Platys Dying.....HELP~!!

[EmilyontheLake]

We have lost 2 platys over the last week - one died last week and one today and there is one other acting sick too. They look stressed, with clamped fins, and mainly lie on the bottom....kinda hiding. Occasionally see them at the top and they eat a little....pretty quiet though.

Only thing that has changed is we moved our weather loach to a different tank because he kept eating the platys tails, a few platy babies have died, and so I've been cleaning the gravel more aggressively again. Oh, and we changed the carbon part of the filter two weeks ago, and the foam part last weekend.

1. Size of tank?
30 G
2. Water parameters
a. Ammonia? 0
b. Nitrite?0
c. Nitrate?20
d. pH, KH and GH? 6.5-7, 0, 40
e. Test kit?
Strips for all but the amonia which was a liquid test
3. Temperature?
78
4. FW (fresh water) or BW (brackish)?
fw
5. How long the aquarium has been set up?
3 months
6. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them?
2 adult platys left (1 m, 1 f), 3 neon tetras, 2 white tetra. 2 lamp eye tetra, 2 balloon mollies, 1 baby platy, 1 siamese algae eater, 1 tracked nerite snail
7. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)?
no

8. a. Any live plants? Fake plants? a bit of duckweed, and a moneywort
b. Sand, gravel, barebottom? gravel
c. Rocks, woods, fancy decors? Any hollow decors? one big rock, a couple clay decorations, a ship and a small castle. The last 2 are hollow

9. a. Filtration? Aquaclear 30,
b. Heater?
yes? dunno what kind....150W
10. a. Lighting schedule? What lights are used? LED hood, on daylight mode around 8-9am, on night/moonlight mode around 9pm.
b. Any sunlight exposure? How long?
bright room but no direct sun.
11. a. Water change schedule? every sunday
b. Volume of water changed? 25%
c. Well water, tap water, RO water? lake water, filtered but no chlorine
d. Water conditioner used? no
e. Frequency of gravel/sand (if any) vacuumed? 1/3 of tank each water change

12. Foods? tropical granules every evening, a small pinch of fry food in the am, 1/2 an algae wafer every other day
How often are they fed?

13. a. Any abnormal signs/symptoms? fins clamped, lying still on bottom/hiding
b. Appearance of poop? normal
c. Appearance of gills? normal

14. a. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis? no
b. What meds were used?

15. Insert photos of fish in question and full tank shot if necessary.

 

[Bettafanatic]

I'm not really sure. Clamped fins is usually a sign of ammonia present in the water but it read zero.

 

[Miyavp]

My betta had some clamped fins (caused by ammonia) and some stress coat with aloevera seemed to help him. I added alot less than the recomended doesage but in a few days they were gone. Maybe aloe vera stuff would help your fish too? Its weird no ammonia. Any other symptoms?

 

[Candiceg]

I would start using water conditioner. Most people on here use prime. Just because the water doesn't have chlorine doesn't mean there aren't other things in there that will stress the fish.

 

[EmilyontheLake]

Crap....the other platy died, and now two of my neon tetras too. Going to try and get some conditioner but wont be until after the holidays now I guess....hope the rest live.

 

[Oceangirl]

I think I know the problem. You have WAY too many poop machines in your tank. Mollies and platys are known for being poop machines. You most likely need to up the water change percent to atleast 50% per week and I'd get rid of a few. They will rebreed in less than 3 months. I had 5 in my 29 and my tank was always nasty filter yucky. I got rid of almost all and my tank stays cleaner. Try banging the heck out of the ammo test bottle then add the drops to the test tube. Bottles that tend to sit, tend to separate.

 

[H2OJO]

Just a thought, you say you changed the filter. Was this completely? If so, that's not recommended as its taking the good bacteria away from the tank and unbalancing the water.

This might be the cause as it looks like its effecting all of your fish. Don't replace the filter, just clean it in existing tank water.

It's worth a shot that your Siamese algae eater is being aggressive towards the little guys. How big is he? The tank is big enough for him but sometimes they try and suck the slime coat off of your fish and stress them out, causing illness to set in and eventually death.

My money is on the filter change or Siamese algae eater.

Can you post a pic of the SAE as sometimes fish shops sell them and don't actually realise they may well be fake. I.e Chinese Algae Eater.

 

[H2OJO]

If you any get a photo, look up fake Siamese algae eater on tinterweb.

 

[EmilyontheLake]

Thanks....I've thought about the SAE and am pretty sure he is legit....but see photo below.
Also, we only changed the foam section of the filter....not the other 2 sections....I thought that would prevent the cycle from crashing. And the tests were perfect.
Anyhow...no dead fish this AM. I put salt in yesterday as a last ditch effort. I normally change the water on Sunday but didn't yesterday as I was worried it would cause more stress.
In terms of stocking the tank...if I was overstocked,I guess I'm not anymore...
There is 1 female platy and 1 small baby, 5 tetras, 2 mollies and the SAE.

 

[H2OJO]

Thanks for the pic.

A false SAE the black band doesn't extend right through the tail fin. From your pic; it looks like you have a fake.

Take a look at him now, does the black band go right through the tail fin?

 

[EmilyontheLake]

Hmmm..it does kinda...the middle of the tail fin is black..

 

[H2OJO]

The black band has to go right through the tail fin, so sadly it looks like yours is fake.

Isolate him if you can and monitor the other fish.

Have you fish been jumpy or chased around the tank alot by him?

 

[EmilyontheLake]

Wow....that sucks as he was expensive ($20). Our LFS is 3 hours away but we will be taking him back. They had a tank of them, as well as a tank of Chinese Algae eaters so we thought they knew the difference. What do you think he is?

We have a tank with 2 goldfish and a loach....would it be too cold for him?

I hadn't noticed the SAE being aggressive....but I don't sit there watching the tank all day.

And do you think I should do my usual water change?

Also, was I overstocked? I would like to get another couple platys and tetras.....and an algae eater or bottom feeder....

 

[H2OJO]

Take him out immediately as i think he is a false Siamese algae eater. which don't eat algae and are aggressive to other fish.

If you take him back and explain that, they won't have an issue with exchanging him for something else.

As Platys have flowing tails, he will chase them around the tank and stress them out. This will weaken their immune system and lead to death.

The neons are probably too small to bother with, hence why your Platys are getting the brunt of the abuse.

Do you run carbon? If so, put it in and this will remove the salt. Wait 2-3 days and then do a water change. Fish left in salt water for long periods actually does more harm than good.

For a 30G, you aren't overstocked and never have been.

Hope this helps and let me know what the LFS says.

You will definitely see an improvement once the false SAE has been removed.

I have a fishnet flying fox in my tank with Platys, and don't have an issue. I would recommend one (and only one) if you want something to replace him with.

Another thing, how many sets of barbels does he have, 1 or 2?

 

[EmilyontheLake]

Hubby did some 'research' before calling the LFS....and by this article ours is a SAE? No gold stripe, 1 set of 'whiskers' , clear fins, and a stripe through the fin like the ones in the photo? '
Not to doubt your expertise but want to be sure before removing the SAE as he will likely not survive in the goldfish 10G tank....

Identifying the Siamese Algae Eater

 

[H2OJO]

Also don't put them in with goldfish, that will kill him.

They are from Thailand province and are used to water at 24 degrees.

 

[Bettafanatic]

You should get some more platies. Platies don't school but they like to have friends and do get lonely. I had three platies but then two died and for the two days she was alone, the remaining platy would mope around and hide a lot. Then when I got her new friends she was back to her active and happy self.

 

[EmilyontheLake]

We will get some more...we had 6 at one point but our loach killed two and one died in birth...then the two we lost last week
The remaining one might be pre go though.