What's wrong with this platy

[i3k]

I got 6 mickey mouse platy's about a month ago. They were all doing good, except one. This one platy kept sitting on the gravel most of the time and about every 5 minutes it would swim all the way up and release some bubbles at the surface and would immediately go back down. When it swims up to the surface it looks like it struggles to swim(almost like swimming against a strong current). It got a little better after a few days...started to actually swim around but still would crash on the bottom and looked like it struggled to swim. The platy eats every single time I feed the fish.

About two days ago it started to get worse again. The platy would just sit on the bottom all day long and would swim up to the surface to release some bubbles. I decided to put the platy in one of my 12gal plastic buckets that I use for water changes. I have a little power filter attached to the bucket and also a heater to keep the temp. the same as it was in the tank. The platy has been in this bucket for 2 days now and no improvement. Still crashes at the bottom and only swims up to the surface every now and then...but it still eats like it's healthy.

I also noticed that it's body is slightly curved to the left? I don't know what's wrong with it so I don't know how to treat it.

The water in the tank the platy was in seems to be good. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 7.5 pH and the temp. is around 78 degrees. I have the same temp. going on in the bucket the Platy is currently in. Also keep testing the water in the bucket and it's all good...0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, pH is a little higher though...closer to 8.0. I change 50% of the water every other day in the bucket...but that's as far as I got as far as treating it since I have no idea what's wrong with it.

What can I do? Does it sound like it's not getting enough oxygen? damaged gills? gills disease

[mfdrookie516]

it almost sounds like dropsy in a way... i had one that died from basically the same symptoms, i diagnosed it as dropsy, but i could be wrong

[blackomen]

I'm definitely not the most knowledgeable person here but as an idea to throw out there I'd guess maybe the swim bladder. Which I believe I've heard you can take care of with feeding mushed up peas. I think it was cooked mushed up peas. But, I'd probably confirm that with someone else. Hopefully someone can chime in with some more knowledge to help your platy out. Any pics? Good luck!

[dkpate]

If he is dropping to the bottom I would suspect SWD too. You can boil and de-shell peas and feed them to him. I put a few in a coffee cup 1/2 full of tap water then put it in the microwave for 3 mins, the squeeze the insides out into a spoon, mush them and just scoop a little on my finger to put in the tank. Peas will not harm your other fish either, they are just a natural fish laxative. I am still looking up more things online, so if I find something else I will post it on here.

[dkpate]

On this site, check out #'s 5 and 6.

Fish Diseases - Signs of Stress and Disease in Tropical Fish and Goldfish.

[i3k]

Thanks for the replies all. I'll have to try the peas.

One thing that bugs me the most is that this Platy is either gasping for air at the surface, or really is releasing bubbles as I always see a few bubbles come out of it's mouth....it only does this for a second or two and then drops down to the bottom.

Thanks for the link dkpate.

[dkpate]

No problem, I hope it helps.

[i3k]

I tried feeding it some peas. I think he just tasted it and left it alone(didn't like it?) But it ate some flake food like it was it's last meal.

I was reading about the curved spine issue and my platy can possibly have 1 of the 2 disease that causes a curved spine. Tuberculosis or Neon Tetra disease...seems like there are no known cures for either one of these disease

Now I read all the symptoms on TB and none of them match except the curved spine appearance.

Now the Neon Tetra disease, two symptoms match...difficulty swimming and curved spine.

I noticed most of the disease list loss of appetite and loss of color as symptoms. My platy is as colorful as the day I got it and is still eating like it's completely healthy. Makes me wonder maybe it's got a spine injury and not a disease?

Don't know what to do next.

[Fromthelbc]

try flavoring the peas with a little bit of the fish food. do like a half and half mixture and mush it all together, hopefully that will work.