Something is wrong, but I can't figure it out.

[Mama Karoti]

I can't figure out what is going on in my tank, but something is wrong. One of my neon tetras disappeared without warning. I have not seen my BN pleco in at least a week. My one platy is hiding, another platy is clamping her fins and periodically flashing and losing weight, and the third platy has a white patch, but acting normal. I will post a pic. All fish are eating enthusiastically except the missing pleco and tetra. I have searched all decorations for the pleco, but some are deep enough he could be in one.

Water params:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5

33% water change every two weeks. Last one was yesterday.
Sand substrate.
Heavily planted, driftwood for pleco
Temp: 78F

Filters:
AquaClear 70 HOB
Aqua tech 5-15 HOB
Circulation pump

Ferts:
Seachem Flourish once a week
Seachem Flourish Excel once a day
Root tabs every three months

Lighting: T5HO 108 watts.
60 Gallon.
Tank has been set up for a year. No new fish for 10 months.

Stocking:
1 Pearl Gourami
1 BN pleco
6 neon tetras (now 5?)
3 platies
4 julii cories
2 SAE's (half grown)
4 assassin snails

I have researched and watched and cannot figure this out. No outward signs of ich. I don't know what the white patch is. I do NOT want to medicate with something that is going to wreck my biological filter. Cycling this size tank with fish in is not happening.

I do have a ten gallon I can set up if needed. That is why I keep the small filter cycled in my big tank.

Any insight is appreciated. I am stumped and do not want to just start throwing meds at it.

 

[Mama Karoti]

Here is the pic of the white patch. It does not appear cottony.

 

[Mama Karoti]

And I use Prime as my water conditioner for new water during water changes.

 

[Mama Karoti]

Food:
1-2 times per week they get frozen bribe shrimp and cucumber or zucchini.
Once a day they get varying combinations of Omega One flakes, New Life Spectrum pellets, and two types of Hikari sinking wafers. Every week or two they will have a fasting day.

 

[BBradbury]

Hello ma...

Most, if not all tank problems are due to poor water conditions. Sand can become compacted or voids can cause sudden changes in water chemistry. Large, frequent water changes will help. Removing and replacing half the water every week will maintain a more stable water chemistry.

B

 

[TomCarter13]

Hi there

The white patch on the platy looks like a missing scale to me. Also about the flashing and clamped fins and the weight loss of the other platy are definitely symptoms to a few things like bloat ness, internal/external parasites or flukes, and can be treated easily if you have good medication and you treat at early stage! This could even be the first stage of ich. when first got my discus fish, they were doing the same thing so i i just raised the temperature to 30 degrees Celsius and added some api aquarium salt into the aquarium and it seriously worked like a charm! No more clamped fins and i've never seen them flashing since! I definitely recommend it! Its a natural way of treating basic illnesses (should also help with the small white patch on the fish in the photo). Also works without damaging your biological filter!Also raising the temp usually helps boost getting rid of those diseases to, but leave it at this temp (30 degrees Celsius) for about 10 days and put a teaspoon of salt per 5 gallons once during this process . If this doesn't work then it's most likely a fungal/flukes disease which I've never had to treat and hopefully never will but yeah. If it doesn't work then ask your lfs or do lots of research because most illnesses are apparently relatively easy to treat with the right medication

Hope this helps a little bit!

Good luck!

 

[TomCarter13]

Oh yeah, and the neon tetra could have some how been eaten or been some how sucked up through the filter. A fish cant just disappear unless something like this has happened it could've died and other fish might have eaten it. It would've been something like that i reckon also the BN pleco like you said could be hiding in any nooks and crannys it can find. Honestly i have a small fake drift would thing and it hides in the fake roots!

 

[Mama Karoti]

So I stepped up the water changes a bit and my platy's white patch is gone. There is still some flashing so I'm treating with Paraguard. Everyone seems fine otherwise. Waiting and watching now. Pleco is definitely gone. I did a thorough search of the decorations. He must have died and been eaten very quickly. Crazy.