HELP! Platy hanging at bottom. Is he sick?

[evonner]

I have one of my platies behaving differently. This morning he was just laying on the bottom on top of the substrate of the tank. I thought he was dead and I  went to get a net he swam a little. He is now hiding under a plant. He is very small not even comparable to the other platies. I'm wondering if he is even a platy. He is the size of a guppy.  Maybe a Molly? Ok he swam over to the other side of the tank and is hiding in plants laying on the substrate. On his way there he tried tuck himseld under a lava rock.  Do I need to get him to quarantine tank??? Is he dying or tired?

[Theplatymaster]

@evonner

that is a platy for sure.

My first question when it comes to sick fish is always "Will it eat?" checking fish's eating habits are a good uninvasive way to tell if they are sick. often sick fish will not eat.

but yes it is probably sick, i recommend moving it to a QT tank, and monitoring its behaviors there.

@Coluwill know more on this topic than i do.

[evonner]

Going to add some more pics and a link to videos. 

Videos of this platy

@Theplatymaster

check our the video link I just posted. It looks like he's nipping on algae but I agree I think he is stick but with what I don't know 

[evonner]

 

@Theplatymaster

@Colu

He's dead. Colu I think your the disease expert. These fish were new and quarantined and treated for ICH. Maybe the videos will show you something. 

[Colu]

On 3/14/2023 at 10:06 PM, evonner said:

 

@Theplatymaster

@Colu

He's dead. Colu I think your the disease expert. These fish were new and quarantined and treated for ICH. Maybe the videos will show you something. 

What's your water parameters ammonia nitrite nitrate kH GH have you notice any rapid breathing hanging near the surface flashing spitting food out 

[evonner]

I tested last night. pH 7.4, ammonia  0, nitrites 0, nitrate 10-20, dGH 11, dKH 7, temp 80. No rapid breathing. What is surface flashing? 

FYI- @Theplatymaster

Houston I have a problem. I just discovered platy fry hiding in the plants. I don't breed. 

[Theplatymaster]

On 3/14/2023 at 8:46 PM, evonner said:

Houston I have a problem. I just discovered platy fry hiding in the plants. I don't breed. 

based on your pictures, it appears you have both males and females in the tank.

that just causes breeding.

and you dont need to do anything. if you leave it, chances are it will get eaten, and if not,

its a free fish!

i understand not wanting a population explosion, but 1fish isnt an explosion.

[evonner]

I purchased them from PetSmart  and they don't separate the males and females for platies but do for guppies.  My guppies are all males. I thought one of those platies was pregnant.  What's the easiest way to tell the different sex in platies? I've heard, Size and tail shape. How do I keep the fry from being eaten without them being in a breeder box? What do they eat? 

[evonner]

Well the fry have not been eaten yet and it doesn't appear that the other fish even care. I learned how to tell the difference of the sexs with the platies.

[Theplatymaster]

On 3/14/2023 at 10:27 PM, evonner said:

I purchased them from PetSmart  and they don't separate the males and females for platies but do for guppies.  My guppies are all males. I thought one of those platies was pregnant.  What's the easiest way to tell the different sex in platies? I've heard, Size and tail shape. How do I keep the fry from being eaten without them being in a breeder box? What do they eat? 

ill answer most of these questions.

You may have gotten all females, however, even if the female did not appear pregant, female platies can store sperm for up to 7months, meaning unless you get a rather young one, getting unpregnant platies from a store, is rather difficult.

you can protect them with lots of hiding spots, and heavily feeding the other fish.

They will eat whatever food they can find (platies are not picky) including small bits of algae, and should be fine without any special feedings.

[Colu]

On 3/15/2023 at 12:46 AM, evonner said:

What is surface flashing? 

I mean hanging near the surface I should have put or flashing rubbing on things in the tank  your water parameters look fine nothing jumping out at me sometimes fish die for no apparent reason they can have heart attacks or it could have swim into something in the tank and stunned itself and not recovered it might have just been genetically weak it difficult to say for sure 

Edited March 16, 2023 by Colu

[evonner]

No flashing but he did just hoover towards the top of the tank in one spot. My friend thought he was dead. I got my net to take him out and he quickly swam away. Not dead then. That was a couple days before I realized something was wrong with him and he died before I could get him into quarantine.  He was very small for a platy, the odd man out. Maybe not a platy. 

I have been feeding flakes, pellets and frozen brine and the adult fish pay no attention to the fry. The fry are starting to venture out into the open more. I did my first water change last night and I did not suck up any of the fry but I was sweatin it. They seem to know when to run and they do it very fast. Lol. This is quite the adventure.  Yes, I believe I did buy a pregnant platy. Had to cuz I haven't had them long enough for all this excitement.