Help: Platy fish is gasping at surface!!!!!!

[octopanda]

Hello. So recently my orange platy fish (Gene) is suffering from some form of ailment. I have been doing everything I can to help him. I tried doing more frequent water changes, checking the water quality more than usual, and trying not to feed too much. So he has been doing this for 2 WEEKS NOW. I have found no information on what it could be and here are my water parameters

PH 7.6

Ammonia 0ppm

Nitrite 0ppm

Nitrate 0ppm

He is not pooping white, has no spots, has no cloudy eyes, is not bloated, has been staying full looking, and is not losing scales. Here is my stock

1 apple snail

2 platy fish

2 cory cats

1 nerite snail

So no overstocking, I cycled, and I have owned him for 4 months. HELP!!!!

I will try to get a picture tomorrow.

 

[oOBlueOo]

You may need to increase surface agitation. I'd try adding an air stone and see if that helps.

 

[Maverick]

I agree with Blue, an airstone can't hurt. No other fish are doing this?

 

[Angelbear]

have you checked your filter is it working normally? An air stone can't hurt like mentioned. Do the platies gills look normal?

 

[FullyCaffeinated]

Are you reading the colors correctly and shaking the bottles enough? I've read that the nitrate tests have to be shaken for an incredibly long time for most Master kits to read correctly. It's odd that your readings are 0 across the board.

If your filter doesn't create enough surface agnation an air stone is a quick fix.

And you might want to consider upping the corries to 6. They're social fish and will be happier and healthier in a group. What size tank is this?

 

[octopanda]

I have been ding water changes every day for a while, and sorry for the innacuracy my actual results are

ammonia 0ppm

nitrite is somewhere in between 25ppm and 0ppm

and nitrate is somewhere in between 5.0ppm and 0ppm.

sorry for inaccuracy I am using API master test kit.
He is the only fish doing this, and my filter is working amazingly. I cleaned my filter cartridges about 2 months ago because they were super grimy. His gills are surprisingly normal too.

I have so few cory cats because I have had them for a while now (6 months) and at the store the ones now dead were pushing 2 inches and I think they were older than the rest of the group. I got ome cash recently so next week I am getting another cory. I plan on having 6, but buying 4 at once is not the smartest idea.

I also have a marineland filter so just lowering the water level greatly increases surface agitation. So do not have oxygen deprivation. Seriously I have no idea what is going on. But on the bright side I got a new halfmoon betta for my 5 gallon tank .

well he is still being weird....

 

[oOBlueOo]

I'd get the nitrite under control before adding anymore fish. The nitrite can stress fish and I'd bet your other fish are bothered by it, even though they're not showing it.

When you cleaned your filter, did you rinse it in the sink or swish it in tank water?

 

[octopanda]

well I swished it in tank water of course. It is now zero after doing a water change, and adding some API Quickstart which does the job. I checked every other fish and they are doing FINE with no problems except for the ONE sick fish. I might put him down, because my water has been perfect for these past months (I think that my test kit is getting old because I can read the same thing twice in a row and it will come up with different results.)Or I am bad at using the test kit.

 

[oOBlueOo]

Ah well. Did you add an airstone? A fish gasping at the surface isn't a death sentence.

 

[octopanda]

I don't think that oxygen is a problem because I have lowered my water line and my water flow is very good so the surface agitation is also good. If anything I might add a sponge filter, but I ahve a new betta and I have some plans for his tank. He is still plump and everything and he is actually moving away from the surface a little but he still gasps in the water.

 

[oOBlueOo]

A gasping fish is sucking in oxygen, so in theory, it would be deprived of oxygen, therefor, adding an air stone would remedy the problem. Sometimes filter agitation just isn't enough.

 

[Rivieraneo]

FYI, I've also seen fish exhibit this "gasping" or "sucking" behavior when constipated.

 

[octopanda]

well he passed this morning. Live and learn.