Help quickly! Platies lying on bottom

[eja206]

hi all

I have just done a 30% water change on my 12 gallon tank (which has been up an running for over a year), and my platies have all just started lying on the bottom! i have not had trouble with platies before...

really sorry but i dont have a test kit - so i can't give you water params...

any idea what this might be/what i should do?

thanks....

[mattrox]

Make sure there is enough surface aggitation. Did you use a dechlorinator? Did your temperature drop too much? If so when it rises the fish will do better. You really need to know water parameters, could you get a water sample to an lfs to test it for you?

[eja206]

no i didnt use dechlorinator - i never do (bad i know)

as for surface agitation, my filter has been turned off for 3 days of so cos one platy just had fry.
have now turned filter back on with tights over the top to stop them getting sucked in....
the tights are not new, so have been washed plenty of times.

good idea about going to LFS.

Fingers crossed its the temperature thing..., due to worrying about the fry i wasnt checking the temp changes like i normally do...

thanks for your help

[meegosh]

I'm guessing it is a combination of letting the tank sit without a filter for three days and not using a dechlorinator. You might have killed a large chunk of your bacteria colony when you added that water. I would recommend buying a dechlorinator like Prime. It is only a few dollars for a bottle that will last you months.

Next I would get a prefilter for your filter so that the fry won't get sucked up. That way you can leave the filter on all the time, which you should be doing.

I would get a good liquid test kit, API is a good brand, that tests ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Do water changes according to your test results. You want to keep ammonia and nitrites below .25ppm if you can. Nitrates are a more forgiving but I would try to keep below 20ppm, 40ppm max.

[eja206]

thanks meegosh - that is very helpful advice. I will do all of those things...

If i go buy prime or something similar now, and add it straight to the tank - will it make any difference?

[meegosh]

No it won't make a difference. I would add a dose for the entire volume of the tank. I usually add mine into the tank by pouring it into the outtake of the filter. That way it gets spread evenly throughout the tank. Good luck!

[logansmomma1228]

I think adding the tights probably didn't help your situation. Not sure if I am right here, but I read that laundry detergent has dies and perfumes in it that can kill beneficial bacteria in your water. I read it in a cycling article so it might not apply here, but just a thought. If you kill off all the beneficial bacteria you could get a mini cycle and your ammonia, nitrate or nitrite or all could spike and that could lead to bad things!

[dkpate]

The Prime will detoxify the ammonia and nitrite if you have it, so it does help somewhat. They will still read on the test though.

[eja206]

update - 1 platy seems to be moving around now - the others still similar situation - hiding and listless.

Got my water tested - ammonia is fine. other slightly too high, so i think as someone suggested i put my tank through a mini cycle (so annoyed - everything was perfect before these stupid fry!)

have added a dechlorinator, and bought a test kit that will arrive in the post later this week.

have turned the pump on fully and removed tights. don't even want these stupid fry anymore don't care if they get sucked into filter - ruining my tank! so if any make it, then i guess they are survivors - figuring they will be food for the big platy though!

thanks for all the help guys...

[BigJim]

Don't worry about a few fry getting sucked into the filter. It happens all the time in my guppy tank. Last weekend, I found three fry in one filter and four more plus five RCS in the other filter. I just net them and put them back.

[Tivaala]

Eleanor - the pets at home in Locks Heath does an own brand dechlorinator which is brilliant. and cheap just don't buy any mollys.

[eja206]

thanks - nice to get some local advice!! will buy that bottle next!!