Platys With Hollow Bellies

[Lone Wolf]

Hey there, I am a new tropical aquriamist to the breeding of platys (had tropical fish for about 3 years) and not long after my first batch of babys were born two of my fish slowly started to get extremely skinny. They have hollow bellies and have lost the "platy" shape. When i had my other wish the same thing used to happen and throughout my hours of browsing the net i have not found a fish disese with these symptoms. I have done water changes but i think that one of them is not far off dying. Any help is appreciated.

 

[WILDER]

Being really skinny can be old age, fish tb, to internal parasites.
Signs o internal parasites are.
Long stringy white poo to clear mucas poo.
Being skinny or bloated.
Bent spine.
Enlarged anus to red inflamed anus.
Worms hanging from the anus.

 

[Lone Wolf]

ok how do i cure it?

 

[WILDER]

If in the uk you will need a vet to perscribe this med levamisole hydrochloride.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Ok so its not contageous is it? The only fish that will die are the ones that have it?

 

[WILDER]

Yes internal parasites are contagious, even sucking another fish poo up can pass them on.

 

[Lone Wolf]

ok thats not good. Whats the best way to destroy the affected fish?

 

[WILDER]

If he's in a bad way jug of cold water with added ice cubes till the water is freezing cold, then add the fish, shouldn't take long, but best to leave the fish a while to make sure its passed on.
You will still need to threat the tank for internal parasites.

 

[sketchy]

If in the uk you will need a vet to perscribe this med levamisole hydrochloride.

I'm not sure how effective the stuff is, but I'm sure that I have seen meds reccomended for internal parasites in pets at home. Although not the best place to buy fish, IME they do stock a reasonable range of meds.

Hope this helps

 

[WILDER]

I doubt uk fish stores will sell levaimsole unless its under the counter job.

 

[sketchy]

I doubt uk fish stores will sell levaimsole unless its under the counter job.

I don't know from experience, but last time I was looking for something in that dept, there was something there. As I said, I dont know how effective this stuff is, as I didnt look at the ingredients or the like. It may well be a rubbish alternative, but worth a try surely?

 

[Lone Wolf]

ok im in New Zealand and the one thing we dont have is a vet who knows about fish, What i am going to do today is remove the fish and get rid of them, then clean out my tank completely. will this help at all?

 

[WILDER]

You have to steralise everything even the filter and sponges i'm afraid.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Ok am i able to steralize everything with heavily salted water? I have cleaned entire tank out, including the stones and put 3/4 of the water back in (did this before i read your post). I have live plants which all got washed and i put some aquarium salt in the tank. I also treated for white spot as the two that had hollow bellies had that which i only notised this morning. I have also destroyed the two affected fish and all my other look fine so far. I have 5 platys left, two males and three females. Two females are very pregnant and the third had her babies two days ago, She had eleven all of which look fine. This is all i have done so far.

 

[WILDER]

Ok.
The other fish in the tank could of already been infected.
The only way to stop internal parasites without meds would of been to destroy all the fish, which I don't agree with.
Then steralise all the equipment and tank and start again.
What you have done already hasn't done much, as if the fish that are left do have internal parasites, the process just keeps going on, till you kill the host.