Platy tail

[senorkevin]

Before the tails of my platies used to fan out but now they are more like a rectangle shape. Is there a reason for this?

 

[TLfreshhhhwater]

Sorry to tell you but one of my platies had this happen and he just got weaker and weaker and died

 

[tnfinfan]

That's called clamped fins. It's usually a sign of illness. Always test water at the first sign of a problem. If the water isn't causing the stress, remove the affected fish to quarantine. Salt dips are useful for many illnesses so if you can't see any other symptoms, it's better than doing nothing.

 

[senorkevin]

What are salt dips? I heard about them but I thought it wasn't good

 

[tnfinfan]

Cut & pasted from elsewhere (note, use aquarium salt or kosher or rock salt, never iodized)

Performing a Dip
When treating parasites, a dip is the method of choice. Place four teaspoons of salt in a clean bucket, then slowly add one gallon of water from the aquarium, swirling it to dissolve the salt. Once the salt is completely dissolved, place the fish in the bucket for five to thirty minutes. Observe the fish closely, and if any signs of distress are observed, return the fish to the original aquarium immediately.

 

[senorkevin]

Would that method work for ich? Or is ich not that big of a problem?

 

[jwh0818]

I would start by doing a few good water changes and add a good dechlorinator for sure.

 

[senorkevin]

I have been doing WCs twice a day because I don't why but I have a spike with ammonia and nitrite

 

[jwh0818]

Go pick up a bottle of bacteria and dump some in. This will help with the bacteria regrowth. You made them mad somehow

 

[senorkevin]

Grrrr! With the bottled Bactria, should I add it to the filter or the water?

 

[tnfinfan]

Yes, salt is a treatment for ich. So is increasing the heat a bit. Are you seeing white spots on them?

Fish will clamp fins from nitrite and ammonia exposure, too. If you don't have any salt sensitive fish in the tank, you can add some to the tank to help with nitrite poisoning symptoms and ich. But really, the main goal is to get the tank cycled so your fish aren't being exposed to toxins. Toxins cause stress and illness all by themselves.

 

[jwh0818]

Grrrr! With the bottled Bactria, should I add it to the filter or the water?

Add it behind the filter for better consumption

 

[senorkevin]

What do you mean behind the filter? Where the tube is in the water? I have an ac50.
I was seeing white spots but on my silver dollars. I cant add salt as I have shrimp, catfish, snails and a loach.
The last time I turned the heat up it was a massacre so I wont do that again!

 

[ArtistGardener]

Kevin, are you still having ammonia and nitrite readings? Your tank is still cycling. Clamped fins on your livebearers indicate poor water, so you just need to increase your water changes. Make sure you add a good dechlorinator when do water changes (Prime). You are leaving the filter alone, right? I seem to recall you are doing a tube/hose water change. Are you turning off the filter when you do that and adding dechlorinator to the tank beforehand--and not overdoing it with that? Could you remind us of the size of the tank, your current reading for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, and the current contents? You've had more than your share of trouble lately. Also, if you can get a photo of one of the silver dollars with ich, that might help--in case it isn't ich.

 

[senorkevin]

Most of the ich has gone, there are only a few white spots left on the tails of 1 guppy and 1 platy. They are in a salt dip as we speak.
I was doing WC's everyday untill I added some super ich capsules to the tank so I did what it said on the label. I decided to stop using the med because I needed to do more WC's. I recently cleaned the filter media with old tank water as the cascade wasnt flowing and the tubes were getting full of leaves from the plants where the snails had been eating them.
The tank is 46 gallons.
I have:
2 snails
2 ghost shrimp
2 rapheal catfish (stripped/dotted)
1 loach
3 silver dollars
2 angel
3 danios (Zebra)
3 glo danios
4 platies
4 mollys
2 guppies
1 swordtail
1 fantail goldfish (The wife wont let me re-home it)
I have started to use Tetra aquasafe plus with the WC's as I cant get prime. I turn off the filter and heater when doing WC's. I just added 30ml of Nutrafin cycle to the tank. Give me 5 mins and I will give you the results of the water test.

 

[senorkevin]

Ph and ammonia
Left nitrite right nitrate

They never used to be that bad

 

[ArtistGardener]

Something is amiss with these images. Top is ammonia (left) and pH (right)--correct?
the left bottom one looks like 0 nitrite but the right one is purple--which shouldn't be that color for nitrate--but would be for very high nitrites. Are you rinsing out the tubes well in tap water after you test, and then rinsing them in tank water once before filling to test?

Rinse these out, wait a few minutes if you just added water, conditioners, etc and repeat the tests, being very careful to follow directions exactly and making sure you know which is which as you post the images again.

 

[senorkevin]

Left ph right ammonia
I didn't know I had to rinse the tubes in tank water.
Left no2 right no3

 

[ArtistGardener]

Also, confirm your filtration. On this 46 gallon tank, you only have the Aquaclear 50, right? You are way overstocked, especially for a cycling tank, but I know that you already know that. I don't know if you realize how overstocked you are--about twice as much bioload as this tank can hold--and that would be for a fully cycled tank. I am afraid you would have to do 90% water changes every day--and still be fighting a losing battle here with your water quality. If you could rehome the silver dollars, raphael cats and goldfish, you might have a fighting chance.

 

[senorkevin]

I have a ac50 with 2 foam inserts.
Yeah I know and that is after rehoming some. The mrs won't let me rehome anymore