 ? I'm being told to constantly check & change, even 50% at times. So confused - again