'Shimmy' disease and a deformed platy fry

[jlindseyjr]

Hi all,
I have a 20 gal setup since January. I can't seem to keep platies and guppys(mostly the females) alive for more than a couple months. They always succumb to the 'shimmy disease.' Water params are: Ammonia-0, NitrIte-0, pH-7.6. I don't have a NitrAte test, but I change at least 6 gal a week and vacuum well. I also have quite a large bunch of Java moss in the tank. I've read that the 'shimmies,' or livebearer disease is caused by a lack of electrolytes in the water. If this is true, would it be wise to supplement the water with something like Pedialyte, or just aquarium salt?

Second problem, I have about 15 fry in the tank, ranging in age from 2-10 weeks. I saw one last night that I hadn't seen before and the poor thing is deformed. She must have been hiding in the moss, because she's at least six weeks old and I'd never seen her before. Her body is kind of crooked, like a swayback horse and she has a white, cottony patch on her head, behind her eye. Is it possible she has both flex and mycobacter? She's the only affected fish in the tank. Should I put her in a 5 gal bucket and treat her with antibiotics?

Thanks

 

[An t-iasg]

Hi jlindseyjr,
I have read that "shimmy disease" can be brought on by stress, and it's more of a warning sign that things are not right in the tank, than a disease itself. Is the tank getting overcrowded with the fry? That can be a cause of stress. High nitrate levels can be due to overcrowding. I have java moss in my tank too, and my nitrates have been 0 for awhile. Healthy, live plants will use up the nitrate. Pick up a nitrate test if you can. The electrolytes could be something to think about. I would not add Pedialyte or anything not meant for aquarium use. I use Jungle Aquarium Salt. I use it at a smaller dose than the label suggests, but I don't have livebearers.

My label of aquarium salt says to add one tablespoon per 10 gallons. I've seen other sites on the internet that say to add one tablespoon per 5 gallons. Here's a site about guppies: http://guppyz.tripod.com/guppy_disease_chart.html (scroll down to "shimmy") I would start out at one tablespoon per 10 gallons (2 tablespoons for your tank), and let the fish get used to that dose. See if that helps the shimmy. If needed, you could add another tablespoon or two gradually, so that your tank had the recommended dosage of 4 tablespoons.
http://www.aquariumfish.net/information/aquarium_salt.htm#top2

About the diseased fry -- here's another site I found: http://fish.mongabay.com/diseases.htm (scroll down to "bacterial infections") If this is what you think the fry has, isolate it immediately. Try some antibiotics and see how she does. If this is fish tuberculosis, be very careful as it could potentially be transferred to you. Does the fry have some of the other symptoms listed? Do a search on this site for clove oil and vodka as a method to put a fish down if necessary.

 

[jlindseyjr]

An t-iasg,
Thanks for the reply and the links. I picked up a nitrate test- 5ppm, so I guess the java moss is keeping that under control. I don't think the fry are causing stress. They still spend a lot of time hiding in the grass. I'll add the salt and see how it goes. Will 2 tbsp in a 20 gal tank hurt the snails?

As for the fry, she swims around happily and eats well. She still has the small white patch on her head, but her body seems to have straightened out a little. Maybe it just wasn't as crooked as I thought it was at first glance. I'll separate her and treat her for flex.

Thanks again

 

[TankGirl]

Definitely take An t-iasg's advice and treat with antibiotics. If this fails, I would consider "nuking" the tank, since you have had an ongoing problem with disease that is rampant. I would cull your fish and euthanize any that appear afflicted (assuming they did not respond to treatment) and sterilize the tank and its contents, starting a new cycle, unfortunately, but it may be the only way to eradicate this problem. I have seen this in a friend's tank with platys and nothing worked, with several generations of disease getting passed down. Very depressing situation, so good luck!