Platy companions

[lewis.r]

So I was just wondering if anyone would advise against maybe getting a Betta in with my 2 Platys I have currently in my 20 gal.

I do have 5 white clouds and 2 danios in there currently however there has been an outbreak of fin rot type bacteria in there and kits killing off all of them at a fast rate apart from the platys.

I have had the platys for Around 2 years now without any problems with them and they just seem to be bullet proof! In the ammount of time I have had them I have been through a fair few mlnnows and they always just seem to die after a few months with one illness or another and I have never figured out why and I guess my water has been fine as the platys have never had any problems.

So hopefully I don’t loose all the other fish but that may be looking likely.
So instead off getting more minnows I have decided I want to keep the male platys but I have always liked Betta fish so would the platys and Betta get on ok? Or has anyone got any other suggestions as to what would go well with them?

Many thanks

 

[coralbandit]

The platys are the host of what is killing your other fish IMO.
If the bacteria is present and it kills new fish, but not the old then the old fish are immune carriers.IMO every fish you put in will succumb unless you treat each one and get them to immune carrier status......
Here is a link of why you never return sick fish to the display tank...
First the exact paragraph;
You may medicate a beloved sick fish if you wish, but don't return to a community aquarium a fish that has "recovered" from symptoms of bacterial disease once its outward symptoms have been alleviated. "Dropsy" is a case in point. Sometimes a fish recovers enough from a bout of severe ascites to lead an outwardly-normal life. Then the "cured" fish is returned to the community aquarium, where it may become a sub-clinical carrier of bacteria, free of visible symptoms. A sub-clinical carrier remains a source of infection for all your other fish.
Taken from ;
https://web.archive.org/web/20160308182017/http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/bacterial-infections

 

[lewis.r]

The platys are the host of what is killing your other fish IMO.

If the bacteria is present and it kills new fish, but not the old then the old fish are immune carriers.IMO every fish you put in will succumb unless you treat each one and get them to immune carrier status......

Here is a link of why you never return sick fish to the display tank...

First the exact paragraph;

You may medicate a beloved sick fish if you wish, but don't return to a community aquarium a fish that has "recovered" from symptoms of bacterial disease once its outward symptoms have been alleviated. "Dropsy" is a case in point. Sometimes a fish recovers enough from a bout of severe ascites to lead an outwardly-normal life. Then the "cured" fish is returned to the community aquarium, where it may become a sub-clinical carrier of bacteria, free of visible symptoms. A sub-clinical carrier remains a source of infection for all your other fish.

Taken from ;

https://web.archive.org/web/20160308182017/http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/bacterial-infections

Hmm thanks coral, that is a very interesting article and something I have not actually thought of before.

I currently have 1 of my minnows in a quarantine tank with a mix a aquarium salt in as I read somewhere this should help.

But what you and this article is saying is I should never return it to the main aquarium?

I may have to put the purchase of the new fish on hold potentially and just keep the 2 platys and my shrimp. Funny you bought up this article as literally most of my fish have died when added some from what looks like fish TB etc and yet the platys have always remained well compared to any other fish hence the reason I have had them for 2 years.
So must be the fact that i have kept them I’m optimal conditions for them that their immune system is good enough to fight off anything that tried to attack them, however they do carry disease potentially?
Is that right?

 

[coralbandit]

Yes the platys are the reason all other fish are dying IMO.
They are infected 'sub clinical carriers'...
Again IMO no fish will survive being with them long term...

 

[lewis.r]

Yes the platys are the reason all other fish are dying IMO.
They are infected 'sub clinical carriers'...
Again IMO no fish will survive being with them long term...

So say the platys were removed, would other fish be okay do you think?

And do you think that the reason why the platys have survived so long is because my tank parameters are optimal for them and therefore they are able to fight off infections easier than the rest?

Many thanks for your help, I hadn’t thought about any of this before you gave the link to that article!

 

[coralbandit]

Again IMO the platys have not fought the the infection...THEY ARE THE SOURCE OF IT...
Columnari " for example" LOVES clean water...The fish were sick but have recovered.
Maybe they were sick once when you had them or even possibly before you got them...
You would have to remove the platys and completely disinfect the tank if they are the cause of all this.
IMO this is what I would do.
From my readings and understanding the shrimp could be isolated for 4-6 weeks and possibly the 'fish' disease would be removed from them if they were possibly carrying it.
My understanding is they can not be infected by fish disease but they may be able to carry it.In a tank of just them the disease would die as the shrimp do not qualify as a 'fish host' which I am pretty sure the disease needs..