TFA101

So, today I come home from school and find one of my platies dead... totally unexpected...

i really don't know what happened... i don't have a test kit (christmas present!) so i don' t know if it was the water or disease.

but my two other platy adults are hiding and have clamped fins. the other fish (zebra danios, a clown pleco, some baby platies, and the honey gourami) have showed no signs of disease. I'm going to do some water changes tomorrow if the symptoms persist. Any ideas? I just changed the water last week (not even) and i've been consistent every week with water changes, so i'm in denial about it being the water quality...

... i did introduce some new zebras though... i didn't quarantine (though i never do)... maybe an off chance they got something off a newcomer?

Jaysee

Quarantining new fish is very important. It's less important when you have only a few fish, but when you've bought that last fish that completes your tank and it has NTD and 80% of the fish in your tank dies, you'll wish you quarantined.

TFA101

I know... my dad's picking me up a new tank this weekend, I think I know what I'm gonna use it for.

Update: Has spread to the baby platies. The honey gourami, the pleco, and the danios continue to show immunity (i have moved the honey gourami to my 5 gallon, and he is perfectly healthy). I noticed a small amount of cotton on one of the platies. Fungus I presume?

What should I do about this? I have Rid-ICH, will this work? On DrsFostersmith.com it says "Controls a wide range of external protozoan and fungal diseases". Is this a suitable medicine?

Jaysee

Is your filter the aquatech 10-20 that your aquarium info says it is? If so, the best thing you can do is either get a better filter or a second filter. IMO your tank needs more filtration. I highly recomend an Aquaclear50 as a replacement, or an AC20 as an additional. Whether underfiltration is the culprit or not, your tank will GREATLY benefit from a better filtration system.

Babies are often the first to go when things start going wrong.

The white patch could certainly be a fungus. I'm not sure how effective rid-ich would be, but there are specific meds for treating fungus.

First thing I would do is a 40% water change. When in doubt, do a waterchange Then I'd go out and get that AC50.

TFA101

Water change is done. I moved the honey gourami for safety, and I'm administering Melafix (the things you find when you need it most )

I know... the Aquatechs aren't the best filters IMO, so I think I will upgrade to an oversized Aquaclear or Tetra filter. I need to stay within my 14 year old budget though, whats good but cheap?

Jaysee

The cheapest solution is to keep the one you have and get an additional filter. Doesn't have to be a great one, cause you'll have 2 filters.

Topfins are decent and cheap.

TFA101

Maybe I'll just sell this filter. I have a couple friends with fish tanks, I could probably make some money off it. My hood won't accomodate two filters, maybe an internal, but I think I'll aim for just a larger filter.

Jaysee

Well, whatever you sell your current filter for will make your new one that much cheaper. Make sure you keep the old media so you don't lose your cycle when you switch filters.

A whisper 10i is an internal that only costs less than $15. Also, hoods can be cut to accomodate your specific filtration needs.

TFA101

I have the fish on their second day of Melafix and garlic supplemented diet and they already look much better. I'm hoping somebody will be in need of a filter sometime soon so I can swap this one out for a new one.

And when I get a new one, should I just swap them out, or should I let them run both for a while until the new one gets enough bacteria established?

Gouramiguy17

Hope your fish survive, good luck

Jaysee

If you can somehow get your old filter media into your new filter then you can just swap them out. Otherwise, I'd run them both. It's a good idea to clip a piece of old media and put it in the new filter - that'll colinate the new media much, much faster than waiting for it to happen on it's own.

TFA101

alrighty then. thanks!

i'll just have to gift some fish this christmas (yes, just fish), then the reciever will have to get an aquarium lol

TFA101

4th day of melafix and garlic, doing much better. Finrot and fungus were the culprits. One platy's tail is still frayed, but the meds and some stress coat should clear that up, and all but one fish is eating. I have one tuxedo platy that might need another round of treatment...

... in my newly set up quarantine tank! Wow, talk about bittersweet moment

oh yeah, and the gourami is doing just fine. gets along well with the little micro rasboras and just barely escaped a fungal infection. *knock on wood*

Jaysee

That's great news! A QT is key.