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Platy fish loss   /RMF   5/3/16
Hi Crew,
Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to answer my question.
<We're here to help others enjoy, be successful>
I looked over everything on your page
<All 14k?>
but could not find a solution to my exact problem. I have an established community tropical tank and within the past month or so I have lost two of my platy fish that I have one for a year and another for about 7 months. The first that died started loosing a lot of weight and began getting weird things on his scales that looked liked dry skin flaking off and he started sitting on the bottom of the tank and breathing rapidly.
<Mmm; sounds/reads like possibly Trichodina, or Costia... look up both these genera... or...>
But then he would zoom around the tank all of a sudden and I thought he was okay, and he was going up to feed
during most of this time. The second platy also started to sit on the bottom but he declined much more rapidly than the first, and would nudge himself into the corner on the tank and lay on his side and just breathe heavily. He too lost weight and would either hide away, lay on his side on the bottom of the tank, or swim at the top of the water listlessly as if gasping for air at the water's surface. His gill's became so stretched away and open they looked like two gaping slits on the side of his face. I have introduced other fish since these and I am wondering if this is some sort of internal parasite?
<Maybe>
It is very hard to figure out what might have caused their death since so many of the symptoms sound alike, and I am deathly afraid of medicating for the wrong disease as I have over-medicated in the past and lost so many of my beloved fish.
<Ah, you are wise here. MANY more organisms are lost to mis-medicating than pathogenic disease. MOST problems are environmental in cause, source, and most effective treatments involve correcting environment, bolstering nutrition>
I also have Cory cats and a Bristlenose Pleco in the tank,
<Do watch at "lights out" time to see if this catfish is "riding" your other fishes... They can be the source of mortalities like those you describe>
which I know are sensitive to medications.
<Mmm; Loricariids are not so much different than most fish groups>
Any advice you have would be so helpful I am concerned for my other fish, especially for one pregnant guppy who is beginning to display some of the same symptoms as the others did, very red swollen gills, rapid and heavy
breathy, hiding and laying on bottom, overall darkening of color on body and eyes. I am so afraid my whole tank may be infected with what ever this is, and have been doing daily water changes to try to keep everything extra clean. Thank you so much again for any insight you may have.
Sincerely,
Kate Miller
<Please send along water quality test information, your set up, maintenance procedures (water change schedule et al.), foods, feeding.... Your platies may "just be getting old"... Poeciliids don't live long; but there may be some useful clues and responses you/we can provide. Bob Fenner>
Platy fish loss    /Neale        5/4/16
Hi Crew,
Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to answer my question. I looked over everything on your page but could not find a solution to my exact problem. I have an established community tropical tank and within the past month or so I have lost two of my platy fish that I have one for a year and another for about 7 months. The first that died started loosing a lot of weight and began getting weird things on his scales that looked liked dry skin flaking off and he started sitting on the bottom of the tank and breathing rapidly.
<As Bob has suggested, Costia (also known as Slime Disease) is one possibility here, though I'd be surprised if a Bristlenose was sucking on the infected fish -- Ancistrus are normally extremely well behaved. Costia is difficult to treat, but I've had good success with a combination of eSHa EXIT and seawater dips.>
But then he would zoom around the tank all of a sudden and I thought he was okay, and he was going up to feed during most of this time.
<Understood; and unfortunately, recognised.>
The second platy also started to sit on the bottom but he declined much more rapidly than the first, and would nudge himself into the corner on the tank and lay on his side and just breathe heavily. He too lost weight and would either hide away, lay on his side on the bottom of the tank, or swim at the top of the water listlessly as if gasping for air at the water's surface. His gill's became so stretched away and open they looked like two gaping slits on the side of his face. I have introduced other fish since these and I am wondering if this is some sort of internal parasite?
<Possibly, but seems to be a problem with farmed livebearers across the board. Alongside Costia, you might consider a Mycobacteria infection, sometimes called Wasting Disease, which is very commonly seen among Guppies and other livebearers. These infections are untreatable, and appear to be latent among many types of fish, and triggered by some type of environmental stress perhaps, or diet, or even bad luck.>
It is very hard to figure out what might have caused their death since so many of the symptoms sound alike, and I am deathly afraid of medicating for the wrong disease as I have over-medicated in the past and lost so many of my beloved fish.
<Correct.>
I also have Cory cats and a Bristlenose Pleco in the tank, which I know are sensitive to medications. Any advice you have would be so helpful I am concerned for my other fish, especially for one pregnant guppy who is
beginning to display some of the same symptoms as the others did, very red swollen gills, rapid and heavy breathy, hiding and laying on bottom, overall darkening of color on body and eyes. I am so afraid my whole tank may be infected with what ever this is, and have been doing daily water changes to try to keep everything extra clean. Thank you so much again for any insight you may have.
<The good news, I suppose, is that Wasting Disease among livebearers doesn't seem to jump to dissimilar types of fish, so your catfish, tetras or barbs should all be fine. If the same thing is happening each time, isolating and humanely destroying infected fish may be helpful in slowing down the spread of the disease. Antibiotics are an option, but their success rate with Mycobacteria infections is very low, and probably not cost effective with small fish like Platies. The other tack is to understand that Mycobacteria infections come in with farmed fish but are
triggered by environmental conditions. Platies, for example, are low-end tropical fish from slow-moving streams and ponds. So the right conditions for them would be cool (22-24 C/72-75 F) and with gentle water current.
Hardness and pH would be high. Nitrate should be as low as practical. As herbivores, their diet should be based around algae and softened greens; vitamin deficiency can certainly make fish less able to fight off some infections. Nothing completely certain here, sadly, but some ideas at least.>
Sincerely,
Kate
<Cheers, Neale.>
Platy fish loss     5/13/16
Hi Guys,
Thanks for your response and sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. My tank set up is currently a 10 gallon I have 2 panda Cory cats, two albino Cory cats, one Pygmy Cory, one albino Bristlenose Pleco, one small male platy and two female guppies. I now know this is too many fish for such a small tank and I will be setting up a 20 gallon this Friday.
<Wise. 10 gallon tanks are tricky to stock and maintain. 20 gallons gives you a good amount of space to work with. I'm a fan of them, and consider them the minimum for "easy" fishkeeping.>
Will it be okay to move the fish to the new tank without going through a full cycle first?
<Absolutely. The trick is carrying across the filter. Disconnect from the old tank (with fish still there). Connect up to the new tank, filled with dechlorinated water of course, and switch on. Let it run for 10 minutes to check there's no leaks. If all looks good, switch the heater off in the old tank, let it cool for 5 minutes, then carry across to the new tank. Plug
in, switch on, and wait for the tank to warm across to around the same temperature as old tank. A degree or two difference isn't a big deal. Once the new tank is nice and warm, net the fish and carry them across from the old tank to the new one. Job done! This assumes water chemistry is similar between the two. Which will be the case if you aren't diddling about with water softeners, salt, etc.>
I am afraid if I take the weeks to cycle they may not last. I was doing bi-weekly water changes of about 50% but am now doing daily water changes of 30-50% as I had an ammonia spike. With the daily water changes my levels read nitrate 0, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, pH 7.0, and temp is 76. I alternate between feeding them Omega One veggie mini pellets, tropical flakes, freeze-dried and frozen blood worms, Hikari bottom feeder sinking wafers, Hikari sinking Carnivore pellets (only once in a while) and tropical algae wafers. I also try to provide fresh greens, cucumber, squash, celery, etc.
at least several times a week. I feed once a day and try to feed only small proportions. The albino Cory cats seem to be very red in the gills and have whitish looking patches on them and my albino Bristlenose also has some white patches on both his inner sides as if he is missing some of his armored scales. I am not sure if he was always like this or if I am
just now noticing it due to being hyper sensitive to every little thing.
<Wise to be. It does sound as if this tank isn't "quite right" and the extra space may well be the key to success. Get ammonia and nitrite down to zero, consistently, and these mild inflammations should fix themselves.>
The platy and one female guppy have been having extremely long and stringy white feces, about twice the length of their body if not longer, while the other female guppy had a semi-thick white pointy thing protruding from her last night that she seemed unable to pass. It seemed to be coming from her vaginal area rather than her anus
<Interesting. Sometimes dead/stillborn fry come out when livebearers are stressed. That's the better of two possibilities when livebearers miscarry.
The bad option is when the dead fry don't come out, and become sources of infection as they rot. Almost always fatal. The trick, of course, is to avoid miscarriages, which are almost always caused by stress.>
and I thought at first it was a fry since both the females were pregnant but it looked too big plus the color was wrong and she seemed to be in great distress unable to get it out. I tried to give her cooked pea but she wouldn't eat and she is now just sitting on the ground in one of the caves breathing very heavily and her gills are very red and stretched open. I
thought it might be a worm but did not really look like one from what I could see, however I was not able to get a very clear view as she kept herself on the ground and I did not want to cause her any unnecessary extra stress.
<If it's silvery-grey, it could easily be a dead fry. Faeces usually off-white to brown, depending on what the fish has been eating. White or clear faeces imply gut irritation, usually put down to parasites like Hexamita. Worms are common in livebearers, but usually look exactly like worms, often reddish, and may even be wriggling.>
Sorry for writing a book, I just wanted to make sure I didn't leave anything out this time, thank you again so much for taking the time to read all this you guys are so great and helpful!
<3,
Kate
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Platy fish loss     5/14/16
Well the female with the strange thing hanging out died yesterday, now the third fish I have lost in the past month or two now.
<If all the same species, Platies, I'd suggesting avoiding them in future.
Sometimes your aquarium or water chemistry aren't right for a given species. Sometimes the supplier has got in a bad batch, and it's not worth buying more. In short, wait awhile before buying any new fish just to see how things pan out with the remainder. A month to six weeks is a good hiatus. If all is well, just avoid Platies and try other fish.>
I believe it may have been a dead fry inside her that she was too weak to push out.
<Can happen.>
It does concern me that I have lost three fish that I have had for awhile in such a short amount of time.
<See above, and preceding messages.>
Wondering if the long string white/clear feces that you mentioned may be Hexamita could be the cause of all this?
<Hard to say. Hexamita may be (probably is) latent in a wide range of tropical fish. But it only becomes a problem when the fish is, somehow, stressed or otherwise not healthy. So while heavy Hexamita infections surely do cause fatalities, the $64,000 question is whether the Hexamita is the root cause of those deaths or merely the thing that killed an already
unhealthy fish.>
I have seen my last remaining male platy and female guppy flashing but it has only happened once or twice in the past week or so and I thought they may be trying to remove the long feces strands from them.
Thanks for your time,
Kate
<Hexamita is treated using Metronidazole. Not much else works. It (probably) isn't "catchy" as such, so if stress factors are removed, the remaining fish should be fine. Cheers, Neale.>

Possible Camallanus worms     3/13/13
It's me again and I wouldn't bother you but I'm desperate for an answer and I have read what your site has about these worms and I have other circumstances that are confusing me.  I admit, I'm a complete novice but I have tried really hard and shed quite a few tears over these fish and I'm trying hard, too hard according to some, but here's my dilemma.  I have a 26 gallon tank with artificial plants, a tower with holes for hiding and a small treasure chest.  I did a fishless cycle to start and have gone probably four months with no ammonia or nitrites.  I have had a few issues with nitrates which, thanks to your advice have been resolved with larger water changes each week.  I lost a Mickey Mouse platy a few months ago to dropsy prior to getting the nitrate problem under control but had platy fry that have flourished in the tank with no problems. Three were Mickey Mouses from the one that died and the male died before that but I may have been too new at this because I saw no problems before he left this world. 
Things appeared to be going well until last week when my huge Red Wag Platy became sick hovering on the bottom and then died.  I was shocked then when one of my older baby Mickeys became huge.  Then another of the smaller Mickey babies looked kinda bent in a downward s-shape and his eyes looked pronounced as well as what looked like labored breathing.   I read everything I could find. Also, on close inspection my orange platy looked a little bent.  I rechecked my water parameters and it was zero in ammonia and nitrites and 10 nitrates so I feared a bacterial infection and started treating with Maracyn 2 but after reading the insert I added Maracyn since it stated they could be used together
<Yes; all Mardel products are miscible/mix-able>
and I felt time was of the essence.  I treated the 5 days suggested.  I had fishless cycled a 5 gallon tank for a quarantine tank so I did a big water change in it, brought the temp to 80 degrees and removed the two baby platys to it. The one that was bent is starting to straighten out some, the other still hovers near the bottom but doesn't lay on the bottom.  The littlest one has started swimming much more.  Moving them was because my male guppies were also picking on them some and wanted to eliminate any stress from their being harassed. In my main tank I did a large water change today after noticing that after the Maracyn treatment I had a slight ammonia reading and added prime and some SafeStart to help re- establish my cycle again. Tonight then I notice bright orange stick like (single) protrusions coming from the anus of my male guppies!!!  They eat great, swim around great and don't act sick but in researching what it could be I keep getting Camallanus worms as the probable issue.  Left in my main tank are my orange platy( slightly bent), two quarter inch long fry, three male guppies and two Corydoras catfish. They appear to be doing well and eat voraciously.  I feed flakes and fresh cooked shelled peas.  I called PetSmart tonight because we don't have a fish store in our town and asked if they had Panacur because it appears to get the best reviews on curing the nightmare of these worms and they acted like I was an idiot.
<I don't like, condone this rudeness>
 I admit, I feel like one but I'm just trying to learn and to get them the best help I can. Your site is the only place I trust to help me. I don't want to do them harm even though I know treating these worms is often a fatal deal.  Also, I'm confused because they aren't thin, curly or bristle like but appear thicker and don't appear to have movement.  Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
<Mmm, well, a photo of these worms would help, but there's little to no harm in adding a vermifuge (I'd use Prazi/quantel) to their foods. Please search WWM re Prazi use>
  I hate the thought of euthanizing them all and tearing my tank apart but I will do whatever you tell me to do.  Thanks again for all you do to help us beginners!!!  One more thing please, since the Maracyn and Maracyn2
helped my little platys, should I wait a day or two and do another treatment cycle to maybe help him more since he seems to be better since I know I will have to treat him and the QT for the parasite as well? 
<Another treatment cycle of these antibiotics is not dangerous and may well help>
Thanks again!!!
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Platy sick...but from what?? & repro. f'     10/20/12
Hello,
<Tracy>
I have 3 Platies in a 10 gallon tank, all the chemistry is fine.
<Based on what?>
I just did a 20% water change yesterday. For 2 days the Mickey Mouse Platy has been sitting at the bottom but will come up for food and will go for it and beat the other Platies to it.  The other Platies didn't really eat it but the MM did.  The MM is the pig of the three, she eats the most. I think maybe she is stressed and constipated. I gave her Epsom salt  twice in tank
and fed her a green pea or two....she is still acting all stressed, dorsal fin down, and stressing out way to easily, which is not normally like her.
<Did anything pass after you used the Epsom and fed pea?>
She was the one who was the happy go lucky and like to nip and chase and play. She looks okay on the outside, and i am thinking maybe she has a bacterial or viral infection internally.
<What led you to this conclusion?>
No reason to think parasites, at all.
<Why not?>
Just fed them TetraColor and TetraMin flakes only, but I do admit I overfed, to make sure that one of them got enough to eat, cuz she always ate less, smaller bites....and this one and the 3rd one ate a lot.
<They won't starve if they are eating at all.>
..the MM ate the most. She looked bloated at first to me, but now I realize she just doesn't feel well, she always had a lot of food in her belly. No way can she be pregnant cuz she was less than 4 months old when i got her..
<How do you know the age and how long have they been in your tank? Did you get her from the breeder or from a store?  Also, do you have a male in that tank?  Livebearers can breed at a surprisingly young age.>
.still growing. I was told to only feed them peas for a few days and see how she is doing then...but I am scared she is going to get worse if she has an internal bacterial or viral infection.
<If the condition worsens, be ready to use antibiotics.>
 She doesn't look like she has dropsy yet, as her fins are NOT pointed out.
I am scared that whatever is wrong she is going to get worse. But she does want to eat, so that is good unless she doesn't ever poop. I was told the peas act as a laxative.
<Again, have you seen any results from the peas?  My first inclination is that the fish is indeed gravid, preparing to drop her fry.>
Please advise.
<Monitor and note any changes for better or worse. Look for additional symptoms, especially red markings on the skin. - Rick>
Re: re: Platy sick...but from what??  /RMF  10/20/12
I took my water in, and everything was normal, they checked everything..
<Mmm, not everything is check-able>
  I do my small water changes once a week, religiously!
I change my filters when needed. I keep their water clean!
If the MM is pregnant, then she got pregnant at Dallas North Aquarium before I bought her.
<Happens>
 She did look big in pics I took on Oct. 6th.
I had read that they could not get pregnant until 4 months old which it said that is when they are full grown to their 2 to 2 1/2 inches.
<Mmm, I disagree... can/do "become pregnant" at smaller size, younger age>
She was way shorter/smaller than that when I bought her on Sept. 26, she was listed as between small an medium size...less than full grown for sure, very obvious. The bumble bee and her were much smaller than the Red Wagtail. I fed them too much apparently and no veggie based food or frozen veggies and both the bumble bee and the MM got bigger and big stomachs. I can see through how full they are. Since I got the MM, the Red Wagtail started eating less and does not have a big stomach anymore, normal sized.
The sick MM was/is the Pig of the tank!
I was overfeeding the MM because she ate most of the food...I had to put out extra so the Red Wagtail could get some food.
No, unfortunately, I have not noticed any poop from the sick MM. If she does not get better (or give birth)
Question:  What kind of antibiotics should I give her, considering I have no idea what kind of internal bacterial or viral infection she has?
<See WWM re... am not a fan of such use w/o real demonstrable possible benefit>
The others Platies are pooping fine and feel great, but one pooped white, but wasn't all long and stringy. I also saw short strings of red poop on the gravel. The one that pooped white feels great. 
The reason why I do not believe they have parasites is because another expert who has proven himself to me time and time again told me this:
"White stringy feces can be a sign of a bacterial digestive infection, a viral digestive infection, or possibly some kinds of parasite.  It can also be an indication of an overly rich diet, consumption of vegetable matter that did not agree with them, consumption of meaty foods that were starting to decompose, consumption of fungus-based foods (or moldy food), liver failure, or any of a number of other things... It is unlikely that domestic raised fish would have any parasite (your platies are DEFINITELY domestic raised)."
<Mmm, while I do agree w/ most of the above stmt., it may well be that these domestically raised fish are infested... many to most are... coming either from Florida or imported from the far east... ONLY livestock that is captive produced (in aquariums) locally is likely to be parasite-free>
The sick MM has had her dorsal fin up sometimes now and is swimming normally but kind of fast, cuz she does not want to be messed with.
Then she goes back to her place.
I did buy Veggie Spirulina flake food by Aqueon at PetSmart. Only brand there that had it for Tropical fish.
I will alternate it with the TetraColor and TetraMin when the fish are all better.
Question: Can I feed the Veggie Spirulina flakes to the Platies after tomorrow? It will have been 3 days without flaked food, and the two that aren't sick did not eat it yesterday, I think they nibbled a little on it today. If not, how soon?
<Can, and only time will tell>
Question:  I think it could be Constipation and Stress, but then again she IS wanting to eat.????
<Can't say from here... >
Please, please, please advise. I really need your help. Thank you,
<Please review what we have archived re this species... Start here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/platies.htm
the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Sincerely,
Tracy
Re: re: Platy sick...but from what??    10/20/12
I read online that Platies cannot possibly get pregnant at such a young age of 2 months or so,
<Mmm, can do so shortly after this time in my experience>
Today she is feeling better, and actually had her dorsal fin up when I fed the peas, but she is still stressed, I know why now, being bullied by one of the other Platies, and they both like to be with third Platy, so I think I should get one more Platy soon...I heard they do better in pairs.
<Trios... more females than males>
Her gills were pinkish/red when I got her, they did get a little redder, and I will keep an eye on that. But, she is feeling better today, still haven't seen any string of poop from her, but maybe she will poop today since she ate another pea.
The reason why I wrote no reason for parasites is because another expert told me this, when I asked him about short white poop:
"This is another case of non-veterinarian giving out not entirely accurate or necessarily clear information.
White stringy feces can be a sign of a bacterial digestive infection, a viral digestive infection, or possibly some kinds of parasite. It can also be an indication of an overly rich diet, consumption of vegetable matter that did not agree with them, consumption of meaty foods that were starting to decompose, consumption of fungus-based foods (or moldy food), liver failure, or any of a number of other things... It is unlikely that domestic raised fish would have any parasite (your platies are DEFINITELY domestic raised)."
Please respond with your comments on what i just wrote, or recommendation for me to do next.
<Read where you've been referred... especially re "Platy System FAQs"... am wondering if you have suitable water quality... temp., hardness, pH...
BobF>
Re: re: Platy sick...but from what??   /Neale    10/20/12
I took my water in, and everything was normal, they checked everything..  I do my small water changes once a week, religiously! I change my filters when needed. I keep their water clean! If the MM is pregnant, then she got pregnant at Dallas North Aquarium before I bought her.
<Easily possible. Female livebearers can have anything up to 6 broods following mating, with each brood around a month apart, so for  if they're ever kept with males, it's almost certain they'll be pregnant.>
She did look big in pics I took on Oct. 6th. I had read that they could not get pregnant until 4 months old which it said that is when they are full grown to their 2 to 2 1/2 inches.
<Size doesn't matter for fish any more than humans. It's age that matters. Female livebearers are capable of breeding at around 3 months of age, males are fertile and able to father offspring at about 2 months of age.>
She was way shorter/smaller than that when I bought her on Sept. 26, she was listed as between small an medium size...less than full grown for sure, very obvious. The bumble bee and her were much smaller than the Red Wagtail. I fed them too much apparently and no veggie based food or frozen veggies and both the bumble bee and the MM got bigger and big stomachs. I can see through how full they are. Since I got the MM, the Red Wagtail started eating less and does not have a big stomach anymore, normal sized.
The sick MM was/is the Pig of the tank! I was overfeeding the MM because she ate most of the food...I had to put out extra so the Red Wagtail could get some food.
No, unfortunately, I have not noticed any poop from the sick MM. If she does not get better (or give birth) Question:  What kind of antibiotics should I give her, considering I have no idea what kind of internal bacterial or viral infection she has?
<Use a combination against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria; in the US, the use of Maracyn 1 and Maracyn 2 is frequently recommended in such situations.>
The others Platies are pooping fine and feel great, but one pooped white, but wasn't all long and stringy. I also saw short strings of red poop on the gravel. The one that pooped white feels great. The reason why I do not believe they have parasites is because another expert who has proven himself to me time and time again told me this: "White stringy feces can be a sign of a bacterial digestive infection, a viral digestive infection, or possibly some kinds of parasite. It can also be an indication of an overly rich diet, consumption of vegetable matter that did not agree with them, consumption of meaty foods that were starting to decompose, consumption of fungus-based foods (or moldy food), liver failure, or any of a number of other things... It is unlikely that domestic raised fish would have any parasite (your platies are DEFINITELY domestic raised)."
<Actually, it's extremely common for farmed fish to have gut parasites.
Most tropical fish come from farms in the Far East where medications rather than hygiene are used to minimise losses. In practical terms this means they factor in a certain number of fatalities, and price their livestock accordingly. This ensures mostly healthy fish at a low price, but does mean intensive farming is commonplace, and that in turn means cross-infection of parasites is very common. With this said, though parasites may be common, even ubiquitous in some cases, most of the tropical fish we buy are healthy enough that any low level infections don't cause problems. It's only when fish are stressed that the parasites multiply sufficiently quickly to cause real harm.>
The sick MM has had her dorsal fin up sometimes now and is swimming normally but kind of fast, cuz she does not want to be messed with. Then she goes back to her place. I did buy Veggie Spirulina flake food by Aqueon at PetSmart. Only brand there that had it for Tropical fish. I will alternate it with the TetraColor and TetraMin when the fish are all better.
Question: Can I feed the Veggie Spirulina flakes to the Platies after tomorrow? It will have been 3 days without flaked food, and the two that aren't sick did not eat it yesterday, I think they nibbled a little on it today. If not, how soon?
<Spirulina flakes are a recommended staple for livebearers, but should not be used while treating fish for constipation because they'd have the opposite effect. Plain algae (such as Sushi Nori) would be okay though.
Otherwise, stick with the cooked/canned peas, spinach, etc. Feel free to stick an algae-covered rock in the tank for the Platies to graze upon;
algae is something like 90% of what they'd eat in the wild, and the perfect food.>
Question:  I think it could be Constipation and Stress, but then again she IS wanting to eat.????
<For sure. Cooked peas and spinach will provide good nutrition for herbivorous fish like Platies. But it does take weeks for fish to starve, and if constipated, the focus has to be clearing out the gut before returning to dried foods.>
Please, please, please advise. I really need your help. Thank you,
Sincerely,
Tracy
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Re: re: Platy sick...but from what??  - 10/22/2012
Oh, I did read everything on your Platy site, and am just more confused.
Sucks
<Your water quality test measures? BobF>
Re: Re: re: Platy sick...but from what??
<Hi Tracy>
The water is fine, we do have hard water here. PH is fine, they checked all that. I take very good care of the water...regular water changes, change filters, clean filter media, I am very good about taking care of my tank water and fish. But something is wrong with her.
<The water sounds like it is not related to the problem.>
I did see her rub the side of her face against the submersible heater, although her gills are normally reddish anyway.
<One time may be nothing. If she rubs again (called flashing) it may indicate problems.>
I will feed her a pea again today and look for poop string.
<Look specifically for a segmented string, like sausages. That indicates parasites. Otherwise, it should be pretty solid.>
It has been too long for her to have a big stomach like that and not already dropped the fry. I do not even believe she is pregnant. Actually her color is better and dorsal fin is up sometimes, but it is not even like her to not want to play. I think it has to be constipation. Maybe it will take another day. But I read on your site that the rubbing on her face could be a gill bacterial infection. I also read that it is bad to treat them for parasites or infections or anything they do not have.
<Right, treating for something that isn't a problem is not suggested.
That's how humans helped to create antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.>
I am very frustrated...and do not know what to do. There are NO fish Vets anywhere. So i guess i am screwed until what?
I don't know.
<A fish vet would probably be pretty expensive anyway.  Would it be possible to get a photo of this fish so we can see the shape of the belly? 
Gravid livebearers often have a distinctive shape.  Otherwise, I'd just continue feeding with pea and keep a close eye on her. - Rick>
Re: Re: re: Platy sick...but from what?? - Sabrina's Go, Part A
<Firstly, Hi Tracy, I'm Sabrina.  I thought I might try to clarify some
things from your previous correspondences with Rick and Bob and offer my own views as well.>
Today she came out but seemed stressed but did swim around while I was feeding the fish peas.
<This does sound like an improvement, yes?>
Although I believe she was hungry earlier, when I fed the peas, she did not eat any.  However, her dorsal fin is up more than ever.
<Great!>
I wish you could just tell me what is wrong with her and what and how to medicate with.
<You know, Tracy, I wish so, too.  That would make life so much easier!  Unfortunately, like many/most things in life, fish disease is not something with a miracle fix, or even a certain diagnosis, in this and many cases. 
The symptoms you've described....  big stomach, clamped fins, transparent string from the vent, etc., are all symptoms, and just like how in humans fever, upset tummy, and chills can be symptoms of cold, flu, food poisoning, food allergy, internal infection, and more, the symptoms you've described really can be attributed to many different causes, from simple constipation to parasites to bacterial infection to organ failure.  There just isn't an immediate answer.  Even improper environmental conditions could contribute, which is why the actual readings for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH and hardness are so very important.  Hearing that someone tested "everything" and it was all okay really gives us zero information about the environment the fish is in, which is why we kept asking for that.>
Is it contagious, do I need to treat the whole tank and the other fish.
<It could be contagious, especially if it's a parasite.  Or it could be entirely not contagious, if it's simple constipation, or (worse) organ failure causing the fish to retain fluids.  Some of the possibilities have fixes, and others (like organ failure) just don't.>
I swear, none of you experts agree on anything.
<It's not so much that no one can agree, but that there are just so many possibilities that, even if we saw the fish with our own two eyes in our own tanks, we might still not be 100% sure what the cause may be, or how or even if it could be fixed.>
And since there are no Fish Vets, I amXXXed!
<There are some fish vets, actually, but they're very few and far between.  The very few I've met would probably be saying something similar to what any one of us has said, and if you asked three different vets, you might even get three different answers, because the symptoms are so common to such different complaints.>
Sorry, but tomorrow is my birthday, and I have to go to the god XXXX dentist, my beloved Stepmother of 30 years died unexpectedly 2 weeks ago, and she was my best friend too.
<This is most unfortunate....  Tracy, I am so very sorry for your loss.>
FTW (XXXX the World...a tattoo that Tommy Lee has)
<When crap comes, it comes in waves, doesn't it?>
If it wasn't for the Silver Surfer, my dog, I wish I would have been the one to die.
<Hon, it seems to me you're in a pretty bad spot right now.  I've been in bad spots myself, and I know what it's like for life to suck.  I won't say I know what you're going through; I don't, only you do.  But I've had my share - more than my share - of hurt, and I know I've wished the same at times.  The way your words indicate that you're feeling is frightening, Tracy.  Life can seriously suck, and it can be really, really hard to work through it.  But I do absolutely promise you that everything always does work out, one way or another.  Try to remember that, and try to hold on to the things that are important to you in your life - Silver Surfer, your Stepmother's memory, anything you hold dear.  And bear in mind that, as much as life can suck at times, the awesome parts are just so, so awesome....>
I am going to get drunk, wake up with a XXXX hangover, and then have to get my teeth drilled on. Do I deserve it. XXXX no.
<Hey, at least getting your teeth drilled is a very temporary thing.  There's totally an end in sight to that, right?  You'll live through it, and then you'll have better teeth.  It's worth it.  And hangovers.... 
Well, drink an equal amount of water for every alcoholic beverage you have, and maybe that'll help some, it does me.  Or maybe you'll just pee a lot.>
Sorry, but I had to vent...do not have my Stepmother to talk to anymore.
<I do hope very much that you'll find someone to talk to.  You DO deserve the support that you so clearly need right now.  Losing your Stepmother is an awful thing, and even though I totally don't know you, I'm pretty sure your Stepmother wouldn't have wanted you to have no support through this tragic time.  Honor her memory by taking care of yourself, and giving yourself the support that you deserve.  Perhaps you have a friend that would let you lean on them a bit, or if not, it might be really helpful to talk to someone professional, like a counselor or a pastor or anything like that.  Even just joining a club - like a fish club! - where there are folks that share a common interest will help. Life DOES get hard, and you DO deserve to have help when you need it.  No one gets through life without needing help during rough times, and you're not alone in the world.  You've got people around you to help - you may just have to reach out to them.>
Tracy
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>
Re: Re: re: Platy sick...but from what??  Sabrina's Go, Part B
I have some new information:
Right now, the sick MM has a very long, about an inch and a half or so, of white and clear string coming out her back end.  Will you please tell me what that means?
<This is a symptom that, like many of the other symptoms you've described throughout the correspondences with the Crew, can indicate many different things....  With all luck, it's that she's starting to pass any gut blockage.  It could mean much more dire things, too, and without looking at some of the "poo" under a microscope, it can be tough to say.... and may not be definitive even then.  I would say, at this point, it'd be best to cross your fingers and hope for the best.>
Thank you,  -Tracy
p.s.  Sorry I had a nervous breakdown while i was emailing you before.
<Happens....  Do please take good care of yourself.  You're the most important person in your whole world.  Best wishes always,  -Sabrina>
Re: Re: Re: re: Platy sick...but from what?? - Sabrina's Go, Part C
I do not understand how the Spirulina Veggie flakes can have the Opposite effect than veggies such as peas and spinach??
<Often, Spirulina flakes contain quite a bit of stuff like fish meal and shrimp meal, which are very high in protein.>
Opposite to veggies to me would be meaty food.
<Like fish meal and shrimp meal, right?>
Anyway, last night, the MM Platy had a long inch and a half string, mostly clear, but small part white. 
All the platies went to sleep.
Then, at about 11:00am the MM was all happy and back to normal and loving on me. Yay!
<Yay!  This is wonderful news!  Hopefully it was just simple constipation. 
I would still advise that, the next time you have your water tested (or even better, get kits and test it yourself), have the shop tell you the actual readings, and write them down, and then do a bit of poking around online to see how your water compares to water that platies like. 
Hopefully it really is great, but then at least you'll know.>
I think the Red Wagtail Platy does not like the peas or the Spirulina Veggie Flakes and is upset about that.!
<She'll give in eventually, I'll bet.>
But all okay now...thank you for your support and getting back with me. 
Very much appreciated.
<Once again, I'm glad the platy is doing better now, thank you for letting us know.
Tracy
<Do please take good care of yourself, Tracy.  I do wish you the best. 
-Sabrina>

Redwag Platy, whitish/bluish large spot on top of body   4/25/12
Hello.
I have been searching your site and cannot seem to find an answer.
<Indeed?>
I have a 20 gallon relatively new tank, cycled and planted with 7 different sized/shaped plants. It has a Aqueon Quietflow 30, with a sponge pre filter. I am not using the carbon inset - instead made my own insert and added matrix to increase the bio filter capabilities and a little Purigen (separate in a bag). After some trial and error it is working well.
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 10-20 (it's hard to tell with the API liquid test I have)
<Doesn't much matter precisely what. Anything from 0-20 mg/l is "low" by freshwater standards, and good for most types of fish you'd be keeping.>
pH: 8.0
<Fine.>
Temp: 74-76 recently lowered from around 77-79.
<Good.>
I have 7 zebra danios (started with 3 to cycle), 8 neon tetras, 4 red wag platies, and 1 albino Bristlenose Pleco. The platies and Pleco were added Saturday. I drip acclimated and did not add the store water.
<Good.>
This morning I woke up and noticed one of the female platies flashing on the rocks an driftwood. I have kept an eye on her all day. I was worried it was Ich. There is no sign of white spots. However, there are larger whitish grayish translucent spots on the top of her body. I don't know what to make of this. Her energy seems normal, but I think she is rubbing on the side of the aquarium. She also seemed to tilt her head/body to the side while swimming for awhile.
The other fish seem fine.
I just did a 30% water change and gravel vacuum.
Any clue what this could be. I am worried it could spread or get worse. I'm new to this and any help would be greatly appreciated.
Rachel
<Almost certainly Whitespot (Ick) and should be treated quickly. Could be Velvet though. Both attack the gills first, so the fish "flash" against rocks (effectively trying to itch themselves) long before you see the mature white spots on the body (or the golden sheen if Velvet). Salt/heat can work well at low levels.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/SaltUseIchF.htm
Good quality Whitespot medications are available and shouldn't harm your filter or your Bristlenose Plec (catfish and loaches react poorly to those medications with copper or formalin in, so avoid those). I happen to like eSHa EXIT because it doesn't harm catfish and treats both Whitespot and Velvet. So choose whichever approach you want to take. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Redwag Platy, whitish/bluish large spot on top of body   4/25/12
Hi Neale,
Thank you very much for your answer. I read quite a bit about both Ich and velvet on the website, but wasn't sure if I was missing something because of the larger whitish patch I was seeing... some sort of fungus or something.
<Could easily be. Whitespot and velvet open up the skin, and secondary infections set in. But could also be Slime Disease (Costia) which looks like white slime but is actually caused by yet another skin parasite.>
Anyway, I will start treatment this morning. If there's a chance that it is velvet, I'm going to look for the eSHa EXIT at the store,
<Not sold in the US; only in Europe. Alternatives in the US are available; do look for something that treats Whitespot, Velvet, and ideally Costia.
Something along the lines of Seachem Paraguard. Avoid the tea-tree oil stuff though.>
and if they don't have that I will use the salt method.
<Real good.>
Thanks again for you response. It's really appreciated.
<Welcome. Neale.>
Re: Redwag Platy, whitish/bluish large spot on top of body
Hi Neale:
I just did more research regarding what gravity actually means.... and that normal water has a gravity of 1.000, so my calculations don't make sense. I am going to redo the salt mixture measuring teaspoons.
<Do find and download my Brack Calc tool (for Mac/Windows; grammes/ounces and litres/US gallons). Makes all this very easy. For treating Whitespot, all you really want is about 2 grammes per litre. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Redwag Platy, whitish/bluish large spot on top of body
Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help with this. You have a great site. I will keep you posted (hopefully) of a full recovery.
<Most welcome and thanks for the kind words, Neale.>
Re: Redwag Platy, whitish/bluish large spot on top of body
Hi Neale:
Really sorry to keep bothering you - but one of my old zebra danios (original 3) is hanging out at the bottom of the tank barely moving. He went downhill very fast. He seemed fine earlier. I am really, really worried. I am trying to find something on him.. and it looks like he maybe has a few of the same patches as the platy on the very top of him as well... but maybe not. Just wondering if this gives you any indication as to what this may be... or if I need to change my treatment. Right now I plan to continue using heat/salt for the Ich.
<Do review Slime Disease/Costia. It's quite common and can be contagious.
Use a proprietary treatment available in your country. Can be safely used alongside salt/heat, so you can preemptively treat all three possible problems here. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Redwag Platy, whitish/bluish large spot on top of body   4/25/12
Hi Neale:
Quick update. The Danio died. So sad. I was really attached to him, because he was one of my first fish.
<Oh dear.>
Upon closer inspection I realized his scales seemed sort of inflamed down his top... Like someone had brushed them back and they were sticking out. He also seemed coated with some thick slime, making him sort of opaque. He also had bright red spots on his gills and mouth (blood I assume). The tank currently is treated with salt at 2 g/l, and temp is close to 80 F(slowly increasing to 82 F). I read on WWW that if it is slime coat disease the salt should be increased to 3 - 5 g/l. Will that level damage my fish/plants/biofilter? Would it be better to track down some para guard, do a large water change and start over?
<Worth a shot.>
I am sorry for pestering you... I just really don’t want to lose any more fish and am at a loss on what is the best tactic
<Most welcome. Neale.>

Platy parasites?    6/27/11
Hi,
<Hello,>
I should first say that I'm a novice when it comes to keeping fish.
<Then please do read! Lots of stuff here, as well as any number of excellent aquarium books for beginners.>
Currently I'm having problems with my male platy. When I first got him a month and a half ago (from a commercial pet store) he seemed relatively healthy but pretty stressed. He ate regularly as long as there was a bit of a current in the water. However, a few weeks later I noticed a small worm-like parasite hanging off his anal fin (about the size of a bloodworm). Not knowing much about fish, I removed the parasite easily and decided to observe. The parasite returned again and I began treating with Tetra Parasite Guard.
<A general purpose medication that contains Praziquantel, Diflubenzuron, Metronidazole and Acriflavine. Has the potential to shift quite a range of parasites, but alas, dosing for good effect is much harder than the bottle might suggest, so there are no 100% guarantees. Vets will tell you that effective doses depending on the mass (weight) of the fish and various other factors aquarists never consider and over-the-counter medications cannot take into consideration.>
I have the platy by himself in 1.5 gallons of freshwater, as I lack the space for a more ample quarantine tank. Along with the Tetra Parasite Guard I have been adding aquarium salt and Stress Coat +. The water has a PH of 7, is slightly hard, and is maintained at a steady temperature.
<Fine. Do recall Platies prefer the cooler end of the temperature range, 22-24 C/72-75 F. Hard water is essential, and if all you're keeping is Platies and perhaps other livebearers, and you have water less than 10 degrees dH hardness, dosing with marine aquarium salt (as opposed to generic aquarium salt) at about 2 grammes/litre will make a huge difference in long-term success.>
I finished the treatment according to the instructions but the fish still seems to be infected... I gave him a week-long "break" and began to treat again. Although I clean the tank and change 25-50% of the water each day, every morning I find between five and 20 dead white "worms" on the bottom of this tank.
<What you would expect to see, if treating for Camallanus.>
If it is any improvement, there seem to be fewer recently. Still, the platy is skittish, swims erratically (up and down very quickly, almost never straying from the side of the tank), gasps at the surface, and moves his gills rapidly.
<Likely stressed; small tank, poor water quality, insufficient oxygen -- all these will be factors.>
He mostly hides in the corner. When he comes to the surface he will stay there for a long time and circle the tank slowly, never leaving the sides of the tank. In the last week or so he has begun eating occasionally (when he does, he seems eager about it; otherwise, he will watch food float past and do nothing). I also haven't seen any parasites attached to his body.
<Don't bother feeding if the fish doesn't eat. Wait a day, try again. If he doesn't eat then, try another day later. Always remove uneaten food. A turkey baster is a great tool for this job!>
I am most concerned about the gasping at the surface and wonder if I should stop medicating him or try a different medication. This platy is of sentimental value and I would really like to save him if I could.
<Lifespan of Platies is about 3-5 years.>
Thank you so much for the help!
- Ivvie
<Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Platy parasites?    6/29/11
Hi again,
Thank you for the advice earlier.
<Glad to help.>
Although I have been medicating the platy regularly and have seen no parasites emerging from him, I am still concerned about the number of dead parasites on the bottom of the tank each day. I remove them with a turkey baster but he seems to expel more overnight. Where are these coming from?
<Presumably inside the Platy, though other fish in the tank with him well have those parasites too. Do also be aware that some harmless, free-living worms can live in aquaria anyway, and often get in via bags of live daphnia, plants, etc.>
I do regular water changes (again, 25-50 percent a day), and yesterday did a 100 percent water change, so I'm not sure there are free-floating eggs.
Also, even if I stop seeing these parasites, how long should I wait before adding the platy to my community tank?
<Would leave him isolated for at least two weeks, ideally a month. Don't add any new fish to the community until at least a month after you've put this fish back in that tank.>
Thanks,
Ivvie
<You're welcome, Neale.>

Platy Parasites 7/3/10 Hi guys! <Hello Krystle,> I come to you today with what I believe is a parasite problem (though I am no expert - hence why I turn to you). Approximately a week and a half ago, I noticed that my two juvenile Mickey Mouse Platies (3.5 months old) were having strange poo. It looks like a very thin, clearish white string with small, clearish white sacks or balls every centimeter or so. The string stays intact for quite awhile, not disconnecting until after approx. 2.5 centimeters in length. <May be parasitic to be sure, but also review diet. Platies are herbivores in the wild, and need a good quota of plant-based food to do well. Spirulina flake makes a good basic foodstuff, plus things like cooked peas, cooked spinach, Sushi Nori, and slivers of cucumber and blanched lettuce leaves. Restrict meaty foods -- including regular flake food -- to the minority portion of their diet, say 2-3 times a week. Bear in mind that regular fish often do perfectly well on Spirulina flake, so in and of itself this "vegetarian" diet doesn't cause serious problems in most aquaria. Avoid things like freeze-dried bloodworms and the like because these high-protein, low-moisture foods tend to cause constipation in herbivorous fish. Again, you can use them occasionally, maybe once a week, but that's it.> I have tried to take picture, but my camera is slow and not able to catch the picture before the fish moves. I have drawn an example and attached it to this email. Anyway, I waited to see if they still had it the next day after I fed them. I found that they had their normal poo shortly after eating, but also had the stringy stuff later in the day. A few days after noticing my juveniles with the stringy poo, my adult Platies seem to be showing the same problem. <I see.> The juveniles have become anorexic and lethargic, not swimming around much. <A bad sign.> Their color has faded slightly and they do not greet me at the surface for food, which is very unusual. The adults seem fine personality wise, but have not been exhibiting symptoms as long as the juveniles, so I am sure they will get lethargic and anorexic eventually. I forgot to mention that I feed frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp, and flakes (I rotate to provide variety). I feed once daily. The only fish that I have are Platies - 6 adults (2 male, 4 female), 2 juvenile, and around 20 ranging in age from 3 weeks to 2 months. I frequently take my water up to the store to get tested and they always tell me it's perfect, but they don't give me specific numbers. <I really do need the numbers here to say anything sensible. Retailers may or may not be telling you the whole story here. Just to recap, for Platies you need the following: Hard, basic water (10+ degrees dH, pH 7.5-8); 0 ammonia and nitrite; and a low to middling temperature, 22-24 C/72-75 F. Soft water, acidic water, warm water, and poor water quality will make Platies sick.> While this was all going on, I was in the process of setting up my new 55 gallon and planning to move my adult and older juvenile Platies once it had been set up. A week ago I went to my local pet store and talked to the guy in the aquarium section and described my situation. He said that they probably had hookworms and told me to use API Pro Series General Cure Anti-Parasitic Fish Medication. He said that it would probably kill my fry that is less than a couple months old (of which I have like 20). I decided to wait until I got my new tank set up, transfer the bigger fish that needed treating, and then treat them in there. <Generally, medications that work on adults to little/no harm to fry. Even if they do, it's a price worth paying. So treating fish is the priority here. If you have healthy Platies, you'll soon have LOTS of fry!> I have had my 6 adult Platies and 2 juveniles in the new tank for a few days, and am ready to treat now. I wanted to wait a few days so that it wasn't a whole bunch of stress all at once. I am uneasy of treating because I have to remove the charcoal filter and put the powder in the entire tank once, wait 48 hrs, and then do it again. Before I took this major step, I wanted to check with ya'll - the experts! Is this the right medication? What kind of parasite is it most likely? Can I get the parasite? <Could be worms, though this is difficult to say without a photograph. Camallanus is the most common worm parasite among livebearers, and though it doesn't seem common here in the UK -- I've never seen it -- it does seem to be quite prevalent in the US. Treatment is possible. Levamisole, Piperazine and Praziquantel are often recommended, but don't work as reliably as either Fenbendazole or Flubendazole. Your options may be limited by what's available to you via your retailer (in the US) or your vet (the rest of the world).> The tank that they are currently living in is a 55g with a Tetra Whisper 60 filter system. I keep it at a constant 80 degrees. I put aquarium salt in the tank (as I do with my other tank as well) - 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of water. I hope this helps! Thanks Thanks for your help! Krystle <Do read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/nematodesfwf.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/fwwormdisid.htm With all this said, I'm not 100% sure worms are the issue here, and some protozoan parasites can cause copious production of faeces together with wasting; Hexamita is the classic example, though this is primarily an issue with cichlids and other perch-like fish rather than livebearers, though it certainly can affect livebearers. Hexamita typically causes problems when fish are stressed, often for dietary reasons or poor water quality. Do read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/hexoctfwfs.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/metranidazole.htm The medication used is Metronidazole, again from your retailer or vet depending on where you live. Cheers, Neale.>

Mickey Mouse Platy's and Orange Platys Question. Intestinal Nematodes 3/3/10
We just bought 5 platy's, 2 Mickey mouse and 2 yellow "sunset" platy's I believe they are called. We have a 10 gallon tank and they are only accompanied by 2 neon tetra's.
<Mmm, these two species of fishes "like" quite different water quality>
We feed them Tetra tropical flakes, as advised by our aquarium store. All of our water tests have been coming
back at a normal quality, and overall everything is going well. My question is that today we noticed that our two yellow platy's have orange string like things protruding from their abdomen. My husband thought it was feces but
it hasn't fallen off of them, it is just hang from their bodies. Is that normal, or could their be something wrong with them? Thank you for your help.
Katie Nugent
<Unfortunately, this sounds/reads as a case of Camallanus... parasitic Nematodes. Can be treated. Please read here re:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/nematodesfwf.htm
Bob Fenner>

Ick Problem/ Dilemma 12/23/09
I got home from work today to discover one of my platys has Ick. I'm going to visit my parents for Christmas and I leave tomorrow afternoon. I don't have another tank to put the platy in. Should I treat the tank for Ich ASAP
and perform a water change right before I leave? (20 hours from now). My room mate was going to feed the fish while I was gone, but I don't think he's going to want/ be able to perform a water change. I will be gone for 10 days.
Thanks again WetWebMedia for the invaluable help.
Andrew
<Just treat using the salt/heat method.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
This will cause no problems for your Platies, and the Ick parasite life cycle will be broken. If you're keeping Platies on their own or with other livebearers, then you can raise the specific gravity up to 1.003 (5-6 grammes/litre). Otherwise, aim for about half that dose. Raise the temperature to 25 degrees C, maybe slightly higher (Platies as you know should be kept cooler most of the time, 22-24 C being the ideal, much above that being stressful over the long term). Cheers, Neale.>
re: Ick Problem/ Dilemma
So performing a 50% water change with a good gravel vacuum before I go, treat with aquarium salt, and raise the temperature should be sufficient.
<Yes.>
And hope for the best over the next 10 days?
<Well, they will need some food. Feeding blocks are useless, but a couple of blanched lettuce leaves and a wedge of courgette should keep them going, Platies being herbivores. Weight these down with that lead strip used to
hold aquarium plants in place.>
I have 3 gouramis and a Pleco in the tank, will this change anything?
<Not really.>
Thanks again,
Andrew
<Cheers, Neale.>
re: Ick Problem/ Dilemma
With a 25 gallon aquarium with fish other than live bearers (gouramis), am I right in assuming I should add 25-30g of salt?
Thanks again,
Andrew
<In US gallons, you're aiming for 2 to 3 teaspoons of salt per gallon. One level teaspoon is about 6 grammes, or 0.22 oz. Cheers, Neale.>

Platy with ?internal parasite 9/23/08
Hello, I am new to the fish hobby this year, but I have loved all the learning that being an aquarist has and continues to include! I recently bought three female platys to go with my male platy (a white tiger named Michael Phelps). The three "golden girls" went into a 10 gal QT since they are new with a heater, cycled sponge filter that is extra from another (healthy) tank, and bare-bottom with some decor for hiding in. PH is neutral, Amm, Nitrite, are 0, Nitrate 5, temp 78.5'F. They are the only three fish in the QT. Behaviourally, they are normal - active, feeding, one is definitely bossy, but the other two don't seem too stressed by it, no ragged fins, no apparent issues (to my novice eyes).
<All sounds fine, but I'd recommend turning the temperature down a little. Platies come from quite cool environments and thrive best between 22-25 C (72-77F). It's very common among fishkeepers to assume all tropical fish need the same temperature -- they don't.>
My husband and I watched the tank at the LFS for a while before selecting them. Unfortunately, when I got them home, I noticed white feces in the tank the next morning.
<Not necessarily a problem. If fish have been eating a lot of plant material, the faeces are often very pale. Mucous in the faeces caused by irritation can also make them look pale.>
I started researching right away, and it seems that usually this is caused by internal parasites. I had some Jungle parasite clear, which I dropped in the tank after watching to confirm that they were pooping white after being feed color-rich foods (algae wafers, bloodworms). After 5 days of Jungle Clear every other day, they were still behaving normally, but I had seen each of the three poop white, the bossy one the most. Also with her, her anus appears bright white on her sunset body (no other white spots/Ich). I don't know if this is nature or a symptom. My next step was to find a LFS with Prazi Pro after doing further research on the web. I have dosed with Prazi and even soaked some blood worms in 1-2 drops, which they ate, as many sources say that foods are the best way to clear internal parasites.
<You do need to be a bit more specific. "Internal Parasites" covers a lot of ground: you and I doubtless carry a few! Prazi Pro is specifically a treatment for "worms" (or more accurately, helminths). If the parasites involved are not helminths, then Prazi Pro will have no effect. Camallanus is the parasitic helminth that most commonly causes problems with domesticated livebearers. If you don't observe the tell-tale red worms emerging from the anus, and aren't witnessing dramatic weight loss despite a huge appetite, I'd tend to assume the problem isn't caused by worms.>
I am only in day 2 of the Prazi bath, but I noticed that the bossy lady continues to have bright white poop this morning. Also, I would like to mention that the poop is not always white, it is normal coloring (green, brown, tan) at times, but they excrete white feces at least 1x/day. What I haven't been able to find online is the life expectancy of the platy if they are infected, if they continue to eat and behave normally (active, no weight loss or other symptoms), is the white poop definitely a symptom of illness or just natural?
<Depends on the diet. Platies are herbivores, so their diet should be primarily algae-based flake, algae wafers, and sliced soft green vegetables such as cucumbers. Regular flake food and things like bloodworms should be used sparingly. Under such a regimen, their diet should be, frankly, mostly green-brown.>
When would I be able to determine that it is just natural and that it is safe to move them from QT to their permanent home (a spacious 29 gal that, with them, will have 5 platy and 1 LARGE beloved apple snail named Mr. Bubbles)? What about the issue of the white anus?
<I'd actually be wondering about Hexamita, a protozoan that is quite common among ornamental fish. It is best treated with a specific medication called Metronidazole:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/metranidazole.htm
Outside of the US you will need to get this with a prescription, though some over the counter medications exist, such as eSHa Hexamita in Europe. Hexamita parasites irritate the gut lining, causing excessive mucous production, producing characteristic white, stringy faeces. It's a common problem with cichlids, and may in fact be ubiquitous among ornamental fish, only becoming a problem when conditions get bad. Among cichlids it commonly appears when they are exposed to high levels of nitrate.>
It is a prominent white dot on the bossy one and mild on the other two. According to what I have read it would be red if it were inflamed, is that true? Finally, what about salt?
<Platies do not need, or want, salt.>
Can I use Prazi and salt at the same time?
<Both are irrelevant here in my opinion. Salt is certainly not required, and Prazi Pro only if you have some reason to confirm a helminth infection, which I do not believe is the case.>
All the info on Prazi says not to use with other meds, is salt considered at medicine?
<Salt is not considered a medicine in this context.>
Would a salt dip help an internal problem?
<No.>
I can still return the golden girls to the LFS, as they have a prolonged return policy, but I am already attached. I appreciate your time and attention and any tips you can give me to help make sure the platy are healthy and that nothing bad is introduced to my 29g tank. Thanks in advance, Sara
<Do review Hexamita, Metronidazole, and act accordingly.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/hllefaqs.htm
Do also review the needs of Xiphophorus maculatus and ensure you are providing the correct conditions and diet. Besides water conditions, Hexamita problems are triggered or exacerbated by poor diet, particularly when herbivores aren't given their greens.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebindex/poeciliids.htm
Hope this helps.>
Further details about the feces: they at times hang on for 1-3 inches, at times break off very short (I think I have been overfeeding them a little bit in my exuberance to make sure they are healthy and my obsession with seeing what color they are excreting). I have not noticed any movement in the feces, occasionally there is almost a single fine thread to be seen at the end of the feces. I have looked at them when they are sleeping (not moving) and do not see any worms hanging from the anus (I read that Camallanus worms hang out at rest, so I don' t think they have that). The diameter of the feces changes each time they excrete, sometimes it is thin/stringy, other times thicker, there don't seem to be a lot of air bubbles or other issues (feces fairly uniform in color/texture). Hope this helps!
<Cheers, Neale.>

Question re: anti-parasitic medicated fish food for Platys 2/24/08 Hello Crew, I have spent hours reading the FAQ's and your responses (my favourite being the one with the lady and her boyfriend having issues with breeding and Don spitting out his coffee) and have found them entertaining and informative. Now I have a question, which I hope you will answer. I have a 35 gallon tank, which has been in operation for about 3 years, so is well-cycled. I do regular water changes and periodically test the levels of nitrates, ph, and ammonia. All seem to be consistently within acceptable ranges. This tank is planted with a large number of artificial (plastic) plants, as well as live plants. There is 1 to 2" of gravel, 3 ornamental logs for hiding places, an undergravel filter, an outside 3 stage power filter, and a bubble bar. 6 weeks ago, my son helped me by bringing over his gravel vacuum and vacuuming the gravel in this tank. This resulted in a 50% water change. The livestock in this tank includes one elderly Pleco, whom I inherited with the tank, about 7 inches in length, 2 pearl Danios, 3 blacklight tetras, one of which is very large (platy sized), 2 Glowlight tetras, and my favourites, 2 adult male platys, and currently only 1 adult female platy. There have been no new introductions of fish for the past year, although there are about 15 juvenile platys of ages varying from 2 to 5 months. I feed twice a day, with premium flake food and supplement with blanched romaine lettuce which seems to go over very well with the platys, old and young. This past week, I lost an adult female Mickey Mouse Platy. She was one of the original introductions, so I was sorry to lose her. Her history includes being placed in a nursery net within the main tank, when I was quite sure she was about to give birth. She had the gravid spot, and I could see the dark eyes of the babies. She was very unhappy in the nursery net, so after 4 days with no results, I released her into the main tank. That was probably a year ago, and while she never lost the gravid spot, the dark eyes disappeared and there never were any babies. The one male platy who is always 'on the make' seemed to know she was of no use to him, and would chase her away. For several weeks before her demise, she did have what I have seen described on your site as 'whitish stringy poop'. Up until 2 days before she went, she was still eating, and swimming normally. During those last 2 days, she was hiding, and not coming out to eat. Today I noticed this 'whitish stringy poop' from the second, less aggressive adult male Sunset Platy. My question is, should I be concerned about a parasitic infection, and should I start feeding the anti-parasitic medicated fish food? Is it safe for the juvenile platys and the rest of the fish? Should I abstain from feeding the blanched romaine lettuce while feeding the medicated food? I do realize my current ratio of 2 adult male platys to 1 adult female is not ideal, but the 2nd male is not particularly amorous, although by their colouring, I do believe some of the juveniles are his descendants. I also have a 2nd tank, populated with a school of Cardinal Tetras, and one small, skittish Pleco. My intention is to move some of the juvenile platys to this tank as they mature. Thank you, for having such an informative site, and for your anticipated response to my long-winded email. Aprilwine <Anti-parasite food is usually safe for juvenile fish. In this instance I wouldn't bother unless I saw any other fish producing abnormal faeces. Do also switch to high-fibre foods for a while -- algae, daphnia, brine shrimps, tinned peas, etc. Won't do the other fish any harm. Anyway, this'll help clear out the insides. But if you do see other fish with odd faeces and/or signs of emaciation, then by all means switch to something anti-parasitic. While constipation is rather more common in livebearers, parasitic infections do happen, and are worth bearing in mind when fish start looking off-colour. Camallanus worms are probably the most commonly found intestinal parasites in livebearing fish. Cheers, Neale.> Re: Question re: anti-parasitic medicated fish food for Platys 03/04/2008 Thanks Neale, I have been feeding supplementary peas (frozen, slightly cooked, skinned) and they seem to go over very well. The adult Sunset Platy seems to be back to normal, and all seem to be doing fine. I appreciate your advice. <Greetings. It's good to hear everything is working fine! Platies certainly benefit from a "green" diet, and I think you'll find that over the long term you'll have Platies that are more active and have brighter colours than would be otherwise. Thanks for letting me know the good news; it's rare we hear that our little "patients" have got better! Cheers, Neale.>

Platy with piles?   8/13/07 i have a platy Plec that has lumps that can only be described as piles on its anal/vent area, they are white / pink in colour and there is a lot of them. this is the only platy Plec i have in the tank along with 2 guppies, alas all the others have died over time....... please can anyone tell me what it is ...... <Hello. Sounds a lot like worms of some kind. Without a photo, can't be sure. But assuming that it is, you'll need to treat with an anti-worm medication (Waterlife Sterazin, JBL Gyrodol, Aquarium Products Fluke-Tabs, etc.). If you're losing a lot of fish in a short period of time, do also reflect on aquarium water quality/water chemistry. Platies and guppies like nice hard water with a high pH (say, 15 dH and a pH of 7.5). Water quality should be good, 0 ammonia and nitrites, and platies especially need a tank with a bit of swimming space, certainly not less than 15 gallons. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Platy with piles? 8/15/07 hi Neale, thanks for the advice. meant i did 10 percent weekly and 25 to 50 percent monthly but i will now do it on a weekly basis...... will also get some of the food you suggested and have just put some cucumber in the tank, my platy is not a fancy one and i am new to fish keeping, but am learning...... thanks, will let you know how she gets on, it lumps have gone and there is just some redness there now as i have been treating her for parasites........ thanks dawn <Dawn, this all sounds promising. So for a beginner, you're learning fast! Keep it up, and good luck with your fish. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Platy with piles?   8/15/07 ps here is a picture of platy with lumps, they only appeared yesterday morning..........regards dawn <Too blurry... can't see anything... but obviously not good. Either worms or else some sort of cyst. Cysts around the vent seem to be not uncommon on livebearers. No cure. If the cyst is blocking the anus, then the fish will die, miserably, so is best destroyed painlessly. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Platy with piles?   8/15/07 hi Neale, thanks for the advice, will get some worm medication and give it a go, i do water tests on a regular basis and the water is fine as i do my 1 percent change each week and 25 percent once a month. i am new to keeping fish and have had no signs of anything other than this one fish, a couple died of not giving birth when they should have, they seemed to just hang on and die and i don't know why y male platy died, he was one of the first to go............ regards dawn <I have no idea why you are doing a 1% water change. Pointless. Do 25-50% per week, minimum. The idea small water changes are safer/better is old school fishkeeping and largely discredited. The bigger and more frequent the water changes, the healthier your fish will be... period, end of discussion. Platies are basically hardy animals, but they are sensitive to poor water quality, especially "fancy" platies. Ensuring the water has high levels of general hardness and carbonate hardness is essential Aim for 15+ degrees dH / 10+ degrees KH. Also don't forget platies are *herbivores* not *carnivores*. No less than 50% of their diet should be "green" foods. You could use livebearer flake food (based on algae, such as Spirulina) or greens from the kitchen (such as thinly sliced cucumber, Sushi Nori, or blanched lettuce). Clumps of algae taken from a clean pond are also enjoyed. "Meaty" foods, like regular flake, should only be used occasionally. Cheers, Neale>

Platies with Ich -- 07/30/07 <Hi Mary, Twothless here.> > We have 5 small platy in our 10 gal BiOrb along with one small golden mystery snail. <Kind of cramped in there, but not too bad.> > I check that water quality regularly and all seems fine. <Could you define "Fine" for me? Actual test result numbers? When an aquarists says the levels were fine, it means that there is 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrItes and nitrAtes below 40ppm. ANYTHING higher than these levels is considered detrimental to the health of your fish, and snail. Immediate action must then be effected to fix the problem before any health issues arise.> > We are experiencing an outbreak of (I assume) ick as I see white salt like specs on the tails. Often this is hard to see as they seem to be clamping their fins and tail closed. <Sounds like Ich to me. You can treat Ich on Platies with aquarium salt as per these instructions: Add 3/4 level teaspoon aquarium salt per gallon on day one. Add 3/4 level teaspoon per gallon on day two. Add 3/4 level teaspoon per gallon on day 3 and begin raising the heat (IF you have a heater. It's not absolutely required though) to the high 80's. Salt cannot evaporate nor can it be filtered out, so, you should monitor your additions closely so that you do not add too much or too little. So, if you remove 5 gallons during a water change, only add 2 1/2 level teaspoons PER gallon of water that is added back. Maintain this salinity for at least 5-7 days after the last time you saw ANY Ich spots whatsoever. Usually two weeks is enough time. After the treatment has run it's course, you can begin reducing the heat and aquarium salinity by performing water changes without salt and turning the heater down. Once the Ich is gone, they're gone fore good and will not return unless you re-infect them with new plants or ANYTHING from an infected tank. Oh, and be sure to remove any "white rocks" that might be in the filter cartridges or filter media. This is called Zeolite and will dump its payload of ammonia if allowed to sit in salt water. If you don't see any, your golden!> > They are still eating well. <That's a good sign.> > I have a BiOrb "first aid cartridge" which includes a filter and meds but it does not say what the meds actually are and I don't want to kill my son's precious snail. What do I do? <Easy, remove the snail and keep it in another container until you finish the treatment I recommend. Add a little gravel from the aquarium to the bottom of the bowl and perform a large or total water change with temperature matched dechlorinated water every day. > (thank you) <You're very welcome. Good luck with the Platies and the Mystery Snail (Is it's name Gary?) -Twothless>
Re: Platies with Ich -- 08/02/07 Sorry about the "fine" we are novices. 0ppm ammonia, 20ppm nitrates, 0ppm nitrites, ideal ranges of hardness and alkalinity, a little low for ph though about 6.8(can't seem to keep that up). How did you guess about the snail's name!!? :-) Thank you for the great help. This sight is the very best. <No worries about being a novice. All of us start out there. The test results certainly reveals that your water quality is being maintained properly. However, the low pH is a bit of a concern. Platies tend to thrive better in a higher pH than your water has. You can easily correct this by utilizing a buffering product such as Proper pH 7.5 at each and every regularly scheduled water change. Good Luck! - Twothless>

Platy parasite?  -- 04/29/07 Hello! First let me thank you for your wonderful service. I only wish I had found the site sooner (before we got fish-- I would now advise anyone contemplating an aquarium to research-research-research!). I have several questions I have not yet been able to find answers to among the articles or FAQs, or Googling as yet. I hope you can help. <Will try my best.> I have a two-week old fish tank, water volume approximately 7.5 gallons. It is in the process of  cycling.  Daily testing has been showing ammonia at '0', nitrates at approximately 10 ppm, nitrites from approx .25 to approaching .5 ppm (prior to 15-20% water changes every other day). <The nitrites are very bad. 0.25 is stressful, 0.5 potentially lethal to fish. A 7.5 gallon tank is tiny, by the way. Far too small for adult platies. They need at least 10 gallons.> During the past week I have been adding a small amount of Kosher salt (just a teaspoon per gallon replacement water, as I have two live plants). The water is hard, pH between 7.8 and 8.4 (sometimes those color test strips are a bit ambiguous), and alkalinity is between 180-300ppm. <Hard, alkaline water isn't a problem for platies. They like it, in fact. But the salt. Please stop using it. Are you keeping brackish water fish? No. So you don't need salt. Period. End of story. Put the salt on your food, not in your fish tank.> Now, I have four platys living in the tank. <Which is about four too many for this size aquarium...> Two of them were presenting clamped fins and some lethargy and scraping on tank decor. <Scraping = irritation. The fish are deeply unhappy. Tank is full of hostile, nasty water.> All of them began to produce long, stringy, white/clear feces. All of them seem to have good appetites, but one of the most affected is very thin, keeps to itself. None of them show any signs of external parasites. They look clean and sleek. The gills appear to be pink as far as I can tell. <The fish are fine, at least for fish that are being poisoned to death slowly.> After some research, I began to think it might be internal parasites, and I also began to see little worms in the tank. These don't seem to be Planaria, as they don't have that distinctive arrow-shaped head and flat body. They are tiny, thin, and threadlike, and under 60x magnification look for all the world like smooth little snakes with dimples for eyes. No segments, bristles, or anything distinctive. The smallest are difficult to see, but the fish eat the bigger ones when they notice them. They mainly show up when the gravel is disturbed, and float freely or crawl on the glass. Any idea what these are? <They're just planarians or nematodes. Not a problem. The reason your fish are unhappy is the water. THE WATER! You have too many fish in a too small aquarium with an immature filter. You should be doing 50% water changes daily. starting yesterday. And then you should be shopping for a 10 gallon tank. These two things are non-negotiable. Your fish will soon die otherwise, as sure as God made little green apples.> I'm thinking they probably aren't related to the symptoms, but at any rate I decided to try Jungle Parasite Clear last Wednesday. I broke a tablet and put 3/4 into the tank. One tablet is supposed to treat 10 gallons. My healthiest-looking fish soon started darting around the tank, crashing into things. Actually, I think she ate some particles of the medication. I panicked and removed 1.5 gallons and replaced it with fresh tap water (treated with Wardley's Chlor-out and 1 tsp salt dissolved). <Please stop with the salt already, and NEVER add medications to an aquarium UNLESS you have categorically identified the pathogen  or problem. What would happen if medics randomly gave us drugs without checking our symptoms? So don't do the same thing to your fishes.> Did I dilute the med too much? The only possibly good affect I noticed was that the mature male platy was feeling very frisky the next day. <No, he was feeling healthier because you'd done a water change. It's called Cause & Effect. Do the right things, and things get better.> At first, I worried it might be a last ditch effort to pass on his DNA before turning belly up. Previously, the poor old guy didn't seem to have too much interest. <I bet.> Also, the Parasite Clear package says to remove the charcoal from the filter, which I did, but at what point do you put it back in? <Never. Add it to your compost heap. What your aquarium needs is more biological filtration. Carbon in most freshwater tanks is useless.> Is this pH/hardness/alkalinity too much even for platys? If so, is there some stable, natural way to correct it? <It's fine. It's the water QUALITY not chemistry that matters here. Fish can adapt to dramatically different sets of water chemistry values given time. But poor water quality stresses and kills them in short order.> Last night (Saturday) I got up the nerve to redose the tank, only I dissolved the medication in the replacement water (again 3/4 tablet) before adding it to the tank. The fish didn't show a reaction this time. However, they still show pretty much the same symptoms, especially the fecal symptoms, and those creepy worms are still there. I didn't think I was overfeeding the fish. Not much, if any, food makes it to the bottom of the tank. <Make sure you're feeding them VEGETARIAN not generic fish flake. Platies are herbivores, and need substantial amounts of greens in their diet. Be sure and read this: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/poeciliids.htm and then peruse the Platy FAQs and such. Platies are quite robust fish, but they do need at least a modicum of care to do well.> Any advise would be so appreciated. <The usual. Read the links given, then buy/borrow an aquarium book. Do more water changes. Think about water quality before going off on tangents after the "mystery internal parasite" of the hour...> I know and expect that you will be brutally honest and show me where I am messing up. Sorry this is so long, but I have tried to give you a complete picture. <It's appreciated, and I hope you take my "brutally honest" advice above in this spirit its meant: simply to get your problems fixed and your fish healthy once more!> Thanks in advance, and keep up the wonderful work! Vivian <No problems. Cheers, Neale>
Re: Platy parasite? Test strips, NO2 danger   5/2/07 Good morning, <Morrow!> Whew!  You don't disappoint on the "brutal honesty!"  Thanks (wry  smile).   <Ah, must've been Neale...> So far, since Saturday night's water change the nitrites &  ammonia have been at "0,"  but I am keeping a close eye on them.   I think I was lulled by the test strip's wording regarding nitrite levels:  "caution" for .5 ppm, "stress" for 1 ppm, etc.  Since mine never quite made  it to .5 ppm, I never fully realized the danger, though I knew the goal was  "0". <Yes> I don't say this as an excuse, as the info is out there, but as a  warning to others new to fishkeeping.   <Thank you... will post appropriately> I also didn't realize the charcoal  element, made for the Aqua-clear 30 filter, was useless or worse with a cycling FW aquarium.  Thankfully, I did have the biological element  in!   <Good> Also, I was thrown by the long, white stringy stuff, and the fact that only two of them appeared actually stressed or unhappy.  You never said, but  should I assume you are implying that the fecal symptom is water quality  symptom, or food issue? <Could be either, neither... more likely the former than latter> They had been eating both veg.s and omnivore  flakes.  I could pass the Omni food off to a neighbor. <I would keep, use intermittently> Also, I am afraid a lot of us newbies are making the mistake of putting platys in tanks under 10 gallons, as I have seen a number of posts that show   that.  Thank you for letting me, and others, know.  Of course,  the LFS wouldn't tell us that.  As for the salt and platys, it is sometimes  recommended at WWM, though perhaps in "aquarium" form rather than plain old NaCl  (?). <Yes> I won't argue the point with you, as I planned to phase the salt out  after cycling, for the benefit of the plants.  And what do I know  anyway?  Apparently, not much!  (again, wry smile) Thanks again... I'm sure the fish would thank you too, if they could. V. <They have by your increasing their vitalities. Bob Fenner>

Platy has mystery illness 7/10/05 Hi, <Hello> I've checked all over your site, the WWW and with my LFS, but haven't been able to determine what's wrong with my Platy and what to do about it. When I first got her about 4 months ago she immediately developed an infection (white, stringy feces) which I treated and cured.   <With? How?> She has been fine since then (though possibly somewhat lethargic, and oddly skittish when I approach the tank). <Possibly re the "treatment"> Then, 3 days ago, she developed a really strange symptom.  She has fine strings that look like corn silk hanging from her "chin" (they are probably coming from her gills, but its really hard to tell).  Some strands are as long as 1".  I've quarantined her and started using Fungus Clear for lack of a better idea, but would appreciate any thoughts you have on what I should do to help her. Thanks! <Is bizarre... if you had a simple microscope I'd take a closer look... Am tempted to suggest either an anthelminthic (like Praziquantel) or more general invertebrate-cide like DTHP, lest this be an actual crustacean parasite. Please put these medications names in the Google search tool on WWM and read on. Bob Fenner>