Platys go Ditzy and then die within a hour.

I have a new set up (about 65l or 15 gallons). I conditioned the water without fish for 3 weeks. Then about three weeks ago I introduced 3 platys (1M and 2F). The fish appeared happy if a little shy. Then the male started swimming up and down very quickly. Within an hour he was dead at the bottom of the tank. That was a week ago. Today one of the females started showing the same behaviour. And the result was the same. Dead at the bottom of the tank. The second female is now showing the same ditzy behaviour. The only clue that they were sick was the change in behaviour. I didn't see any other signs. Ph has been in the range 7.0 to 7.5. I have a piece of wood/root in the tank that is releasing tannin and making the water a little brown. My supplier assures me that this is harmless. My best guess from reading this website is a nitrogen problem but the symptoms don't seem to match very closely. Any tips as to cause and solution?

 

The only thing I can think for a new tank is that there might still be a little chlorine in the water?

So vrey sorry to hear about your fish!

 

What do you treat your tap water with? That wood should be lowering the pH but might be having an effect on them too, i'm not sure without knowing the type of wood.. was the wood well cleaned with real hot water before being added? How about the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates count right now. The behavior of the platys sounds like ammonia or nitrites poisioning. Have you had any spikes recently?

 

Have you got a test kit? Before we can start helping we need to know your ammonia/nitrIte/nitrAte readings. If you do not have a test kit most of us here use and recommend the Master Freshwater API test kit:


Best of Luck.
Brianna

 

Fish will swim crazily up and down the sides of the tank if water parameters are out of whack...It sounds to me like they may be experiencing discomfort from ammonia and/or nitrites......Have the water thorougly tested and afterward I would do a 30% water change just to be safe.

 

Thanks for the advice. Things are going better now. Testing for ammonia and/or nitrites didn't reveal anything out of whack. The store recommended more frequent changes. I have been doing about 20% weekly for the past month and the fish seem to like it. Again, thanks.

 

Thanks for the advice. Things are going better now. Testing for ammonia and/or nitrites didn't reveal anything out of whack. The store recommended more frequent changes. I have been doing about 20% weekly for the past month and the fish seem to like it. Again, thanks.

Glad to hear they're doing better.