Platys Dying Help!

[Axodapanda]

2 weeks ago i changed the gravel and added some new driftwood to my fish tank, then waited a week and put in some new Platys (Platies?) They were fine, until one started lying on the gravel, and trying to swim up, but it kept sinking back onto the gravel. It then died the next day, and another one started doing that. 1 of the fish that died and 1 that is dying both had their spinal cord like bent and they were curved at a near right angle. now a fifth Platy is dying and I'm getting extremely nervous. Help please? In the photo the sick fish is in the bottom-right corner and is red-orange. (I think the other one is pregnant)

 

[Axodapanda]

Oops the photo was too big never mind

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Curved spines does not sound very good at all, potentially you could be dealing with fish TB here, but equally it could be deformed fish.

What size tank?

How was the tank "cycled"?

What fish are now left in the tank (species; numbers; rough size excluding their tail fin)?

Have you tested the water with ideally a liquid test kit rather than test strips? If so, what were the ammonia and nitrite readings?

 

[crazyforcordoras]

Haha, beat me too it.

 

[Axodapanda]

Well, i have a 37 gallon tank with 2 clown plecos (3-4 inches), 1 bristlenose pleco (4.5 inches), 7 cherry barbs (1.5 inches), 7 neon tetras (1 inch), 7 pricilla tetras, (I dont know how to spell it, they are transparent tetras) (1.5 inches) , 6 platys (1.5 inches), and 1 swordtail (2 inches). I'm not good with like fish terms, (cycling) but my tank water was changed 3 days ago, and my water was tested 2 days ago with everything fine except for a a bit higher nitrite, which I am fixing. If you mean cycling like with my filter, I use an AquaClear 20-50 gal. filter with up to 200 gal./hour

 

[rolltide101x]

Well, i have a 37 gallon tank with 2 clown plecos (3-4 inches), 1 bristlenose pleco (4.5 inches), 7 cherry barbs (1.5 inches), 7 neon tetras (1 inch), 7 pricilla tetras, (I dont know how to spell it, they are transparent tetras) (1.5 inches) , 6 platys (1.5 inches), and 1 swordtail (2 inches). I'm not good with like fish terms, (cycling) but my tank water was changed 3 days ago, and my water was tested 2 days ago with everything fine except for a a bit higher nitrite, which I am fixing. If you mean cycling like with my filter, I use an AquaClear 20-50 gal. filter with up to 200 gal./hour

But how long has the aquarium been set up?

 

[Axodapanda]

Oh. A little less than a year, so it seems really weird that there is now this sickness. It was just after a 2 week vacation, so maybe my tank got a little out of order, but it seemed fine when I got back. I boiled the driftwood for a long time, there was no tannins, and the gravel I rinsed repeatedly, and my new Platys seemed fine when I got them. Also I there has been many algae blooms in the water recently, (I think i feed my fish too much), and have been using "AlgaeFix" by API. There was another one, but i didn't use it, because my parents started using it and I think they use it too much.

 

[the_lock_man]

FYI, cycling is the process of growing 2 colonies of bacteria which turn the ammonia produced by your fish, first to nitrite and then to nitrate (this being the "Nitrogen Cycle")

You say you "had the water tested", this implies you don't have your own test kit, which I would strongly recommend you get - make sure it's a liquid one, not a paper strip one, as these latter are notoriously unreliable.

You also said that there was a higher nitrite reading. This is bad. THe problem is I don't know how bad. I assume you had a shop test your water. I don't know what the shop considers "higher". It could be that you also have some ammonia in the water, but the shop might consider the level to be "fine". I personally consider anything above 0ppm ammonia and nitrite to be too high, and many on this forum agree.

If you could get another sample tested, but get actual numbers, rather than vague descriptions, and the forum will be able to give much better help.

 

[Rummynose]

I just want to add that it is better not to add any new fish when you are already dealing with a problem like an algae outbreak in your tank!

When you get new fish it is best to quarantine them for 3-4 weeks before adding them to your other fish, you can treat a possible disease they might have a lot easier when they are in their own tank, without putting your other fish at risk!

Anytime you add new fish to your tank the bacteria in the filter has to catch up to be able to deal with the additional fish waste. That may be why your NitrItes were "a little high"! Only by knowing the number of the reading would it be possible to determine whether that was the reason of your platies' death. Seeing that your other fish were not bothered by it I'm more thinking along the lines that maybe the platies were sick or could not adjust to your water parameters.

How often do you change your water and how much of it do you change each time? A NitrAte reading would be super right now! If NitrAte is allowed to get very high in a tank your old fish in it could do just fine, but any fish added new to the tank can't handle it and will die!

 

[Axodapanda]

Ok.I was thinking about getting a test kit and I think i may be able to get one today, but, speaking of treating the algae bloom, should I use the algaefix and then clean the tank? or just use the algaefix. Speaking of the bacteria cycle, from one of the fish stores I go to, (I go to 2, and the one I tested by water at didn't give exact readings but this store does), When I first got my tank, they gave me a bottle of bacteria that was in a fridge and I poured it into my tank/filter. I usually change my water once every 2 weeks, with 20-25% change, but now with all the dying I'm planning on changing once a week at a 10-15% change, then every 2 weeks my usual 20-25% change. Today none of my fish are dying , but I'm still nervous that one may start dying.

I read the pinned "please read before posting the emergency forum" (Sorry I didn't read it before), and will be able to fill that out later today if I can get a test kit.

 

[Rummynose]

For most people a weekly 50% WC is best, this helps replenish minerals among other things. Remember, a tank only contains what you put into it, and a lot gets used up, even things we can't test for. Doing small water changes, and not even every week can over time deplete your tank and cause you tank water to be drastically different from your tap water. Your fish may seem fine since they have grown accustomed to it, but as I mentioned in my previous comment new additions will have a harder time with it.

Some people have soft water, low kh and gh, for them it may be better to change the water two times per week, with smaller WC of 20-30%.

Do you know if you have soft water? These minerals buffer the ph in your tank, and if minerals are low, your ph can drop! It may be wise to find out your ph in your tank and compare it with the ph from your tap. Just fill a glass with tap water, let it stand for 24 hours, and then test it! You can then compare the reading with your tank's ph!

Also, high Nitrates and low ph could easily be the cause of the algae bloom in your tank as well.

I hope you can soon figure out what is going on in your tank.

 

[Axodapanda]

I don't know how to test kh and gh, help on that? I got a water test kit today so I can post the whole format thing:

Whats wrong with/what to give to my sick fish/fish tank

Tank size:37 gallons
pH:8.0 (will add pH down by API to lower to 7.0, what I want)
ammonia:0-.25 (couldn't really tell, my guess .25)
nitrite:0
nitrate:0
kH:How do you test this?
gH:How do you test this?
tank temp:79 degrees Farenheight, 26 degrees Celcius

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): My Platys, (only Platys) were sick and lying at the bottom of the tank, trying to swim up, but they kept falling back to the gravel. 3 of the (now) 7 fish had bent spines, EDIT: for a while the platys have been gulping at the surface, but I didn't think it mattered

Volume and Frequency of water changes: once every other/every a week (planning on changing to once every week)

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: AlgaeFix by API, Will add pH Down by API, Flourish, a plant food supplement by Sachem, and I add AquaSafe Plus by Tetra to the tap water, and also Cycle by NutraFin to the tap water. I have NutraFin AquaPlus, should I use that?

Tank inhabitants: 7 Cherry barbs, 7 neon tetras, 7 Pristella tetras, 1 bristlenose pleco, 2 clown plecos, 5 platys, 1 swordtail. (lengths given in above post)

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): Changed gravel to sand and small pebbles, added 2 pieces of driftwood, 1 big, 1 small, added 8 platys, 4 of which died , and 1, 1.5-2 inch in diameter moss ball.

Exposure to chemicals: I couldn't find

Digital photo (include if possible): It wont let me upload!

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Forget the pH down, these chemicals are unlikely to truely stabilise the water at a lower pH level, stability is far more important than changing water chemistry. Your hard water (given pH 8) will be so full of buffering compounds that pH down does not stand a chance of working.

Have you done a massive water change since this emergency started, as in ~95% (fish barely covered by water on tank floor, refilling with dechlorinated similar temp fresh)? A 0.25mg/l ammonia reading in your hard and warm water warrants such a change, such water will have more of the dangerious ammonia ions present (rather than less harmful ammonium).

I would let this tank naturally drop down to 24C from its current 26C, none of your fish need high end tropical temps and cooler water can hold more oxygen (which means the bacteria will get more oxygen and hopefully neutralise this ammonia spike issue quicker after th big water change).

 

[Axodapanda]

Ok. I was planning on changing the water today, not a big change though. I already added the pH down but I just have to hope it will not affect anything.

EDIT: Sadly another one of my fish is dying. This time it is my Swordtail, which make me nervous

 

[Axodapanda]

Oops (again) in the formatted thingy where it says chemicals added, i said i use NutraFin Aqua Plus, but I actually use NutraFin Cycle. My question actually is should i use aqua plus too? or not?
EDIT I forgot you can edit and stuff, but I just did edit it so don't worry about this post