Platt disease

[Fishkeeper1010]

Hi guys I got two female platies for my 10 gallon tank, which houses my dwarf honey gourami. The tank has been running for 2.5 years now and is really established. I got the honey gourami 3 weeks ago and he is doing very well. I added the platies in two weeks ago and they were doing ok for a little bit until one started having clamped fins and shimmying. Both of them kept rubbing on the plants and substrate and heavily breathing. I tried adding aquarium salt, crushed egg shells, sea shells, feeding live baby brine shrimps, garlic, raising and keeping the temperature at 28 degrees Celsius.
 

The gourami is still doing amazing so I don’t think it’s anything to do with the water. I’ve never had much luck keeping livebearres in the past. It might be I have softer water ( I’ve never tested it), weird thing is I am able to keep and breed shrimp and snails.

I really want to keep them alive! Please help!!

[Colu]

What are your water parameters ammonia nitrite nitrate pH KH GH shimmying can caused by low KH and GH I would low the temperature to 25 degrees 

Edited September 25, 2023 by Colu

[Fishkeeper1010]

Hi thanks for replying. I do not have a test kit for gh and kh but I do agree that it’s caused by low minerals. 
my water has no ammonia or nitrite and 20 ppm of nitrate.

I have added aquarium salt and epsom salt for mineral and ph but they still have clamped fins. The more sick female is hiding but also keeps trying to chase the other female away. I have put a tank divider in with the honey gourami and less sick female on one side and the more sick female on the other side 

I have read from many sources to keep the temperature higher in case of ich or bacterial infection. I’ve also fed them garlic for parasites treatment. I do not have any medication on hand though. 

[Colu]

On 9/25/2023 at 3:31 AM, Fishkeeper1010 said:

Hi thanks for replying. I do not have a test kit for gh and kh but I do agree that it’s caused by low minerals. 
my water has no ammonia or nitrite and 20 ppm of nitrate.

I have added aquarium salt and epsom salt for mineral and ph but they still have clamped fins. The more sick female is hiding but also keeps trying to chase the other female away. I have put a tank divider in with the honey gourami and less sick female on one side and the more sick female on the other side 

I have read from many sources to keep the temperature higher in case of ich or bacterial infection. I’ve also fed them garlic for parasites treatment. I do not have any medication on hand though. 

What I would do is get a GH and KH test kit or the 5in1 test strips when you no your GH and KH then I would add some  crushed coral to help raise your GH and KH if it's  low typically you want to 1pound of crushed coral for 10 gallons  higher temperatures are good when treating ich help and  to help encourage a sick fish to except food   higher temperatures can increase mortality with epistylis and columnaris and higher temperatures shortens the life of your fish 

Edited September 25, 2023 by Colu

[Fishkeeper1010]

Help one of the platies are getting worse, it’s tail keeps lifting up and making it a headstand position. It’s fins are not as clamped anymore though. It wasn’t swimming, just staying in one spot this morning but now it’s glass surfing. Is that a good sign or a bad sign?
 

The other one seems ok but keeps scratching on things and occasionally has clamped fins.

I have some seashells and egg shells as well as epsom salt on hand. I don’t think it can wait for me to order and get crushed corals online.

Please help.

I added half a teaspoon of epsom salt this morning should I add more into the tank?

Edited September 25, 2023 by Fishkeeper1010

[Colu]

All the symptoms am seeing are associated with low pH and KH without increasing these your no going to see an improvement if  you can get some wonder shell that will temporarily add some minerals to your tank Epsom salt will increase your GH it won't increase your KH Which is the more important one what I would do as you have live plant is add 1 table spoon for 5 gallons of Epsom salt I wouldn't go above that level with salt 

[Fishkeeper1010]

On 9/26/2023 at 3:13 AM, Colu said:

All the symptoms am seeing are associated with low pH and KH without increasing these your no going to see an improvement if  you can get some wonder shell that will temporarily add some minerals to your tank Epsom salt will increase your GH it won't increase your KH Which is the more important one what I would do as you have live plant is add 1 table spoon for 5 gallons of Epsom salt I wouldn't go above that level with salt 

I can try crushing up some oyster shells and clam shells as they are almost pure calcium carbonate. Will it work that fast if I crush it into powder?

Do you know what is causing the up lifting of the tail? I’ve seen this previous with my platy fry in the past

[Colu]

On 9/25/2023 at 10:29 PM, Fishkeeper1010 said:

I can try crushing up some oyster shells and clam shells as they are almost pure calcium carbonate. Will it work that fast if I crush it into powder?

Do you know what is causing the up lifting of the tail? I’ve seen this previous with my platy fry in the past

That can work it all depends on how much you add  I would start at half a pound of crushed Oyster shell or clam shells for 10 gallons test your pH how much it goes up I would definitely get KH test 

[Fishkeeper1010]

Do you know why the tails are lifting up?

[Colu]

On 9/26/2023 at 1:48 AM, Fishkeeper1010 said:

Do you know why the tails are lifting up?

Liverbears can start to fall a part due to lack minerals and get deformities that is probably what your seeing with the tail fin 

[Fishkeeper1010]

Hi I just went and got some tropical conditioning salt, it says on the package that it has essential minerals for tropical fish, however, it also says it will decrease the ph. I thought a higher mineral content means higher gh which means higher ph?

Do you have any idea what it’s made of? It doesn’t say on the packaging. It is blue in Color so is there methylene blue in the salt? Anyways I’ll give it a go. 
 

i also went to get more oyster shells from the beach and I’ll give it a go.

thanks so much for your help!!

 

[Fishkeeper1010]

Update: 

I added some of that mineral blue tropical conditioning salt, as well as 3 large clam shells originally whole in the tank but now crushed up. The tank was on a dose of 1/2 tablespoon of Epsom salt and 1 tablespoon of non iodized rock salt.

I think this is working because it revived the slightly sick platy and she is now fully recovered, not stressed, eating well, not heavily breathing, no clamped fins. She just seems back to normal. At one point her fins were also very clamped and her tail was lifting up but now it’s gone.

The honey gourami is still very healthy looking, although I am kind of concerned if he can tolerate all the salt and minerals I put in the tank.

The more sick platy is still doing the same thing: clamped fins heavily breathing, not swimming around and not eating.

Hopefully I am on the right track and she can heal up like the other platy.

 

Please leave me a comment for any opinion or guidance. Thank you!

[Colu]

On 9/26/2023 at 5:49 AM, Fishkeeper1010 said:

Update: 

I added some of that mineral blue tropical conditioning salt, as well as 3 large clam shells originally whole in the tank but now crushed up. The tank was on a dose of 1/2 tablespoon of Epsom salt and 1 tablespoon of non iodized rock salt.

I think this is working because it revived the slightly sick platy and she is now fully recovered, not stressed, eating well, not heavily breathing, no clamped fins. She just seems back to normal. At one point her fins were also very clamped and her tail was lifting up but now it’s gone.

The honey gourami is still very healthy looking, although I am kind of concerned if he can tolerate all the salt and minerals I put in the tank.

The more sick platy is still doing the same thing: clamped fins heavily breathing, not swimming around and not eating.

Hopefully I am on the right track and she can heal up like the other platy.

 

Please leave me a comment for any opinion or guidance. Thank you!

I have never used that product am not finding much information other than it contains salt

[Fishkeeper1010]

Thank you, the sick platy has passed away, but I wish I don’t get other casualties.

The other platy is pregnant so if she survives hopefully I can convert her fry into living in softer water. ( I heard this from Irene where she raised her mollies and platies in her super soft water) 

[Colu]

On 9/26/2023 at 11:40 PM, Fishkeeper1010 said:

Thank you, the sick platy has passed away, but I wish I don’t get other casualties.

The other platy is pregnant so if she survives hopefully I can convert her fry into living in softer water. ( I heard this from Irene where she raised her mollies and platies in her super soft water) 

Sorry to hear that 

[Fishkeeper1010]

Update: 

I did a 50% water change this morning to get out some of the garlic, debris and Epsom salt. I was worried that the Epsom salt would harm the fish as it is used as a laxative and supposedly can only be used as a dip.

After doing the water change I added some of that tropical mineral salt but no rock salt or Epsom salt this time. I was afraid that the salt will dehydrate the fish? But then the platy started doing weird and having clamped fins and heavily breathing. After adding some rock salt, her fins are back to normal but still heavily breathing.

I had no idea they are so reliant on salt. Should I add in anymore Epsom salt or rock salt or should I just keep it at this level. 
 

would more Epsom salt harm the fish?

[Colu]

On 9/27/2023 at 5:53 AM, Fishkeeper1010 said:

Update: 

I did a 50% water change this morning to get out some of the garlic, debris and Epsom salt. I was worried that the Epsom salt would harm the fish as it is used as a laxative and supposedly can only be used as a dip.

After doing the water change I added some of that tropical mineral salt but no rock salt or Epsom salt this time. I was afraid that the salt will dehydrate the fish? But then the platy started doing weird and having clamped fins and heavily breathing. After adding some rock salt, her fins are back to normal but still heavily breathing.

I had no idea they are so reliant on salt. Should I add in anymore Epsom salt or rock salt or should I just keep it at this level. 
 

would more Epsom salt harm the fish?

Epsom salt isn't harmful to your fish reason most people do Epsom salt baths is because it raises you GH when added to the tank or they have live plants and at the level need would harm plants I would becareful adding Epsom as your using the aqua one product that contains salt a lot of liverbears are breed in Asia in water that naturally has some salt in it  they don't  necessarily need it if your KH GH pH is within range a small amount of aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 10 gallons can be added to the tank to replenish trace minerals removed by your plants and fish

Edited September 27, 2023 by Colu

[Fishkeeper1010]

The pregnant platy fish kept hiding behind the plants and heavily breathing, however she becomes the most aggressive fish during feeding time where she swims very fast from one end of her tank to another, trying to pick up every single piece of food. She is looking squared off so maybe not far from some baby platies swimming around!!