I’m going to try my best to keep this short and sweet but fair warning, there’s a lot to unpack.
Tank info:
20G, fresh water, heavily planted; fully cycled without fish; fancy guppies added 3/1/2023; platys and swordtail added 3/19/2023
4 fancy guppies: 3 F / 1 M; 3 F Platy; 1 M vampire swordtail
Parameters (Tetra Test Strips; tested 4/2/2023): temp: 78; Ammonia - 0,
Same day as testing: noticed one female Platy with harshly clamped fins, shimmying at the top of the water, one was hiding at the bottom in some plants, and one seemed fine. While doing the water change, I noticed two babies had arrived in the tank. I assumed from the one at the bottom hiding in the plants. I looked into adding salt to treat the super stressed/sick one and started REALLY small (1 tblsp per 5 gallons = 4 tblsp total). It’s a heavily planted tank so I knew wouldn’t be able to go crazy higher than that or I’d lose my plant stock. I waited 24 hours to see if the water change and salt helped with the symptoms/behavior I was seeing in the stressed Platy. However, after 24 hours (yesterday morning), the original stressed, clamped, shimmying Platy had returned to normal behaviors and appearance, but the one that was “fine” picked up where the stressed one left off: stressed, clamped fins, shimmying at the top, and also had a white/cottony appearance. The one that (I think) had the babies, seemed fine. Waited a few more hours and the stressed one looked better-ISH. However, then, the original stressed Platy started flashing/flicking plants, substrate, decor and the presumed new momma was swimming rapidly up and down the tank along with the still stressed, clamped, shimmying at the top, with a cotton coat Platy.
I read up on your trio and already had Ich-X. So I decided to NOT go the salt route and try the trio instead because I felt like it was a serious enough situation. I also assumed because of the stock in this tank (livebearers) having a pretty decent tolerance to salt and the salt amount being so low, the salt wouldn’t hurt anything and might even boost their immune system a little while doing the treatment.
I followed your directions exactly for a 20G tank and administered it last night: 2 packets Maracyn, 2 tsps Ich-X, and 2 packets Paracleanse. At around 7p (CST) tonight, they will have been in the medicated water for 24 hours. Here is my question (which will probably bring up more questions when I get the answer🤦🏻♀️🙄):
If I don’t see improvement after 7 days, do I administer the trio again? Try one medication at a time per week (per your directions for “weak fish” in the article about doing the trio)? (The picture attached is of the most stressed fish taken this morning.)
I’m newER to the fish keeping hobby and there are random little pieces of information that people forget / leave out / don’t mention and I can NEVER find when I look. I’m trying REALLY hard to be a good fish mom (probably TOO hard, if I’m being honest) but I feel like I keep messing it up. I have 3 tanks and keep a spreadsheet tab for each of them with water parameters, fish, plant, rock, decor addition and subtraction dates, notes on water parameter actions, fish behavior, etc. I enjoy it. A lot. But if I’m terrible at it and should just keep up with what I have and quit when they’re done, please tell me. I don’t like to watch animals suffer and I feel like that’s all I’ve done to these fish is made them suffer. You won’t hurt my feelings.
sorry for the novel. Thank you for any help you can provide!
-Scared and guilt ridden Fish Momma
