HELP! Platy died 20 minutes ago

[Lucy]

A few days ago I posted Poor Platy. Well, said Tuxedo platy died 20 minutes ago. I noticed a whitish sheen to his body, clamped fins and sunken gills. He hadn't eaten for days. Now, my female red wagtail (pregnant) has stopped eating, is very lethargic and has got whitish lesions/marks on her body and also clamped fins. I've done a 30% water change, taken out 2 of the plants (leaving one behind), changed filters, and treated water with Liquisil General Tonic. What's happening? I don't know the parameters except that the ammonia is ok. Tank size = 10x12x15 and temperature is 25 degrees. We now have 9 fish in the tank (3 zebra dannios; 2 baby platys; 3 adult platys; 1 pleco). The smaller fish don't appear to be bothered in the slightist, it's only the adult platys that seem upset.

Advice needed ASAP.

 

[semper fi]

why did you change the filter? do you mean that you changed the actual filter itself or the medium in the filter? if you have carbon in the filter it would have removed the treatment that you added to the tank. you do need to remove the carbon when treating the tank with meds to allow the meds to work. does the white look like salt sprinkled, a white cottony growth, or a white film?

maggie

 

[Lucy]

Hi Maggie. I took out the carbon filter first. I replaced the foam filters (but gave them a good squeeze together with the old ones to transfer some of the bacteria). On the dead tuxedo, it was just like a whitish sheen to the body. On the red wagtail (that is still alive) it is a distinct white blemish, almost looks like a big white scale, on the side of her body, and a slight whitish mark near her top fin (excuse the beginners terminology).

I have come home from work today however and she seems to have picked up quite a bit - is very hungry indeed and much more active. I'm beginning to think it was a nitrate problem but I haven't got a test kit to check. I've taken out the two straggly, mushy looking plants and left in the brand new healthy one.

I think maybe it's not so bad now. Question - when can I put the carbon filter back in?

 

[wetwetwet]

Hi Lucy,

carbon can go back in when you are satisfied that all signs of disease are gone or if you want to remove a treatment before trying another one. Activated carbon has a usefull life of about 4 weeks at which time it can start leaching back contaminants back into the water. It is recomended to only use it for short periods as it will also strip out necessary minerals in the water - say 4 weeks on 4 weeks off as a max.

How long has the tank been set-up?

Test kits really are important to try and work out what could be wrong, you could try getting the 'eSHa Aqua quick Test' very easy to use and the strips can be cut into 3 to make them more cost effective

The only filter material I regularly change is the floss. Sponges should only need a quick rinse in old tank water during a partial water change,

hth