Sick Platys, Please Help

[Harlequins]

Give the gravel a good suck out,and do back to back large waterchanges,do a 75% waterchange,leave it settle for half hour or so,test the water again,if still high do another large waterchange and basically keep repeating this until the ammonia is has close to zero has possible.

Not finding the missing cory doesn't help,are you sure you checked inside any decor you have...

Feed very minimal or not at all for a few days has this will help...

To reduce the stress on the fish try to temperature match has close has you can,the fish would be more stressed staying in ammonia soup.

 

[ihassomefishes]

yeah, i looked everywhere. i only have one decoration with a top, and he's not in there or in any of the plants.

i've been vacuuming the gravel every time i've done a change, in case he's buried.

i'll post tonight with new readings once i do a couple big changes.

what's your opinion on cycle?

 

[SlyPolak]

Exactly what Harlequins said, water changes water changes to bring the ammonia down.
You sure the cory didnt jump out or something??

Oh, and I am not trying to speak for H , but I think that you will see that MOST (if not all) of the people on here think BioSpira/ Cycle... basically all of the "Bacteria in a bottle" products are useless....
Atleast I do.

 

[ihassomefishes]

i thought he may have jumped out, he was swimming really erratically before he disappeared, but i looked behind the tank and on the floor and didn't see him.

le sigh.

 

[SlyPolak]

Do you have any cats or dogs..... could make a quick snack

 

[Harlequins]

I agree bottled bacteria doesn't do much good,some people say they have had success...really its just a way for the lfs to part you with hard earned cash...

Hows the stats looking?

 

[ihassomefishes]

nope, just me. i certainly didn't eat him. ha

 

[ihassomefishes]

sigh. 2ppm. i'm about to do a 2nd change to see if i can get it below 1.

the platy w/ the clamped fins has recovered 100%..she's back to her normal self. the other is still hanging out in the bottom of the tank.

 

[Harlequins]

The only way has i said before is to do back to back large waterchanges.at least 75% ,you need to get it has close to zero has you can asap or the fish wont survive it...

 

[ihassomefishes]

ok, so...new stats:

ammonia: 1ppm (dropped from 2ppm on its own overnight)
nitrite: .25ppm
nitrate: 5ppm

 

[Harlequins]

Keep doing waterchanges as soon as possible,your levels are still very high.

 

[ihassomefishes]

ah, minor improvements.

ammonia: .5ppm
nitrite: somewhere between 0 and .25ppm
nitrate: 10ppm

fish are happier, i'm changing water every day...and i've got that wet soil tank cycling smell happening.

 

[Fred37]

Hiya,

just seen this thread....it might also be worth checking out the web for articles on 'free ammonia' and 'locked ammonia' as I was previously advised that whilst some of the test kits will detect only the 'free ammonia' i.e. the dangerous stuff left after you've used products like Ammo Lock, others still read 'total ammonia' i.e. what's free and what's 'held' by Ammo Lock.....I believe that API may be the latter
Regards.