Platy Fish With Parasites?

My platy fish have been having white/clear poops which my friend was almost sure were parasites. I did 4 treatments of API General Cure (about 3 weeks long) and there is no difference. Now one of my platy fish looks thin and his fins seem off. I'm just not sure where to go from here. I've taken them off of the treatment now as advised by the friend. First picture is of questionable platy. Second picture is of the white poop (as well as one of my other platy fish who looks fine to me).

 

What are you tanks water perimeters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, etc...)? How often do you do water changes?What is the tank size and what are all of the inhabitants?

The one in the first pic fins are rather beat up (could be fin rot or something) stress coat and almond leaves might help, but that won’t fix the source of the problem. Clean, warm, conditioned water is you best friend, I would be doing frequent water changes till you know what the problem is.

 

I don't know the water parameters but my other fish look fine (besides the white poops from the Platies).

I have 2 blue Mickey mouse Platies, 1 bumblebee platy, 3 ghost shrimp, 1 blue velvet shrimp, and 1 double tail betta in a 10 gallon tank.

While on API General Cure I did water changes every 4 days. Typically I do water changes every week when not on it. I take out about 50%. After a water change I do the appropriate measurements of API Tap Water Conditioner, Aqueon Water Clarifier, and API Aquarium Salt. My tank stays at around 75°.

What are you tanks water perimeters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, etc...)? How often do you do water changes?What is the tank size and what are all of the inhabitants?

The one in the first pic fins are rather beat up (could be fin rot or something) stress coat and almond leaves might help, but that won’t fix the source of the problem. Clean, warm, conditioned water is you best friend, I would be doing frequent water changes till you know what the problem is.

Meant that reply to be in response to your reply! Thank you!

I don't know the water parameters but my other fish look fine (besides the white poops from the Platies).

I have 2 blue Mickey mouse Platies, 1 bumblebee platy, 3 ghost shrimp, 1 blue velvet shrimp, and 1 double tail betta in a 10 gallon tank.

While on API General Cure I did water changes every 4 days. Typically I do water changes every week when not on it. I take out about 50%. After a water change I do the appropriate measurements of API Tap Water Conditioner, Aqueon Water Clarifier, and API Aquarium Salt. My tank stays at around 75°.

Just ordered API Master Kit and it'll be here Monday so I'll test my water then!

 

is the betta a male or female? Your tank is probably too small to keep a betta and a community. The betta may be the reason for the damaged fins.

Your perimeters are VERY VERY important, I would really suggest getting an apI master test kit. If you don’t know the perimeters then your tank may not be cycled so I would do daily water changes to be safe until you know. You can also take some of your water into a pet store and most pet stores (like Petco and PetSmart and such) will test your water for free, but make sure you ask for numbers! Don’t let them tell you just safe or fine, you need to know exact numbers!

Do you know of the nitrogen cycle? If not, you should really to read up on it.

Okay, that’s really good, I don’t want to sound harsh or rude, just trying to help.

 

Okay, that’s really good, I don’t want to sound harsh or rude, just trying to help.

Thank you for your help. I'll read up on it for sure. My betta is male (all of my fish are), but he stays away from all the Platies. He won't chase them and he doesn't give a care. I have had some Platies steal bloodworms out of his mouth and he doesn't react.

 

Thank you for your help. I'll read up on it for sure. My betta is male (all of my fish are), but he stays away from all the Platies. He won't chase them and he doesn't give a care. I have had some Platies steal bloodworms out of his mouth and he doesn't react.

Okay, that’s good.

 

Okay, that’s good.

He isn't territorial so I wouldn't think the betta is stressing him out. But I'll definitely test my water levels. If I order Stress Coat, do I continue using my regular water conditioner too? Or just the Stress Coat water conditioner? Thank you for your help.

In case he is slI'm due to parasites I have started feeding them garlic which I've heard may help.

 

To sum up the nitrogen cycle, your fish produce waste which produces ammonia, in an aquarium that ammonia gos into the water column and can build up and make your fish sick. When you cycle your tank you get a colony of good bacteria growing in your tank that eat up the the ammonia and produce nitrite (which is also toxic) and different little bacteria come along and eat up that and produce nitrate which is much less toxic and is only harmful when above 30 ppm (but with ammonia and nitrite as little as 0.25 ppm can be harmful over time). In the wild this bacteria is found naturally existing and keeping the eco system working, but in a sterile environment like a fish tank you have to grow your colony of bacteria to make your tank safe.

He isn't territorial so I wouldn't think the betta is stressing him out. But I'll definitely test my water levels. If I order Stress Coat, do I continue using my regular water conditioner too? Or just the Stress Coat water conditioner? Thank you for your help.

In case he is slI'm due to parasites I have started feeding them garlic which I've heard may help.

Stress coat does water condition, but it wouldn’t hurt anything if there where both in the water.

 

To sum up the nitrogen cycle, your fish produce waste which produces ammonia, in an aquarium that ammonia gos into the water column and can build up and make your fish sick. When you cycle your tank you get a colony of good bacteria growing in your tank that eat up the the ammonia and produce nitrite (which is also toxic) and different little bacteria come along and eat up that and produce nitrate which is much less toxic and is only harmful when above 30 ppm (but ammonia and nitrite can hurt you fish with as little as 0.25 ppm). In the wild this bacteria is found naturally growing and keeping the eco system working, but in a sterile environment like a fish tank you have to grow your colony of bacteria to make you tank safe.

That explains a lot, thank you. It makes sense. I've done some reading up on bacteria when I first had bacterial bloom in my new tank about a month ago. Does make sense and pieces together some information I knew from previous articles. But that kit will be here Monday and as soon as I can, I will be testing my water and reporting my findings on this thread. Thank you again for your advice and much needed help. I really hope my levels are okay so that I can continue to try and treat my fish's problem.

 

That explains a lot, thank you. It makes sense. I've done some reading up on bacteria when I first had bacterial bloom in my new tank about a month ago. Does make sense and pieces together some information I knew from previous articles. But that kit will be here Monday and as soon as I can, I will be testing my water and reporting my findings on this thread. Thank you again for your advice and much needed help. I really hope my levels are okay so that I can continue to try and treat my fish's problem.

Np, I’m glad it helped. Keep us updated! I hope they get all better!

 

Welcome to FishLore!

With internal parasites, if the fish are still eating, a medicated fish food is the best cure. If they aren't eating, you want to get a med that specifically treats internal parasites rather than a general cure med.

Best of luck

 

Welcome to FishLore!

With internal parasites, if the fish are still eating, a medicated fish food is the best cure. If they aren't eating, you want to get a med that specifically treats internal parasites rather than a general cure med.

Best of luck

They are still eating! They sure do love their food. I'll look into it! Would it be harmful if for some reason they don't have parasites (if I misdiagnosed them) and I feed them medicated food? I might as well try it, but if I don't see a change after some time, maybe it isn't parasites. I have started feeding them garlic which I heard might help.

Np, I’m glad it helped. Keep us updated! I hope they get all better!

Could use a little more guidance on something I observed... if you don't know, no worries. So I did have four platies (one bumblebee, three mickey mouse blue) up until about two weeks ago. He died because he got stuck in a decoration I had with tiny holes, so I pushed him out and he came out very scratched up and could hardly swim (I took the decoration out and replaced it with one that has no holes). He was the "alpha" platy. Now that he is gone, I've noticed the other mickey mouse blue platy is bullying that little unhealthy guy. I always knew he was the smallest fish, but he never appeared as he does now. Could he look unhealthy because of that fish that chases him (that fish never chased him before, but maybe now because the alpha platy died, he is trying to establish a pecking order without the alpha by bullying the little guy). I've put the bully in a floating isolation tank (which isn't that big) for now until I figure out what to do from here...

Sorry for this long message.

 

Nope...medicated food will not harm your fish if the do not have parasites.

 

Nope...medicated food will not harm your fish if the do not have parasites.

Any you recommend? Thank you!

 

Ya know...a long time ago I picked a medicated food up at PetSmart for "just in case". I don't think I ever used it and it got so old I threw it away at some point. So I guess that's saying no, I don't have any recommendations in the most words possible. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful

 

Np, I’m glad it helped. Keep us updated! I hope they get all better!

To keep you updated... Tested my water and got these levels:
pH: 7.0-7.2 ammonia: 0ppm nitrite: 0ppm nitrate: 0-5ppm

 

Water parameters look great.

 

Can I ask why are u using water clarifier and salt?