NEED HELP WITH PLATY EMERGENCY ! ! ! !

[Starry]

Hi everyone, first time aquarium owner here needs help ! ! (long post, sorry!)

I just got a mickeymouse Platy 2 days ago. At some point during each night that I had her so far, she was having some problems where she was just staying at the top of the tank, not even moving. She looked like she was going to die. (I treated the water with accu-clear 2 times to clear cloudy water about before I put her in originally. It did clear the water up.) Even when I put my hand near the tank of where she was, it seemed like she was blind. Then during next day which was yesterday is when she seems fine, she is swimming more and she was more alert. This only seems to happen during the night. But during the day she still is very calm and she seems to staying by herself most of the time in one spot. And she is mostly staying at the top of the tank. But a big improvement from during the night. (She is younger)

Yesterday I went out and bought another platy. I thought the one I got the day before maybe needed another fish with her. (Thats what someone told me) This one from yesterday is older and hyper and she seems to like to swim up and down next to the glass. She didn't seem as hyper in the petshop. The one I got originally followed the new one I got yesterday for a minute. But she is now staying by herself.

I have stress zyme in the water. Should I do a water change? If so, can it wait another day? I don't have a tester for ammonia. . One is so calm and especially what happend to her during the night it is causing me concern and the other is way too hyper, also causing me concern. I had a sample of water conditioner that I used when I set up the tank originally that I threw away because it was non-resealable. So I have to buy a bottle. During the day I work so I have to wait till tomorrow night to buy the conditioner if I need to do a water change. The tank was running a week before I put the first fish in yesterday.
I have not a clue what to do

also, Is it true that I should put aquarium salt in the water??

(I have a heater and the filter running.)

ALSO:
I think the one I got yesterday is pregnant. What do I do if that is the case? I can't keep any babies !! Would it be best to give this one back to a petshop? I can see 3 little black dots through her skin before the tail. Is that a sign? Maybe it is best if I get another young one like I got originally and take this one to another petshop. The other one that I have seemed to want to bond with this possibly pregnant one but the pregnant(?) one doesn't seem to want to be bothered. However the pregnant one picked at my other one a few times so the original one seems scared now. The petshop I bought the pregnant(?) one is closing so I would have to take her to another one that hopefully would take her in. I hope.

Any advice, thoughts or opinions will be GREATLY appreciated ! ! ! I just don't want any of the fish to die.

I hope this makes sense.

 

[Missy]

Hi Starry,

I'm actually having some problems with my tank right now too but I can offer a few bits of info.

I didn't go in the order or your post but here I go:

Salt: totally optional, everyone seems to have a different opinion. I now keep a small amount of salt in my goldfish aquarium and they seem to like it. I put it in my tropical tank when setting it up but through partial water changes I am slowly going to let is disappear because I don't think it really does much for them. They are perfectly happy without it and it is one less thing to worry about messing up. Remember, with each partial water change you will do, you will not only have to condition the water but add just the right amount of salt to maintain your levels. P.S. salt does not evaporate so you will only replace the salt from the water actually removed not the water that evaporated between water changes.

Your hyper platy is probably just fine. Mine seem to all do that when I first get them. They are pretty active fish too. The other one, well, I don't know. You may want to purchase a net breeder (not expensive). It will hang on the side of the tank and you can put her in it to keep the other fish from picking on her until you know whats up with her.

Don't add any more fish until you have tested the water and it is free of ammonia and nitrites for at least one week. Two weeks better if you can wait. Then add them very slowly. You can expect the ammonia and nitrites to be off some since it is a new tank. If the level of ammonia is really scary when you check you can add AmmoLock which DOES NOT remove ammonia only converts it to a non-toxic form for the fish. You must still work to remove it. Through the biological filter which is developing and partial water changes (about 1/wk) you can eventually get it to 0.

Last but not least, Platys, Swordtails, Mollies and Guppies are livebearing fish and reproduce very easily. Unless you buy only one gender you will have babies no doubt. You have a choice if you decide to keep both genders in your tank. You can put them in a net breeder and feed them powdered food, etc. and raise them. If you decide that raising them might be fun, which it is, then you can give them to your local pet store when they are old enough. Or, you can let the babies fend for themselves, (some may survive if given lots and lots of plants to hide in) or they will be eaten as a tasty snack by your other fish. I think plenty of people feel that letting them be eaten is a very natural thing. I have a 10 gallon tank for babies because its part of the fun for me.

Sorry for the lengthy message.
P.S. I'm just beginning fish keeping again since the last time I kept them was in high school so I have plently of questions you'll see posted all over this site too.

Hope I had some helpful info. Good luck with your lazy platy.

 

[canis_lupus]

it sounds like your fish was 'sleeping' mine do that every night even my hyper platy they all sit just below the surface and don't move i thought my fish had ammonia poisonning cuz i don't have a test kit 4 that but the next day they were fine

 

[Starry]

Thank you for your help everyone !
Your advice was very helpful !