Here we go again?

[ostrow]

Female Red Wag Platy has a gouge in the middle of her tail. Dorsal fin seems a tad ragged too. Otherwise she seems and has seemed perfectly healthy (which, in my tank, has been the kiss of death of late).

I see no sign of ick, fungus, or anything. Just noticed it so am not treating.

Noticed while doing a water change, but as I had started... So now she's even more stressed most likely. (That's anohter thing... I let my water sit overnight before doing a change but that means the water I add is substantially cooler than the water in the tank. Hmmm...)

Anyway, I almost went for the Maracide drops to work vs. infection but figured I'd post for suggestions on my platy.

Thanks.

 

[adeyc]

If it's just a bit of damaged fins and stress, try some melafix.  Plenty of hiding places in the tank should provide a refuge for any stressed harrased fish(Can't remember if you said youd a tank you can uses to hospitalise sick fish. If you have best to put her in that while you treat) even a cople of terracota plant pots on there side would do as hiding places.

oh yeah if she's streesed quite badly keep any eye open for any secondry infection starting

 

[ostrow]

No hospital tank.  Perhaps one day this little 6 Gal job will become a hospital!  But for now it's all I got.

Are plants and rocks but she doesn't normally hide.  She's a swimmer.  I'll have to get some Melafix

Man ... I gotta get me a bigger shelf for all this stuff    

For now I used Stress Coat.

What I need to watch for I think is dorsal fin turning whitish ... i fear fungus. The male red wag had that a couple months ago and just after he was cured, we went on vacation, and returned to find an ex-fish. :hmm:

 

[adeyc]

yep thats the most obvious thing to watch for, but the thing could confuse you and get something else. they're good at that.
Melafix is basicly tea tree oil. a natural antiseptic and promotes healing. Some peeps just make a solution of tea-tree oil and add that to the tank, but untill you have a bit more experience with meds etc I wouldnt recomend it.

don't use too much stress coat though as that itself will lead to problems. if she feels the stress is getting to much for her she'll try and find somewhere to hide.

 

[ostrow]

Really? Stress Coat can make the fish too warm?
I followed the instructions ... and then added a tad for good luck (small tad) in the water change. I'm clearly within range.

But I am curious what the stuff can beget if used in large amounts...

 

[adeyc]

Lets see if I can remember this right. lol
Fish produce a natural slime coating by the process of osmosis that helps it's imune system, what stress coat does is the same thing but the fish cannot control the effects of it and how much is used. it coates the fishes gills and excess use will eventualy clog the gills thus the fish will suffocate. To go back to an old thread :0 Salt, helps the natural osmosis proccess so that is why it gets recomended as a med' in certain cases. The fish use salt in there bodies to produce the coating so a little help with the salt content does good. it's the opposite for marines I think.
Pity all my books are down at the girlfriends or i could have given you a better answer, I'll need to get some of them back. lol I think thats the basics of it. I'll get them later and post tomorrow unless anyone else has the exact thing handy.

 

[Rose]

That's what it does Adyec. All that with out books wow. I have notes and well notes galore and still can't remember half of what i have written down. R

 

[adeyc]

me too. she's reading all the stuff just now so I'm left with knowledge and expereince. good to see the brain is still working

 

[Rose]

:laugh: :laugh:

 

[ostrow]

Melafix: carbon filter in or out? Jar says filtration not a problem but I am skeptical...

 

[adeyc]

Best to remove the carbon with all meds. A few do say the are ok with it but I'm a bit skeptical as well about it, so remove the stuff.

 

[ostrow]

Ok, so I put in the Mela-Fix. Didn't come with dispenser so I'm figuring a capful is a tsp. Normally is. Anyway, I did put a bit more in than was indicated on the label (minor spillage).

Does the water normally cloud a tad with this stuff? It does smell a bit (tea oil).

I just wonder if anyone has had clouding of the water or problems I should be aware of.

Thanks.

 

[Rose]

cloudy water is normal with the stuff. Don't worry about it. will clear up when you put the carbon back in and do a water change. Rose