Platy Sitting on Bottom

I started a 5 gallon freshwater yesterday. I have been adding cycle as directed by advice that it would help me cycle. I added 3 sunset platy's last night. This morning they are all sitting at the bottom. ammonia 0ppm, ph 8ppm, nitrites 0ppm, nitrates 0ppm. temp 75 degrees. I use Prime for a water conditioner. filter is a 5-15 aqua tech.

 

I don't think Cycle is a very reliable product...at all. Tetra Safe start is one of the only cycle products I know of that work. As for the platy, do you have a heater? And what are your means of testing the water.

 

I have a Aqueon 10W minI heater for up to 5 gallons. I have API master kit for freshwater (liquid testing)

 

try uping the temp to 78-80 and using TSS

 

How long has your tank been running? 5 gallons is pretty small for Platties, they could just be stressed out.

Sol gives some good advice above.

 

Thank you I will go buy a bottle now.

It hasn't been running very long Cichlidnut.

 

I would suggest doing a good sized water change before adding the TSS. At least 50% if not more. It will be good to get the Cycle out. Once you add TSS you don't do any water changes or test the water for 2 weeks. I've used TSS twice and it has worked great for me. I think it's worth the price. Make sure you empty the entire bottle in to the tank.

 

Went to petsmart and they had stability by seachem

so do a 75% water change?

 

Stability is similar to Cycle, so I would recommend not using it. SafeStart is the product that you want.

 

ok. well I have already spent over ten bucks on the seachem stability and performed a pwc and used it. So I will see if it works.

Never in a million years would I have thought having a fish for a pet would be more expensive than a dog.... don't get me wrong I love all 6 of my fish !!!

 

Why didn't you take some established filter media from your other tank? Or is that one still cycling?

 

Only the initial start up cost is high. After you get your equipment and stash away $100 (incase something breaks) it isn't so bad. Then it's just prime and food (several kinds because variety is good)

 

I didnt think the media would fit in my 5 gallon filter box. Unless you can have the media sticking out above the 5 gallon filter box.

 

You can cut a piece off of media and put it in your filter, or you can rinse out your used media in to the new tank. That would help a lot.

 

You can try putting established media in some nylon stockings and then place it in front of the filter where the water is coming out so that there's some water circulation.

 

I cut a piece off and stuck it behind my filter media in the 5 gallon.

The temp is now 80 and 2 of them are swimming around now

 

That's great news!

 

I don't know what went wrong suddenly but all three passed :'(

 

You mean you lost them, ahhhh I am so sorry.

 

So sorry about your fish!

 

Sorry again about your sunset platies. I have lost two over the last month. Even the LFS doesn't know what's going on with them, but they say that for no apparent reason a few will die on them.

I have two healthy ones now, one is still in a quarantine tank but she is ready to go into the main tank. Of course the best you can do is test your water often, using a liquid test kit, and keep your readings at ZERO ammonia, ZERO nitrite and less than 20 ppm nitrate. Please let us know how things go for you!

 

I started a fish less cycle with what I thought was pure ammonia. well I started over and I am now doing a fish less cycle with food and added one dose of stability and remembered that it was advised not to use stability by seachem. so can I continue doing this fishless cycle with food and don't add anymore stability?

 

You probably delayed your cycle by a week or 2.

 

Probably. But having the wrong ammonia is bad right?

 

If the ammonia isn't pure, has a fragrance to it or something like that. Yes it is bad. It will kill any fish you put in the tank. If you have used a bottle of ammonia that wasn't pure ammonia, I'd suggest emptying the tank and rinsing it super well.

 

Super hot water is what I did. Or should I use a bottle of spray aquarium cleaner by Api? It didn't have a fragrance. It was just not pure ammonia. Although when I think about it I didn't rinse the filter box and intake.

 

Everything needs to be thoroughly rinsed.

 

Ok thanks

Ok. Everything was rinsed with hot tap water. I set it back up and put food in a nylon by the Intake tube.

 

Hopefully you don't have any other problems good luck with cycling!

 

My plates have been staying near the bottom of my tank only coming up very now and then. Is something wrong. I read something that said they may be stressed. These are my first platies so I don't know much about their behavior.
All answers appreciated.
Thanks
-Joel

UPDATE: when I walk over to the tank and attempt to take pics of my platies they swim up and away or when I walk over to the tank... Is something wrong with them?

 

Hard to say, have you done anything different to the tank lately or are the recent additions? Have you taken water tests yet? That's the best place to start.

Are their fins clamped at all?

 

When they sit at the bottom yes their fins are clamped

 

If the fins are clamped may be an ammonia problem you should get your water tested as soon as you can


I love my fish more than life itself

 

What are your water parameters? My platies come down to the bottom of the tank only when they try to steal cories' food.

 

doyou have female platys. if you do they may be ready to give birth , mine had the same problem, if its not that then you don't have enough areation in the tank

 

I have a lot of aeration and I doubt all three are pregnant

Also my ammonia is 0 PPM

 

Is it possible they are being stressed by other fish in the tank?

 

Not sure ... probably possible but it doesn't look like they are. Sometimes it looks like they just go to the bottom for rest and sometimes shade. During feeding and every now and then they will swim around the tank freely as if nothing is wrong.

pictures to come...

 

I've had platys and they many times rested at the bottom. As long as they come out to eat and then I think all is fine.

 

ok thanks