New Gold Mickey Mouse Platies Keep Flicking Off Decor??

Hey all. We have 2 sunset platies, 10 neon tetras, an elephant ear male betta and our newest addition was 2 golden mickey mouse platies. However we've noticed them like flicking off the two rainbow rocks we have?? No signs of disease, no white spots, no swollen bellies, ect. Also I just added aquarium salt this morning and I thought that kills parasites? The only thing I've noticed is on the two mickeys, they're two top fins are laying down (see pics) but my two sunsets have their fins up and have no flicking behavior.
The rainbow rock caverns they flick off of are in the pics. I also posted today's water test

 

How long ago did you get them? The rubbing is a sign of skin irritation. It's a general thing. I would start cycling out the salt and watch for other signs to show up. If they are super new theu might still be adjusting to new water conditions than those of the store

 

Well the salt called for 4 teaspoons, and I put 3. However now my sunsets are doing it. And we've had them a while. I just got done with a 25 percent water change, and added one very small filled teaspoon of salt, and all my other stuff. Conditioner, ammonia remover, and bacteria starter. Their fins are back up and I haven't seen anymore flicking off those rocks yet

My tetras seems alright, and icarus my betta seems a lot better with the salt and the water change. The platies are just hanging out at the bottom in a corner

 

Salt is only used as a medical treatment. If your fish weren't sick before adding it them remove it immediately.

I am only this harsh because I had a salt blunder and killed almost 50 guppies

 

Here's a better pic I think of my platies.

 

My tetras seems alright, and icarus my betta seems a lot better with the salt and the water change. The platies are just hanging out at the bottom in a corner

The betta wilk seem fine until he is suddenly dead. Salt sends them to kidney failure. My betta died with the guppies and it was the same thing

 

Well we used it because he had ripped fins on his tail and the lady assured me it was safe for all my fish as long as I measured it out how would I "remove" the salt without stressing them by changing all the water??

 

Do a 50-75% water change. Then repeat the next day. If the fins are torn then just watch it. If they start looking like they are getting infected or degrading in some way then you should pull out that one fish into a hospital tank to heal. Otherwise, if the water is clean and the fish are healthy, it will heal on it's own without treatment. For fin tears, the best treatment is simply clean water

 

God now I'm scared. I just got done with a 25 percent water change but I added that little bit of salt. What's a safe amount of water to change with them without stressing them??

Do a 50-75% water change. Then repeat the next day. If the fins are torn then just watch it. If they start looking like they are getting infected or degrading in some way then you should pull out that one fish into a hospital tank to heal. Otherwise, if the water is clean and the fish are healthy, it will heal on it's own without treatment. For fin tears, the best treatment is simply clean water

Ok. I feel like since I added less salt than it said, a 50 tonight, now, and a 50 tomorrow should be sufficient. Do you agree?

 

You can still do the water change the same. Just don't shuffle around the gravel since the gravel is clean. Just siphon out some water and replace with safe water without salt.

Yes. Then for good measure, 1 more 50 the next day should get you in the clear. Once thays done then watch your fish behavior and see if they still look ill.

Don't feel bad. We have all been misinformed before. It took me 2 months and 6 dead bettas and 40+ dead guppies to figure out that salt was bad

 

I just appreciate you telling me now cause I'm very attached to my betta because he's very playful and silly. And always first to great me when we wake up lol. I was just trying to help him heal better but clean water is all I need to do. Let nature do the rest. They haven't flicked since the 50 change but they still have they're top fins folded down and they're huddled still. Should I wait til tomorrow night to do the next change?

 

Give them the night to settle down, the darkness will also keep them calm and de-stress them a little bit. If you want to do another 50% in the morning and again in the evening tomorrow that would be perfectly acceptable. The fact that they're no longer rubbing is telling me that the salt was irritating their scales and they were trying to scratch themselves which just ended up damaging their slime coat which they use for a natural defense against bacteria.

Doing a salt treatment is great if a fish is already compromised. Meaning that they already have an infection happening. But even then it's only used for a few days at a time and that is just used to irritate the skin enough to produce a more effective slime coat

 

Oh. See I was told it was like giving fish they're version of Gatorade -.- can't take everything I hear as law though I suppose. They are swimming throughout the tank again so I'm hoping this will help them feel better. The tetras still seem a bit stressed though.

 

Not to nitpick your fish situation, but tetras are generally a little bit more on the mid to low 70s temperature wise, while platys are more on the mid to high temperature scale along with your Betta. Yes your tetras will be able to survive these higher temperatures but it will probably shorten their lifespan and they'll never really be all that comfortable

 

Oh. See I try so hard to pick good tank mates and I go buy what the store says. I mean are they suffering or are they just uncomfortably warm?

 

Without knowing the temp I can't say one way or the other

 

78

 

I would say suffering. If it was 75 then maybe it's ok. But its like you like in Arkansas and I live in Arizona. My comfortable is your melting. And your comfortable is my jacket weather

 

Oh...alright I'll have to take care of that in the morning then. Thanks for you're help

 

No problem! Goodnight!

 

It defiantly was the salt. I'm waiting til tomorrow to do the other 50 change so I don't send them into shock, but today after that first 50 change, they're all acting better. Still a little flicking behavior from our smallest platy but not near as often and they've been much more active. Icarus also seems more alert and happy to me. So tomorrow after today hat next water change I'm hoping they'll be back to their happy selves

 

Oh good! Feel free to keep the salt for medical purposes only