# Platy Problem



## dancexonxwater (Aug 23, 2009)

I have two adult Platys that have had raised scales for a while now. They have no bloating, and it is not Dropsy. I was never able to figure out just what was wrong with them and the fish store recommended I just let them be. That was several months ago, but now .. their fins are starting to become slightly tattered. Is this possibly fin rot, or just a symptom of the larger, on going problem? I would treat them for fin rot, but I'm nervous about it. I have a baby platy in the tank that is about 3.5 months old and do not want to do ANYTHING that would harm him. I don't have a hospital tank though... 

I'm not sure which would be the most viable option. Please, any help is appreciated!!

Stats:
tank is kept at 80 degrees
ammonia nitrates & pH are all normal
10 gallon tank, freshwater


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

Platies like the water a bit cooler than 80. They like the mid 70's actually.
Possibly you have a parasite in the water that is under the scales. You can do a google search for raised scales and see what is suggested. tattered fins and tail on fish is abnormal so maybe there is bacteria in the tank causing this too. have you been keeping up with your water changes?


----------



## dancexonxwater (Aug 23, 2009)

Yeah I've been doing weekly water changes. I used to do it every other week, but people have told me to do it more often.. even for just two fish. I'll lower the temperature a bit, thanks for letting me know that. I am thinking of first trying to treat the tank with Marycin-TC for Fin rot.. but I'm nervous about how it will affect the 3.5 month old. I mean..he's almost the size of a neon now , I guess. So I think he should be okay.


----------



## dancexonxwater (Aug 23, 2009)

I'm starting the finrot medication today. It's a five day thing.. She acts completely normal despite her obvious physical aliments... =/


----------



## dancexonxwater (Aug 23, 2009)

The thing is, if it is parasitic the fin rot medicine isn't going to help at all. Theres no visible sign of a parasite though. Trial and error, i guess...


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

wait-- that does not look like a platy- it's color is more like a molly or a black swordtail. Are you sure it is a platy?
have never seen them black. Also from the shape of her it is either very old or very wormy.
The hump on the back is a clue.
How long have you had her/them?
I would change the water more frequently, skip the medication and treat with prazi pro IF they are young fish. if they are old fish I would probably let nature take it's course. The fin and tail do not look all that bad. Do they have any tank mates that are nipping the fins and tail?
Antibiotics are cleared through the kidneys and liver and they may well kill the fish anyway.


----------



## dancexonxwater (Aug 23, 2009)

The hump on the back is a clue to what? 

I have had them for about a year. I'm not sure how old they are other than that.


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

old age usually but it is possibly a sign also of TB.


----------



## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

Yeah, it looks like there is a curvature in the spine. Also, does anyone else think that the belly looks sunken in?


----------



## dancexonxwater (Aug 23, 2009)

Hmm.. Well, I'm treating the tank with the prazipro and I'll see how things go. thank you =)


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

bellies are definitely sunken in.
Platies, mollies, and swords always have big bellies when they are young and healthy as they constantly eat anything they can find. They eat algae so there is always something for them to pick at in the tank. The only other way they would be thin is if they are old or diseased.


----------



## dancexonxwater (Aug 23, 2009)

Oh my... I was looking through a tropical fish book in borders to see if i could find anything helpful, and realized that these "platies" are actually short finned black mollies. ........ Ugh...the fish store told me they were platies when i bought them =x

I added more salt to the tank, in case that was the problem. She seems to be slightly less humpbacked since three days ago when i added the prazipro, but their scales are still raised like that. Maybe the salt will help that too. 

Maybe they are raised from being sunken in, not bloated such as dropsy?


----------



## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

I would not say that this fish has a hump ON it's back. I would definitely say that this fish has a curved spine. I do not know if the curved spine would cause the raised scales or not. It is possible I suppose. As for the deformed spine itself there are a few things that can cause this. The 2 most common are deformed at birth and TB. If it was a birth deformity that does not mean it would necessarily have looked like this when you got the fish. I have found that fish can look really normal in mid life but then go back to looking deformed as they age. I had some danios (known for this spine problem) look horrid as juveniles then look like nothing at all was wrong for a few years then slowly had the deformity reveal itself again. 

With TB it is also highly likely that by now there would be some form of a visible sore. In the event that it is TB, or as a precaution on the safe side anyway, it would be in your best interest to make sure that you wash very well after making contact with the tank. This is a disease that can pass to humans. 

Other illnesses and even stress can cause a spine deformity, it is just not quite as common, with just stress being the least likely.


----------



## dancexonxwater (Aug 23, 2009)

Hm..Thank you. Are there other symptoms of TB I should look for? TB is a lung disease, i thought. Will the fish .. cough? 

Prior to her sickness, she used to curve her body into a crescent shape (horizontally) at times..almost like streching? I thought maybe that had something to do with just giving birth, but maybe not.


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

Fish do stretch!Take a look at male fish when they display to the females- they curve their bodies this way and that.
TB can affect human joints as well as lungs.You can do a google search for TB as a result of catching from the fish.
A few years ago there were quite a few articles about it. One fellow had a small cut in his finger and the TB lodged in the one joint.
It never was cleared up so it is a good practise to always wash your hands and forearms when ever you have been doing anything in the tank.I once tried to get a syphon going by sucking on the tube. I will never do that agin. I got a mouthful of tank water and despite spitting immediatley I ended up with a green diarrhea for about 3 days.
I recently read that there are over 30 strains of TB present in a tank. I don't know if it is true or not but it pays to be prudent.


----------

