whiskers

Hi, I have a new 20g tank, about 3 weeks old. (I cycled with a betta before realizing that there were even other options!) 0 ammonia, <0.3 nitrite, 5-10 nitrate. This is my first tank and I thought it would be an easy and fun gift for my daughter's 1st birthday. Its been one disaster after another. The first attempt in September failed after the LPS told me nothing about cycling, advised me to start my fresh tank with 9 fish (mollies, tetras, platys), the heater was broken and a missing piece in the filter LED to many "issues" finally they all ended with ICH and died.

I feel horrible for all those poor fish and I've read a ton and tried to do everything right this time but now I fear the 2 new fish I've added may be sick. I currently have 1 male betta, 3 guppys (they get along great with the betta), and 2 platys. The 2 platys are the new fish I got from a different LPS. One of the platys appears to have a white spot on the tail and both platys seem to keep their fins contracted. I'm not sure whats normal. Also the lighter platy (without the spot) seems to have redness and swelling on the gills. I included a picture of my betta just to be sure he looks ok as I'm deeply in love with him. Sorry the pics are blurry but its the best I could get! I would appreciate any advise or assessments you could offer

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Lucy

Hi Welcome to FishLore!

I'm sorry you're having problems with your fish.
Unless your nitrites are at 0 your tank isn't fully cycled. If it was, for some reason, you've gone into a mini cycle.
What test are you using?
Usually doing daily water changes until the tank gets it's cycle back is sufficient.


Did the fish look ok when you bought them? My guess, along with the nitrite reading is they're stressed from the betta (he's a beauty, btw).
Not only the white spot, but the one platys tail looks kind of short. I don't keep them, so see what others have to say.

Imo, bettas don't belong with guppies or platys. They should be in at least 5g's by themselves.
Even though he seems to get along with the guppies, the platys might be a different story.
Please keep a close eye on things. Your tank may be working now, but you never know. You might wake up one day and find some one hurt or killed.
Have a back up plan just in case.

Best of luck

whiskers

Thanks for responding so quickly.

I guess they looked ok when I bought them last night. I tried to check for spots and clear eyes and all of that (my 1 year old climbing all over made it a quick assessment) before I chose them and didn't notice anything strange. As for the short tails, these 2 didnt look significantly different from the other fish in the tank, but I'm the furthest thing from an expert! I really hope they're ok.

The test kit I have is a Tetra brand (*edit* its a liquid kits not strips)and the lowest color reading on the scale for Nitrite is <0.3 (0 isn't an option). Should I get a different test kit? Maybe I will set up and cycle the old 5 gallon tank that I have just in case the Betta isn't happy with other fish (or they with him). I'm not sure if the white spot on the platy tail is ich or not, should I try raising the temperature or wait and see? Thank you again!!

Lucy

Are they test strips? They tend to be less reliable than liquid tests.
If 0 isn't an option, it's possible your nitrite is 0?
Many of us use the API liquid test kit. It's very acccurate.

Is hard to tell from the pic if your platy has ich.
Getting the 5g ready for the Betta just in case is a good idea but I'm wondering if, for now your platys should go in there and keep an eye on them.
If it is ich, slowly raising the temp to 84F, adding areation, water changes and thorough gravel vacs should take care of it. Leave the temp raised for at least 2 weeks.

I know it's worrisome when our fish don't seem right.
Let's see what other members suggest.

Jackie Frost

Really? You mean Bettas can only be by themselves. I'm only asking because I was toying with getting another tank and housing a male betta with other fish. (Not other male bettas).

I didn't mean to take attention away from your post, Whiskers. I'd give you advice too except I'm a newbie at fish keeping too. Good luck to you. I'm going through my own cycling problems so I can relate.

Lucy

Most Bettas, whether it be male or female don't make good community fish.
There may be a few instances where it works. Other times it might work for a few days, weeks, even months, then one day, for whatever reason someone is attacked.
So it's really not advisable and personally, I wouldn't take the chance.
Here's our Betta Care Guide

gremlin

The darker platy (first two pics) looks pretty good except for the white spot on the tail - which could very well be ich. Unfortunately, the majority of fish from chain stores (and even some that are not chain stores) end up with ich because the stores just don't know how to properly care for them.

The lighter platy (the third and fourth pics) looks to be awful thin. I don't know if it is the way the camera is angled or what, but in the third pic, it looks like it's belly is caved in. A fish should not have a caved in belly.

Even though platies need larger than a 5 gallon tank as a permanent home, I would suggest setting up the 5 gallon and moving the two platies to the 5 gallon for a quarantine period. I would raise the temp to treat for ich, it won't hurt and it might help since if it is ich, you will be catching it early. Any goldfish I bring home from a petstore is automatically treated for ich before it goes in my pond. The warmer temps might also help the lighter platy. make sure you have an airstone in the tank also since warmer water doesn't hold as much oxygen. The smaller of the two needs a chance to build up some body mass since it looks like it may be on the verge of starvation with that caved in belly and the much lighter coloring. Doing daily water changes in the quarantine tank will have to be done since that tank won't be cycled, but I wouldn't wait for it to cycle before taking the platies out of the main tank. I would also suggest to a good gravel vac and water change in the main tank once you move the platies, just in case there are some ich spores that dropped off the one platy (if it is ich).

Good luck and I hope your fishies pull through okay. Please keep us updated.

whiskers

Gremlin, thanks for noticing the smaller, lighter platy. Since you mentioned it its completely obvious to me now. Hes very little and thin, I guess I just thought it was a baby or something. Hes also the one who hasn't eaten since I put him in the tank and just hangs out on the ground by himself. I called the fish store and they said I could bring him back and get a different one but I'm kinda worried that they'll just flush him or something. Turned up the temp to 84, going to do water change every day and see what happens.

Lucy

Good luck and keep us posted.

gremlin

If he hasn't eaten and it has been over 1 day, he may already be too far gone to make it. It will be up to you if you want to try. With how sunken his belly looks, he has been hungry for so long that he may not be able to eat. He may not remember how.

whiskers

Since i first posted I've had the temp 84-86 degrees and haven't noticed any additional white spots. Unfortunately I'm not convinced its ICH anymore though. The orange platy with the white spot is now missing the bottom corner of his tail where the white is. Does this sound like tail or fin rot? I noticed the tail issue only hours after I got him from the LFS so do you think it could've occurred at the store from poor car or nipped tail? thanks for all of your help!

gremlin

Since the white spot showed up so soon after you brought him home, I'm sure that he already had whatever it is. It could be some type of fungal infection. If it isn't getting any better, you may want to try a fungicidal medication.

whiskers

I wasn't sure if I should keep this in my current thread or start a new one in the water section, anyway, here goes...

I read a bunch online and decided that at least 2/5 of my fish now have tail/fin rot and not ich. On monday I added the recommended amt of aquarium salt and started a course of Maracyn II after doing a 25% water change and gravel cleaning. Yesterday (day 2 of maracyn) I checked my water and had 0-ammonia, 0.3-nitrite, and 0-5 nitrate. I was worried that the nitrite was rising so I bought and added API Stress Zyme hoping the beneficial bacteria would help. I just checked water today (day 3) and have 0.25-1.25 (the color doesn't match either exactly)-ammonia, 0.3-nitrite, and 0-5 nitrate, also checked pH and found to be 9.0 (the only baseline pH I have 8 about 2 wks ago).

I realize that I made a mistake by treating my whole tank instead of having a hospital tank. My thought was that at least 2-3 of the 5 had obvious signs so I wanted them all treated not realizing at the time that the purpose of the hospital tank is so the antibiotic doesn't kill my bio. filter. Also, I don't have a second filter, heater, etc for the back up tank.

Here is my question.
I know that ammonia and nitrite is rising and I should do another water change but the instructions for the Maracyn II say not to do a water change until after day 5 (it also says that it should harm the established bacteria in my tank). Do I do the water change anyway or wait it out until after the Maracyn? Also, I'm beginning to wonder now if my tank had ever completely finished cycling. Luckily the fish seem to all be doing well. The signs of tail rot don't appear to be worsening and everyone is active and eating. How long does it take for their tails to heal?

Thanks again for advise.