Fish Addict

I think that one of my platies is sick.

It looks really scaly, a bunch of its scales are sticking out.
It has been hanging around the surface and not moving much.
This morning I saw him hiding behind the top of the filter covered in air bubbles.
I saw some things like this, but they say worse coloration. This one is actually having better coloration.

Please help, because I really do not want him to die!

MissMTS

Hi and sorry to hear about your fish. The symptoms you are describing sound like your fish may have dropsy. Is your platy bloated? I have never had to treat dropsy in my tanks, but hopefully someone will respond who has a little more experience with that disease.

Fish Addict

I don't know. It has always been the biggest platy in the tank...

But yes, it does look a little big...

Fish Addict

I just noticed that my big new Severum just bit it. It looked it spat out some scales.

angelfish220

do you have a quarintine tank to get it away from the severums for now? can you post a pic of the platy as well?

Fish Addict

I have a small breeding box, which is occupied by my fry. My dad won't let me get a Q tank.

Fish Addict

COBettaCouple

I'm sorry that you lost the little guy. I know you did all you could for him, unfortunately dropsy is almost 100% fatal.

You could look at getting one of the breeder nets made of mesh to use as a sort of isolation chamber that you could hang inside the tank for this sort of situation.

Fish Addict

Wait, is dropsy contagious?

COBettaCouple

Dropsy is a symptom rather than a disease so the conditions that caused it may or may not be contagious. Internal parasites, bacterial infection and tumors are the 3 biggest causes of dropsy. I'd keep the water extra clean with extra water changes for a couple weeks if you'd like to play it safe and adding garlic guard, vita-chem and/or fish protector could help too.