Lethargic platy laying on the gravel - help

[Colin_T]

Use a camera with its flash on, to photograph the fish after lights out. That will show up velvet and you can post the pictures on here for us to check them.
Make sure the pictures are in focus

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Salt baths are useless for a couple of reasons.
1) You stress and damage the fish each time you catch it and move it, and the fish draws in salt and then after the bath is draws in water (osmotic pressure).
2) Any diseases are in the main tank and when you put the fish back in the main tank, it gets infected again.

You just add salt to the main tank and leave it there for a couple of weeks to kill the diseases in the tank.

 

[Katsplaty]

Thank you I won’t try the salt bath then. I thought it had helped with the big water change and gravel vac but, a couple of them are still flicking today.
Would you do another big water change today? Or is that too much if I only did it yesterday, it still seemed like the water left behind was a bit gross. The gravel vac didn’t get rid of everything.
I took these photos with the flash on. Will do it again in the dark.

Symptoms:
Black tail: is hanging about laying on the filter top, swimming a bit or laying on the gravel, he was on his side when I said.

My white and black Mickey Mouse platy: he’s hiding a lot, he always does but, looks clamped.

My red and white Mickey Mouse platy: clamps sometimes

Orange: he’s flicking sometimes

Black/red/orange: flicking sometimes

Orange and white: flicking a little, he’s new.

Grey: new, hides a lot since the beginning. I bought these last Monday

The two bullies are in my other tank and are fine. Touch wood.

Thanks for all your help

 

[Katsplaty]

The grey one I bought a week ago today has died ? he was clamping and hiding from the start. So sad

 

[Colin_T]

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

You didn't mention adding new fish.

Add the salt (2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) and keep it there for 2-4 weeks.

If any develop small white dots on their body or fins, increase the water temperature to 30C/ 86F and keep it there for a couple of weeks.

 

[Katsplaty]

You didn't mention adding new fish.

Add the salt (2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) and keep it there for 2-4 weeks.

If any develop small white dots on their body or fins, increase the water temperature to 30C/ 86F and keep it there for a couple of weeks.

Thanks Colin,

 

[Katsplaty]

Thanks Colin, I mentioned I got two new fish in my previous post. I’m going to do another big water change later and gravel vac.
I was worried that my black/red/orange platy had velvet but, I’m not sure. He’s still flicking a lot.

 

[Katsplaty]

You didn't mention adding new fish.

Add the salt (2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) and keep it there for 2-4 weeks.

If any develop small white dots on their body or fins, increase the water temperature to 30C/ 86F and keep it there for a couple of weeks.

Hi Colin,
Thanks for your advice, to update I’ve done 5 days of changing 75% water and gravel vac. The water and gravel is now much cleaner. It was dirty when I started, the salt seems to helping as they’re more lively, swimming around.

But, there’s still a lot of flashing/flicking. One is looking clamped still.
I can’t see any white spots or velvet apart from the black one because he looks a bit golden but, I don’t know.
I wondered if it could be flukes?

Im out of salt so going to buy more today and do two more days of water changes as per your suggestion.
Any help would be appreciated?
Thanks

 

[Colin_T]

If there is only platies in the tank you could increase the amount of salt, or increase the temperature to 30C for a couple of weeks and see if that helps. If they continue to rub on things after that you will need a chemical treatment for external protozoan infections.

 

[Katsplaty]

Hi everyone, I wrote messages last week re my platys/platies and got some helpful advice but, the situation has not resolved and I don’t know what to do.

I have a 60 litre tank with 6 platys in there. Lots of hiding places and no bullying situation as I moved two other bullies to their own tank and they are fine there.

In my main tank there they have all been flicking against objects in the tank on a regular basis.
All water parameters are fine and I don’t know what else to do.
I followed advice and did big water changes daily for a week and added aquarium salt at 1-2g per litre.
I added stress coat to dechlorinate the water.
Two have with clamped fins, one of those is swimming around a lot now, previously he was really lethargic and is he is no longer flicking thank god.
One a Mickey Mouse platy is clamped and flicking a lot- he is doing it the most.

One my newest fish which I’ve had for around 3 weeks now I believe flicks sometimes.

My red tailed Mickey Mouse- his tail seems clamped but, his dorsal fin is not, he’s just started flicking.

My black/red platy- has been flicking regularly but is swimming a lot.

My orange sunset platy- is flicking. He’s the tank boss and is not his usual bossy self.

I think the salt and water changes did help but, because it’s continuing I don’t know what else to do.

They have no other signs that I can see. On Monday I used interpet anti parasite slime and velvet - that treats flukes too as a general treatment. This doesn’t seem to have made much difference but, I’m wondering if I changed water when I shouldn’t have on day 2 and 3. I changed about 2 litres each day as they seemed to unhappy.
Occasionally a few of them go up by the filter and put their nose to the surface.

They’re still eating well.

Is this just a matter of waiting?
Should I treat again?
This has been two weeks now.

None of them seem lethargic as I originally explained but the flicking seems to have spread through the tank, as the original fish that were flicking are doing it less. Except one. But now, the others are.
The original fish seems much happier and is swimming all the time. He’s no longer resting all the time.

I’ve just done another water change - around 50% and added more salt. I added love fish to remove the chlorine after reading that some fish make react to stress coat.


Thank you

 

[Katsplaty]

Hello? Anyone got any ideas that can help?

 

[Colin_T]

I cant remember what this is about but if you post videos and pictures we might see something. Other than that, what's in the medication you used?
The symptoms you describe sound like an external protozoan infection (white spot, velvet, costia, chilodonella and trichodina). they are all treated the same way, velvet and white spot are treated with heat (30C for a couple of weeks), the others are treated with salt. If that doesn't work, then look for a medication with malachite green or copper in. That will treat all external protozoan infections.