Platy normal/genetic or serious like wasting disease?

[Platybarn]

Hello!

In June I got a few red wag platy fish that were smaller/slimmer than the rest of my varieties. but now one is still very skinny while the others have that platy belly… and when comparing to older photos he looks like something is off…

(for photo reference the first is a normal red wag in my tank the next three are the “weird” platy in august and the remaining are as of today?

Water parameters have been all normal except for a couple weeks ago I did a water change and didn’t realize due to a city update there were nitrites in the water- about 1ppm- but no fish acting strange and a couple water changes and seachem prime wnd frittzyme bacteria and no issues again.

All fish including the one in question are acting normal and eating normal. Any ideas?
Also when it comes to a quarantine tank I had to discard a broken 10gal and all I have is a 3 gallon I can keep him separate temporarily. Just bring the one fish is that safe? I don’t have the ability to get together a 10 gallon any time soon enough

 

[Fishfur]

I think it’s possible that this fish has a mycobacterial infection. If that’s the case, it will continue to waste away until it becomes too sick to behave as if all is well.

Fish are much too good at acting as if nothing is wrong when they’re really very ill, which makes it extremely difficult to treat them.

Fish like this must not be permitted to pass away where healthy fish could scavenge the corpse because that’s a great way for other fish to acquire whatever this one has.

But it isn’t impossible that he has a bad case of internal parasites. If you want to do as much as possible, you could try dosing him with Metronidazole & Praziquantel orally. Mix API General Cure powder with his food and feed it to him in QT.

I would definitely QT this guy so he won’t die where his tank buddies can snack on him.

TBH, if he belonged to me and just kept getting thinner & thinner and giving antiparasitic drugs didn’t turn him around, I would likely humanely euthanize him.

 

[Platybarn]

Since it is just him do you think it is safe to use my 3.5gallon tank to quarantine?

 

[Fishfur]

For short term it should be ok.

 

[Platybarn]

I’ll try to get it moved in.

I am absolutely paranoid about over reacting and treating a fish that doesn’t need treating and then end up hurting a healthy fish. I’ve been suspicious though since everyone is getting fat but her.

But I have a male green lantern platy that is smaller too, no belly but he’s not looking weird like this girl.

 

[bgarthe]

I agree to get her out of the general population asap. Honestly… I’ve never had a Platy looking like that survive. It may seem harsh, but if it were I with this fish, I would get out the Clove oil and humanely put it down. Sorry.

 

[Platybarn]

Euthanize already even with her acting normal and not obviously sick?

 

[3Fishnight]

Euthanize already even with her acting normal and not obviously sick?

I would try the general cure mixed with the food.

 

[Fishfur]

Euthanize already even with her acting normal and not obviously sick?

When one has been keeping fish for decades experience informs decisions like this. It may seem uncaring or unduly harsh but it isn’t a frivolous decision.

After spending time & money treating certain types of problems only to lose the fish every time anyway, it starts to make sense not to make the effort.

When fish waste away even though they’re eating and seem ok otherwise, there is always a cause for that. It is unfortunate that one of the most prevalent causes just doesn’t respond to treatment.

Fish excel at concealing the fact that they feel sick and that’s the problem - by the time a symptom or symptoms are noticeable, it’s much too late for the available treatments to have a chance of working. Some Rx only antibiotics might work but very difficult to find aquatic vets to prescribe them and it is very expensive.

Some Rx drugs also have to be injected - not necessarily something a hobbyist would be able to do or comfortable doing especially with a very small fish.

Just as a tip, when buying fish, if it happens that there’s what I call a ‘weedy’ looking specimen in the bag, I ask that it be replaced with one that isn’t weedy looking. A fish that looks like this one does is what I refer to as a weedy appearance.

Weedy looking fish don’t always have an illness nor do they always die, but the odds against them are worse than for normal looking fish and I don’t want to buy an existing problem.

 

[Platybarn]

She wasn’t like this when I got her. They were small I was told they weee juvenile platies

But the others got bigger especially in the last couple weeks and she has not that’s what has made me suspicious then she looked different the last couple days

 

[Fishfur]

I’m sure she looked fine when you got her - the info on buying was just a tip.

But the fact she hadn’t grown like the others and looks the way she does now are not good signs for her future prospects.

 

[Platybarn]

Yes thank you I appreciate all the help. I’m just anxious to try something vs see if she needs to be euthanized
Either way moving her tonight to the other tank

 

[Fishfur]

Yes thank you I appreciate all the help. I’m just anxious to try something vs see if she needs to be euthanized
Either way moving her tonight to the other tank

That’s understandable. Most of us worry about fish that aren’t well. Hoping for the best.

 

[Platybarn]

I did two rounds of paracleanse in my hospital tank, and she is so much better! Moved her back in to the main tank!

No more curve or sunken belly, eating well and seems to be gaining again

 

[AsShrimpleAsThat]

I did two rounds of paracleanse in my hospital tank, and she is so much better! Moved her back in to the main tank!

No more curve or sunken belly, eating well and seems to be gaining again

That's Wonderful!!!!

 

[Fishfur]

I did two rounds of paracleanse in my hospital tank, and she is so much better! Moved her back in to the main tank!

No more curve or sunken belly, eating well and seems to be gaining again

Great to hear that. Here’s hoping it’s all good from here on out.