Male Platy in trouble.......

[Jimmy Twotimes]

Hi Guys

Got my first batch of fish on Sunday after fishless cycling my 32 gallon (UK) tank for around 6 weeks. Ammonia and Nitrite zero and some nitrate but within safety zone.

Bought 4 Platys (1 male and 3 female) and 2 small Siamese Algae Eaters. All woke up seemingly fine this morning but this evening I noticed that the male platy is not moving one of his fins (the one next to his gill). It looks a bit chewed (but not much) and also is white rather than opaque like the other fin. His top fin (dorsel?) is always lowered and he's just staying in the middle of the tank, not swimming with the girls. The SAE look very happy munching on the algae.

Could this damage been done while at the LFS or could he developed this overnight? He doesnt seem to happy and that fin looks definately out of action, even a bit mangled.

Do I need to take him out and euthanise? I dont have a hospital tank, I wasnt expecting a sick fish after only 24 hrs.



What can I do?

Jimmy

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Ok. First, yes, it is the dorsal fin on top. If the fin is white and he's clamped his fin, he is definitely sick. Return him to the store at once so he won't spread the disease.
The disease is probably fin rot. Treatment doesn't cost much, but unless you want to see what healing fish is like, return him for a healthy one.

Also, you might want to put in another male... The normal ratio is 1 male to 2 females. One male might prefer 1 of the females and not impregnate the others, so it might be prudent to add another male if you want to breed.

Good luck!

 

[Sinuhe]

If you get one more male, I recommend getting at least one more female. I don't think there can be too many females per males, but 3 females might get a stressed out by being harrassed by 2 males all the time. 1 male for 3 females is usually considered a good ratio, but at least 2 females per 1 male is recommended.

A slight case of fin rot is not necessarily hard to deal with. If you decide not to return the fish, you could first try keeping the water extra fresh with partial water changes, and add Melafix if you have access to it (can't get it myself currently, but it was recommended to me in a similar case). Fin rot spreads easily, so even if you return the one sick fish, the rest have a chance of catching it, as well. More severe cases usually require antibiotics, which in turn will mess up the biological bacteria of the tank.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

And if you treat the tank, remove the carbon from the filter, otherwise it won't have any effect on the fish. (I speak from experience)