Platy shrinking / wasting away

[Floyd R Turbo]

I have very few problems with any of my fish. Early on when I started my tank, I lost a couple Mollies and a male Guppy that just seemed to start shrinking away until they eventually died or I euthanized them right before they died.

Over the last few months, I noticed that one of my 2 Mickey Mouse Platies just keeps getting smaller and smaller. His activity level hasn't changed at all, he seems fine other than the fact that he has shrunk so much that he doesn't even look like a Platy anymore! These 2 pics show it pretty clearly, his brother, bought at the same time, looks normal.

I think he's anorexic or bulimic but I never see him running to the bathroom and sticking his fin down his throat. I'm trying to convince the other fish to do an intervention, but all they do is race around all excited. "Yeah yeah, sure we'll do whatever you want as long as you FEED US MORE!! Yeah yeah!! More FOOD!!". They're worthless.


Molly on lower right is the male offspring of my Creamsicle Lyretail female and Silver Sailfin male. Gave away 2 dozen. More on the way, soon hopefully


Camera hogs. The fatty on the right is my Pineapple Sword who just can't get pregnant fast enough. Gave away 350+ fry and 50+ more in the 10g. She'll drop again in 1 week.

[EscVelocity]

It's a possibility that your platy has "sunken belly" caused by an internal parasite(most likely worms), and your other fish are probably infected as well. You could feed them some Jungle labs anti-parasite fish food.

[Floyd R Turbo]

Hmmm..looked it up and that seems to make sense. I took a very close look at all my fish (about 35 in that tank) and all seem to be just fine except for the Mickey and I noticed one of my Blue Platies was hanging out on the bottom in the back behind some plants. I scared him out and he is definitely in some kind of distress, he looks fine except his fins are all flared out, and he had about a 2 inch string of poop trailing him, about the thickness of a human hair if that.

Does this kind of thing run it's course sometimes? I could swear that I remember a couple other fish having the same problem, but they got better. In fact, I thought the other Mickey shrunk a while back, but he's fine now.

As for treatment, I do have a planted tank and don't want to affect them too much, so I think just to be safe I'll start mixing in the anti-parasite food ASAP. Would it be a good idea to give them half & half, so just switch them all over?

Also, I read that parasites can be transferred between tanks during cleanings and nettings, there's no way around that because I transfer mamas back and forth to my 10g fry tank and use a python to clean and/or fill them both one right after the other.

I suppose I should start feeding the fry/mamas that as well.

Also, could a parasite infection explain why my female Swordtail dropped 80 dead fry and 50 live ones 3 weeks ago? She's due again in a week. She's never dropped dead fry up until then, and that was her 6th batch in as many months.

[mfdrookie516]

Originally Posted by Floyd R Turbo

I think he's anorexic or bulimic but I never see him running to the bathroom and sticking his fin down his throat. I'm trying to convince the other fish to do an intervention, but all they do is race around all excited. "Yeah yeah, sure we'll do whatever you want as long as you FEED US MORE!! Yeah yeah!! More FOOD!!". They're worthless.

I must say, i have never heard anything like this before. seriously made me laugh, out loud... lol... sorry to hear about your fish though, ive never heard of them doing anything like that... have you thought about drugs? could they be on meth or crack?

[EscVelocity]

Any kind of stress can cause a fish to have premature and still born fry. Even moving a prego mamma.
Yes, the parasite could possibley be spread from tank to tank in the manner you are speaking.
I'm not sure how safe the meds are for fry or prego fish. Someone else will have to chime in on that one.

[Floyd R Turbo]

Originally Posted by mfdrookie516

I must say, i have never heard anything like this before. seriously made me laugh, out loud... lol... sorry to hear about your fish though, ive never heard of them doing anything like that... have you thought about drugs? could they be on meth or crack?

Well, I suppose meth could kill the parasite...and Iowa is the meth capital of the nation, maybe I should track some down? Oh wait, I thought you wanted me to GIVE them meth!!

No I don't think my fish are on the rock...but now that you mention it, I thought it was kind of strange that they seemed to want an exorbitant amount of Sudafed a while back...oh MAN am I blind!!

[Floyd R Turbo]

Originally Posted by EscVelocity

I'm not sure how safe the meds are for fry or prego fish. Someone else will have to chime in on that one.

Yes, I would like to know if this is safe on the pregnant fish. Although if it's not, it would temporarily solve my crowded 10g problem. I have over 30 guppy fry, 50 swordtail fry, a few platy fry, 3 pregnant guppies, and a pregnant marigold, molly, and swordtail.

[Floyd R Turbo]

Ok, I found the Jungle anti-parasite fish food at an LFS. It's pellet food however, and none of my fish are large enough (especially the fry) so I have to crush it up a bit for the bigger fish, and a lot for the fry. My question is related to the directions, so if anyone has used this product, please advise me:

"Feed exclusively for 3 consecutive days a week for 4 weeks. Do not use other foods during these 3 day periods."

So if I understand this right, I feed them this for 3 days, then 4 days on their regular food, and repeat for 4 weeks? Kind weird.

Still have the question regarding the pregnant fish and fry - I assume it's safe, otherwise it would say so?

[Floyd R Turbo]

Bump. Anyone got an answer for me???

[Floyd R Turbo]

Lost the Mickey Platy. Through the first 3 day treatment and back to normal food for the next 4 days.

[DragonFish71]

Sorry to see you lost him. I would keep treating the others just to make sure you clear it out.

I had to use that for our bettas. They had a worm that was darn near exploding out their stomachs.

I followed the instructions to the letter and when the first day of feeding regular food started for the last week, I fed them brine shrimp. Seems live food helps things move out quicker. Also while treating with the food I used Jungle Labs fizz tabs for parasites. That way if something was in the plants or gravel it would get taken care of too.

[Floyd R Turbo]

The good news is that my blue platy looks 100% back to normal, so I must have caught it with him early enough.

Should I be bumping the temp up during the next few weeks? I don't even use a heater and it stays above 75 (usually it's 79-80) but recently it's been around 76. Should I bump it to 82? Is that recommended to speed up the life cycle of parasites?

[Asbestos]

I almost wish i had not read this post (although it was funny) mine just swims in odd places and stays still and he seems to be about the size of your sick one in the first picture. please advise on what to do or if anyone things i have something different.

YouTube - Strange behavior

[mfdrookie516]

what are your water params asbestos?

[dkpate]

I had to laugh at the anorexic/bulemic thing too Floyd. You are one funny guy! I think some of your meth heads fed rock some to my loaches too.....

[Asbestos]

No idea i don't have a test kit . But he hit rock bottom this evening and i pulled him out and returned him to see if any other fish form where i got him were sick, they were. And by rock bottom I mean that he was just hiding under neath a plant and not moving he was alive tho but i have never seen a platy do that unless it was sleeping. poor guy has to suffer a few more days before he can die.

[Floyd R Turbo]

That looks similar to what he looked like (and a couple other platies as well) as they shrunk and grew again, I am just finishing with the 4th week of the anti-parasite fish food and all is well except I lost a guppy too, and I'm pretty sure it was the parasite infection that got him. I'd start treating them.

I used one of those small plastic bowls you get dressing in at a restaurant and the butt end of a d-cell maglite to crush the pellets. Poor man's hammer & pessel or whatever that's called that you use to grind spices.

[Asbestos]

I returned my sick on but another is showing the same signs and it just started. Oh well ill get some of the Anti-parasite stuff tomorrow, i have no idea what ill do with my ghost shrimp both my tanks are full. thanks for the response floyd and i hope to have the same success as you because it would suck to have all of my fish die in my first 3 months ever of having fish -.-

[Floyd R Turbo]

Hey, you now have the perfect excuse to get another tank!!!