Newbie-ishfish

I still have the HOB that came with the kit the TopFin Silenstream that uses the PF-L filter cartridges.

Hello! I have been cycling my tank, almost completed the process about 8 weeks out from the start. I was told not to change the filter media because I'd lose my beneficial bacteria and it would start all over but I have also heard if sudden ammonia issues after nitrates had been stabilized can come from a dirty filter. wondering if that could be true? I had cleaned the cartridge (with dechlorinated water) a week ago just to avoid it getting too dirty with waste. At what point should the filter be changed vs just cleaned? my understanding is that you dont want to replace early on in the cycling process but it is ok once nitrates are in the tank because beneficial bacteria are on more than just the filter at that point? Also any thoughts on changing to sponge filter vs current hob?

Yea once he was here I realized it was probably a male. crazy part thought maybe “she” just has a fancier fin than the other girls ive got the room to keep him it just puts the M:F ratio more out of wack and I’m feeling bad for this one girl who seems unhappy - the silver male is a big bully

I think this platy ended up being male even though I purchased female The photo of the anal fin looked more fanned with a pointed end but I think (especially comparing to my true females- one pictured below for more reference) it’s a boy even though he’s bigger only weird thing is my silver boy platy uses his gonopodium like he grabs at his other fins and moves it around where the salt and pepper “guy?” Doesn’t do anything with it. The pepper platy also doesn’t care about the females where the silver guy is non stop harassing to mate. Any thoughts? I really needed another female cause one of my females is getting stressed but I feel attached now I don’t wanna dump him back on the seller

Hasn’t even been a week with the coral added to my substrate and it looks like my KH is 80 now. Fisher all doing well. On this strip pH looks more like seven than 7.5 is the only difference.

Ok. Ph is 7.5 but I ordered some coral

And we don’t think the red gills or stringy poop is parasitic?

Even though my ph is good? Won’t coral raise the ph as well?

Ok. I think I was just thrown by the sudden change/death and honestly no outward signs. According to test strips kh 40 and gh 180 (but that’s the highest my strips go to)

These are the possible fish in question I suppose.

The two fish in question

I just didn’t think it was bacterial cause there are no outward signs and dr Google mostly found articles related to internal parasites.

I think it might have been parasites or gill flukes (even though some places say you cant see those) but poops have been thin and stringy/white and this poor girl seemed fine even with the spot but after 2 days when I woke up her spine was completely bent in half and she couldnt swim so I decided to euthanize her. I'm treating with Fritz Paracleanse today just in case.

I haven't noticed stomachs sunken necessarily, but two dont seem to be growing much. One has lighter/white gills (no fluff where it looks like fungus or anything). Ive noticed thin white/stringy poops. Also one had a light patch on the side (at first i thought maybe a scale injury so I started treating the tank with some salt) and within two days his spine was completely bent in half and couldnt swim I had to euthanize. Overall parameters are all within normal limits and stable. everyone is still acting normal and eating.

I have a tank of Platy fish, all seem to be doing well but I suspect they may (or some of them) have internal parasites or gill flukes? Got paracleanse for the tank. Just in case I want to treat them all but want to make sure if some of them are not infected will it be safe to treat them all?