Platies and bubbles

Johnald · Mar 6, 2022

Hi everyone.

We got a 10 gallon tank 2 weeks ago. Conditioned it for a week before introducing fish. 2 platies and a Molly. Over the last (1st) week the Mollie and 1 platy (Mickey mouse) were quite active with the other platy (wagtail) always hiding rarely coming out even to eat. I talked to store today and they suggested introducing an air pump which I purchased and put in this morning. No change in the Molly's behaviour but the platys are obsessed with hanging out at the top in the surface bubbles created by the air pump.
Is this normal behavior for platys to mostly stay at the surface with the bubbles? They do periodically swim around now but have spent all afternoon 'playing' in the surface bubbles. Where as before the air pump mickey mouse platy swam all over the tank and the wagtail never came out of hiding.

I did have the store check the water and everything as perfect. I just thought it was weird that the one platy went from hiding in the castle all day to only hanging out at the surface bubbles now. And it did surface eat tonight during feeding.....
Thanks......

Madisonkrug · Mar 6, 2022

Johnald said:
Hi everyone.

We got a 10 gallon tank 2 weeks ago. Conditioned it for a week before introducing fish. 2 platies and a Molly. Over the last (1st) week the Mollie and 1 platy (Mickey mouse) were quite active with the other platy (wagtail) always hiding rarely coming out even to eat. I talked to store today and they suggested introducing an air pump which I purchased and put in this morning. No change in the Molly's behaviour but the platys are obsessed with hanging out at the top in the surface bubbles created by the air pump.
Is this normal behavior for platys to mostly stay at the surface with the bubbles? They do periodically swim around now but have spent all afternoon 'playing' in the surface bubbles. Where as before the air pump mickey mouse platy swam all over the tank and the wagtail never came out of hiding.

I did have the store check the water and everything as perfect. I just thought it was weird that the one platy went from hiding in the castle all day to only hanging out at the surface bubbles now. And it did surface eat tonight during feeding.....
Thanks......

What type of filter are you running along with the air pump? It may be that the fish became familiar with the tank and felt safe enough to venture out. It could also be that if you have mostly fake decorations and minimal or no filtration before you added the air pump that your fish was suffocating due to the lack of oxygen in the water and was uncomfortable in the tank trying to conserve energy to stay healthy. Glad he seems to be more at home!!

Johnald · Mar 6, 2022

Madisonkrug said:
What type of filter are you running along with the air pump? It may be that the fish became familiar with the tank and felt safe enough to venture out. It could also be that if you have mostly fake decorations and minimal or no filtration before you added the air pump that your fish was suffocating due to the lack of oxygen in the water and was uncomfortable in the tank trying to conserve energy to stay healthy. Glad he seems to be more at home!!

Thanks for your reply. I'm using a tank hanging filter Top Fin® Silenstream.
I just thought it was strange this behavior started immediately after introducing the air pump. All our decorations are fake. I did a 25% water change Friday because the mickey mouse was stressed at the top of the tank (prior to adding air pump) after the water change it was much better I thought it was ammonia as at that time I didn't have a test lot for ammonia but the pet store advice was likely lack of oxygen and water change added the oxygen needed.
I just thought it was strange as since adding the air pump they both have mainly been at the surface only not swimming as much as I thought they should. Just kind of hanging out in the bubbles. But the mollies are swimming around loving life.

NannaLou · Mar 6, 2022

It sounds as if your tank has been fully cycled. I’m not sure what you have done to ‘condition’ your tank in a week?

When I set up my first tank the LFS said my water was good too, but that was because there had been nothing to add ammonia to start the cycle.

What are your readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate (in numbers)? You need your own liquid test kit, the strips aren’t as accurate.

Fastest fix would be to get some fast growing live plants, especially floating ones, to absorb the ammonia while the beneficial bacteria develop.

Madisonkrug · Mar 7, 2022

Yes a lack of oxygen can make Platties more docile as they don’t like to breath from the surface where mollies don’t tend to mind as much. Often with a hang on the back filter if the water level is too high and the water doesn’t cascade in a water fall motion the surface doesn’t get disturbed enough for the oxygen to penetrate the surface tension. Platties love a bit of flow! Hopefully you don’t have any issues with this tank seems like a nice little group!

Johnald said:
Thanks for your reply. I'm using a tank hanging filter Top Fin® Silenstream.
I just thought it was strange this behavior started immediately after introducing the air pump. All our decorations are fake. I did a 25% water change Friday because the mickey mouse was stressed at the top of the tank (prior to adding air pump) after the water change it was much better I thought it was ammonia as at that time I didn't have a test lot for ammonia but the pet store advice was likely lack of oxygen and water change added the oxygen needed.
I just thought it was strange as since adding the air pump they both have mainly been at the surface only not swimming as much as I thought they should. Just kind of hanging out in the bubbles. But the mollies are swimming around loving life.

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