Euthanize or not?

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martiniduck

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
133
Location
St. Charles, IL
I have a platy that is just being lethargic. She just sits on the bottom of the tank and does not move. I have had her for over a year and she has started getting like this about 2 months ago. She was slowing down and hiding in the back of the tank. There is no signs of any illness, she has been losing color in her scales, I think it is old age. All my other fish are in excellent shape and my water quality is fine. Should I put her out of her misery or just let her sit there?
 
have you added any other fish prior to seeing this lethargic behaviour ?
i only ask this as it might be being bullied and getting stressed out
also if you have the capacity try getting another platty this might encourage activity if it is the only lone platty at the moment
personally i would never euthanize a fish unless i was convinced it was in pain and suffering and i could not make it better and is was only going to suffer more
i had a lone platty in my tank and it used to just play in the current then i introduced a honey gourami i did read somewhere gouramies and platty's dont get on
but my 2 just hang out together all the time
 
It's a 29 gallon tank. It has 2 other plattys, 4 mollies, and 4 corries. They have all been in the tank for over 9 months. I also don't think it is bullying because when she does swim she is not using all her fins and is not very graceful. She was always healthy, but she has been getting more and more lifeless over the past few months. It has been a very gradual decline. I would think after all this time if it was an illness she would have died or recovered by now, so I think it is old age. I just don't know if she is in pain? I think I will just leave her alone
 
platty's lifespan is about 2/3 years Also, it can be a good idea to have two females for every one male. Doing this will prevent the male from harassing a single female
are you sure it is not diseased
fin rot Rotting fins, loss of appetite and laying on the bottom of the tank. This is due to a bacteria that infects the fins of the fish. It is sometimes brought about by bullying from other fish and fin nipping. Most often it is due to poor water quality.
just a suggestion
hope the fish recovers or you find out the cause
 
All three platies are female. I had a male swordtail that I think was the father of one of the platies, but he died. He did not get along well with the mollies and was always pursued by the male molly in the tank. I found him floating in the tank a few months after his purchase. The Platy in question was purchased at a fairly large size so she may be a couple of years old. The other fish always seem to leave her alone. She does not look like she has fin rot, just loss of color around the top and sides (she is a sunburst platy and now she has lost a lot of orange). I don't think she is pregnant, because last time she was pregnant, she was huge and this time she has not gained any weight. She also would come out to eat while pregnant and she hasn't for a couple of days now. Thanks for all the help. She is one of my first fish and I want her to get better.
 
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