Beloved platy with missing scales? a disease? both?

[PaigeIs]

I just noticed that one of my platy (Her name is Rocket, BTW) has a couple of white patches on one side.  They do not appear to be raised or fuzzy but the white looks like it is on the scales rather than missing scales, but I cannot be sure.  Yesterday I caught a fish "pecking" at her and removed him from the tank.  (He was an a**hole anyway). 

Does anyone have any thoughts/ideas about helping her? 

Her tankmates include nerite snails and amano shrimp, so I am reluctant to add salt as a just-in-case measure.  I've included a picture of her normal and " injured " sides for comparison.

Ignore the black scales. She got caught in a feeding clip a couple of years ago and looks messed up. We don't like to talk about it.

Water Parameters:

20G high, planted tank

• Temp 76
• PH: 7.6
• GH 15 
• KH 11
• Nitrates between 20 - 40  (hard to tell from color)
• Nitrites 0
• Ammonia 0
• Chlorine 0

Edited July 15, 2023 by PaigeIs

[Sarina]

Nerite snails and amano shrimp both tolerate salt very well, but your plants may not appreciate it. You can also do a round of Maracyn and Ich-X together in the style of a med trio treatment without the ParaCleanse. This would prevent her injuries from developing a bacterial or fungal infection, and it will be safe for your inverts and plants. 

[Colu]

Looks bacterial what I would do is a course of maracyn2 in food feeding a small amount twice a day for 7 days it less likely to harm your shrimp or snail if you use the medicated food @PaigeIs

[PaigeIs]

On 7/14/2023 at 3:15 PM, Colu said:

Looks bacterial what I would do is a course of maracyn2 in food feeding a small amount twice a day for 7 days it less likely to harm your shrimp or snail if you use the medicated food @PaigeIs

Thanks for the detailed instructions. Your expert advice is appreciated.    I failed to mention in my original post that I am going on vacation Sunday, so a prolonged treatment is not in the cards.  I'm going to try the Maracyn + IchX soak method and hope for the best.  Fingers crossed, all my fish are not sick or dead when I get back.  If the fish are still alive, I will try the plan you've recommended.     🤞🤞

On 7/14/2023 at 2:28 PM, Sarina said:

Nerite snails and amano shrimp both tolerate salt very well, but your plants may not appreciate it. You can also do a round of Maracyn and Ich-X together in the style of a med trio treatment without the ParaCleanse. This would prevent her injuries from developing a bacterial or fungal infection, and it will be safe for your inverts and plants. 

Thank You, Sarina.  I'll give it a try, fingers crossed!

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/14/2023 at 2:06 PM, PaigeIs said:

20G high, planted tank

• Temp 76
• PH: 7.6
• GH 15 
• KH 11
• Nitrates between 20 - 40  (hard to tell from color)
• Nitrites 0
• Ammonia 0
• Chlorine 0

Everything here seems to be fine. I don't see any issues.  The advice from @Sarina is wonderful and it's a great place to start.

Normal when it's something we don't know what on earth is going on, the best thing to do is to run aquarium salt for any external issues.  This does a variety of things.  Second to that is adding botanicals like alder cones or catappa leaves to help add some anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties to the water.  When I looked at the fish I saw what could be the start of fin rot.  This is just something to monitor and the salt should be adequate to clear those things up.  You can see the white edges on the fin, this is normal for fins that are repairing themselves.  On the tail you can see softened edges and a bit of fraying, which is either indicative of fin nipping or fin rot.

The whiteness on the middle of the fish could just be swelling, which is unfortunately not very clear as to any particular cause.  It could be a bacterial infection, internally, excess fluid, or the start of something called dropsy.  It could also just be a pregnant female who is showing signs of pregnancy.

Based on the above eyes of @Colu the recommendation here is for a gram negative bacterial treatment.  Either meds would be Maracyn 2 or Kanaplex.  The fin rot (if that's what we're seeing) is also indicative of needing a gram negative bacterial treatment. 

 

On 7/14/2023 at 7:02 PM, PaigeIs said:

    I failed to mention in my original post that I am going on vacation Sunday, so a prolonged treatment is not in the cards.  I'm going to try the Maracyn + IchX soak method and hope for the best.  Fingers crossed, all my fish are not sick or dead when I get back.  If the fish are still alive, I will try the plan you've recommended.     🤞🤞

I would encourage you to remove whatever plants or snails that need be removed and add in salt as well.  Dose for me is 1/3-cup per 10G which is also the "level 2" treatment from the aquarium co-op blog article which is 1 TBSP per 2 Gallons of water.  Whatever isn't in the tank, if it's only plants can go into a bucket / tote with an airstone during that time.  Ich-X, Salt, botanicals, can all be used as a "soak method, but the bacterial medication treatment is going to be most effective with repeated doses as @Colu mentions above.  You're treating for an "active infection" and that means soak isn't really viable for a bacterial treatment at that point.  The fish won't get enough medication to fight off the disease and it could do more damage without that full dose.

 

[PaigeIs]

Update:  Other, much smaller,  fish are picking at the scales on her side.  Not her fins, just the one side.  She's not swimming away from them.  

Edited July 15, 2023 by PaigeIs

[Colu]

I would move to a  quarantine tank if you don't have one you could use a breeder box 

[PaigeIs]

On 7/15/2023 at 4:56 PM, Colu said:

I would move to a  quarantine tank if you don't have one you could use a breeder box 

The breeder box is a good idea.  I am leaving tomorrow for a week and can't monitor a quarantine tank for ammonia etc. 

[PaigeIs]

Follow-up question.  How long until signs of infection clear up?  The infected fish is now in a quarantine tank and seems to be on the mend.  I am treating it with a combo of Maracyn, Ich-X, and salt, because that is what I have on hand.   I ordered some Kanaplex and Jungle Fungus Clear in case I need more aggressive treatment. We are on day three of the full med treatment, and she's active and eating normally, but there is still visible white stuff on her side.  

Note:  The small white dots are on the tank, not the fish.  

[Colu]

On 7/26/2023 at 12:58 AM, PaigeIs said:

Follow-up question.  How long until signs of infection clear up?  The infected fish is now in a quarantine tank and seems to be on the mend.  I am treating it with a combo of Maracyn, Ich-X, and salt, because that is what I have on hand.   I ordered some Kanaplex and Jungle Fungus Clear in case I need more aggressive treatment. We are on day three of the full med treatment, and she's active and eating normally, but there is still visible white stuff on her side.  

Note:  The small white dots are on the tank, not the fish.  

Depending on the type of infection it can take anywhere from a couple of weeks or longer with fin rot you can kill the bacterial response able for the infection it can take a couple of weeks for the fins to fully regrow depending on the severity of the fin loss 

[PaigeIs]

@Colu  Thanks!  I'll finish the treatment, let her stay in quarantine for observations (and peace), and heal for a few weeks. I appreciate your advice.