Stressed Platty?

Thanks to nmonk for the info already given.

The reason the Swordtail was put in a floating breeding tank is , as yet, I don't have a second nursery/hospital tank (but do now intend to get one) and he had killed the 3 female Swords in a couple of days.

The female platty had been bullied by him and had took to hiding on a ledge at the back of the tank barely moving more than .5cm all day (except when encouraged out for food). It's been a month now since I passed the Swordtail on to someone else. The platty is not bullied now, swims around all day, feeds quite well (but is still wary of others so hangs back from the main group when feeding). Sometimes she will open her tail & raise her dorsal fin but she is very thin & doesn't appear to gain weight or grow. Tail seems to be 'raggy' rather than missing between the rays.

Water stats are

PH 7.6
Nitrite 0
Amonia 0.25
Nitrate 2 (colour is between 0 & 5 colours on chart)

Have just completed a water change after whitespot treatment, before which Amonia was 0.35 & nitrate 30. Ph & nitrite same at 7.6 & 0

She looks in a sorry state but is hanging in there so I'm not sure what the kindest thing to do is.

Her 'friend' (female platty purchased at the same time) has gived birth 3 times and another smaller platty purchased a couple of months ago once & will be due againd in a couple of week byt he looks of it. Out of 50 platty fry I've only lost 6 or 7 so things can't be all that bad (or can they?).

Norman

If she really thin and eats you are dealing with fish tb or internal parasites, i would get her out of the tank, what it look like when she goes to the toilet, and also is the anus enlarged and red.
With the fins i'm going to leave you a link to fish tb so you can look more closely at the symtoms.

http/www.4qd.org/Aqua/disease/tb.html

Wilder said:

If she really thin and eats you are dealing with fish tb or internal parasites, i would get her out of the tank, what it look like when she goes to the toilet, and also is the anus enlarged and red.
With the fins i'm going to leave you a link to fish tb so you can look more closely at the symtoms.

http/www.4qd.org/Aqua/disease/tb.html

Click to expand...

Her anus is not enlarged or red.

I have read the info in the link you sent but the only symptom that matches is the fact she is thin & fins clamped. Her appertite seem fair, not getting noticablly thinner, still moves quickly when she wants to otherwise movement similar to others, eyes not protruding, colour has faded rather than darkened but she does look grainy (or scales slightly raised), not deformed, not apparent skin defects, blood spots or open wounds, no black spots, no fin rot (only tail affected and that apperas rounded rather than fan shaped), can't see scales falling out but could be slightly raised & no general swelling which seem to go against most of the common symptons.

Also she was purchased from a reputable dealer (in business for 35 plus years and none of the others are affected (platty from same tank has given birth 3 time).

She doesn't seem the be getting worse, just not getting better nor does see seem timid, more like she just wary of some of the other fish getting too close (was bullied by the Swordtail, would she still remember that?) but even then only hangs back a couple of inches, not at the opersite end of the tank as she did when the Swordtail was still in the tank.

I have spent many an hour trolling this forum & the web but can't find similar problem.

Internal parasites could be the cause but how do you treat them? Has it gone on too long?

There has been a number of deaths in the tank but these were sudden and when swordtail was at his most aggressive. Two deaths since 1 albino cory (manic as normal on the night, dead the next morning) followed a few days later by the peppered cory (missing, presumed dead as absolutely no sign whatsoever). Niether of the corys had been bullied as far as I know nor had they shown any sign that all was not well with them.

For now a would try a bacterial med with having the finrot, plus i would try and see what it looks like when she goes to the toilet, livebearers are very prone to internal parasites

http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/nematodes.shtml

Hi Wilder

I have never seen anything that could be a worm etc. hanging from her anus, nor is there any sign of inflamation, infection, sores etc. anywhere on her body. Unlike the other fish in the tank she doesn't seem to have poop hanging from her till it drops off. In fact I can't say I seen her poop. She has been feed on flake until last Saturday when I started feeding her freeze dried tubiflex worm cubes which see seems to eat quite a few of as well as the normal flake.

I have tried to include a picture of the platty. Hope it works. If it does you will see the shape of her tail which has looked like that since she started to look stressed/unwell. It hasn't got worse or better in the last couple of weeks.

Thanks for trying to help. Do you mean a general med or a particular one?

She dosn't sound right to me, how old is she, as giving birth all the time takes it toll on them and they die early.
Sounds like her immune system is shutting down, if you don't think it internal parasites.

Try again with the photo.

She's not that old, only had her 3-4 months. She is not the platty that's keeps giving birth. It is her 'friend' (the platty purchased at the same time) that's having the babies and she is fine, almost twice the size but was only slightly bigger when I got them.

No luck with the photo. How do I upload one?

Look under fish tb.
http/www.neuro.uoregon.edu/ionmain/Fish_...s%20(Fish%20TB)

and again with the photo

There a thread somewhere on how to load a pic, if you can't find it make a thread in tropical chit chat you will get alot of help over there.

Look under here.
Piscine Tuberculosis


http/www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm

Let me get this right symtoms so far, being thin, faded colour, frayed fins, and listless.

I had made the photo smaller but not small enough so will try this one.


Hi Wilder, Did a search & found the info. Uploaded the photo just before your PM but many thanks anyway.

Yes the symptoms are being thin, faded colour, frayed fins, and listless.

Here is a photo of her 'friend'

See what you mean, it looks like her back end is going thin, i think all you can do is try a bacterial med on her.

Whats your location.

I've seen that before and sad to say they don't usually make it.
Your best bet is a bacterial med, but you have to be prepared that you still might lose her.

Have been prepared to lose her for a while, hadn't been for the others though.

Had even thought of doing 'the kindest thing but she doesn't really look bad enough to warrant that as yet (plus it's one thing loosing fish, quite another to commit the act.

North East of England, a few miles South of Sunderland.

Just wish I had an isolation tank but it could be a few days before I could get one & set it up.

And they say 'isn't it relaxing watchinh the fish swim around', if only they knew

PS. 'friend' is a lot bigger than her but photo doesn't show that. Almost twice the size in fact.

I know compared to the other fish she dosn't look right, bit like an old animal where they go thin on the back end, i would issolate her, to be honest no med is going to cure that.
Just hope its old age and nothing serious like fish tb.

Wilder said:

I know compared to the other fish she dosn't look right, bit like an old animal where they go thin on the back end, i would issolate her, to be honest no med is going to cure that.
Just hope its old age and nothing serious like fish tb.

Click to expand...

Do you thik that I would be kinder to put her out of her misery. If she's not going to get better then it's not much of a life for her. Do aquatic shops sell OLD fish. Babies from the other platty are over half her size already and they are just a few weeks old.