# My fish are suddenly lethargic



## southcity (Sep 8, 2011)

I have 6 platys/swordtails in a 10 gal tank. They have been perfect for weeks and weeks, then this morning every one of them were laying on the bottom and not swimming around at all. I have the temp at a constant 25, heater and thermometer both reading the same, pump is moving water on surface just as much as always. I do water changes at least 2 times weekly, and always have. Ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate very low. No new additions since original purchase of fish. Can anyone give me some idea what the problem could be, I am worried about my fish.


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## JFancy (Sep 4, 2011)

Hmmm. I know most times when its dark and I turn on the lights in the morning they are all resting on the bottom. Are their fins close to their bodies? Did you try feeding them to see if theyll swim up?


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## southcity (Sep 8, 2011)

I did but they made no attempt to surface. They have been on the bottom all day now.


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## JFancy (Sep 4, 2011)

Sometimes I have 1 or 2 platies that look like their not doing too well so I do a 25% water change and check on them a few hours later and their doing okay. I hear the smaller the tank the harder it is to keep up with it. So bigger is better.


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## southcity (Sep 8, 2011)

I did a water change earlier today, I usually do them at least 2 times weekly. I will continue with water changes daily until I see some improvement in their condition.


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## JFancy (Sep 4, 2011)

Goodluck, hope that does the trick.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Maybe adding a little bit of salt would help... Have you made any changes in the tank?


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## southcity (Sep 8, 2011)

Betta man said:


> Maybe adding a little bit of salt would help... Have you made any changes in the tank?


No changes at all. I just don't understand what the problem could be with them. My water readings are all great, no obvious visual problems with the fish as far as any disease. :sad:


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## southcity (Sep 8, 2011)

1 platy dead in tank this morning


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

That does sound like either disease or water. Sometimes the company will change it on you with no warning. If you haven't been using an chloramine removing dechlor, you could try one. Was there anything that could've triggered a disease like a power failure? Ich tends to develop after a temp drop.


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## southcity (Sep 8, 2011)

emc7 said:


> That does sound like either disease or water. Sometimes the company will change it on you with no warning. If you haven't been using an chloramine removing dechlor, you could try one. Was there anything that could've triggered a disease like a power failure? Ich tends to develop after a temp drop.


Water readings seem to be all good. I tested pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. I don't see anything any different than what it has been for the last few months. I always treat the new water with stress coat.
Today a couple of the swordtails swam out for a while, but now all fish all hiding in back of the tank again on the gravel. I will continue with water changes daily and keep a close eye on these guys. 
I bought some aquarium salt this morning and will add a bit after the water change once I get off here.

I feel so bad about losing her, she was my favorite fish, her name was Spackle.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

southcity said:


> Water readings seem to be all good. I tested pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. I don't see anything any different than what it has been for the last few months. I always treat the new water with stress coat.
> Today a couple of the swordtails swam out for a while, but now all fish all hiding in back of the tank again on the gravel. I will continue with water changes daily and keep a close eye on these guys.
> I bought some aquarium salt this morning and will add a bit after the water change once I get off here.
> 
> I feel so bad about losing her, she was my favorite fish, her name was Spackle.


Aww thats not good. Hope your fish are okay. I've never had that happen before. They only do that when they're sleeping.Goodluck..:-x


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Are you anywhere affected by flooding? They often double or triple dose the chlorine, you can usually smell it, though. 

Most disease show up faster than this. Are there any esp. aggressive fish making everyone hide? Any new scary furniture? 

Internal parasites have a long lead-time (they can kill a fish a month until you run out of fish). Do you see odd poop/no poop or bellies sinking in instead of being rounded? Did you overfeed at all, esp. something twisty like bloodworm or tubiflex? 

Without a symptoms that points to a specific disease, I would just try clean water, salt, green or garlic flake if you have it, maybe daphnia or brine shrimp to tempt the appetite. But feed very little if they aren't eating and siphon up uneaten food.

Check for everything that could go wrong. Clogged filters, stuck heaters, electricity leaking from a cord, whatever you can think of.


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## southcity (Sep 8, 2011)

emc7 said:


> Are you anywhere affected by flooding? They often double or triple dose the chlorine, you can usually smell it, though.
> 
> Most disease show up faster than this. Are there any esp. aggressive fish making everyone hide? Any new scary furniture?
> 
> ...


1 dead swordtail this morning.
Water changes continue daily. Readings are all fine. 
Today the fish are swimming around a bit more, they came out for something to eat. 
I see nothing obvious on the 2 fish that died to have caused it.
I do give them bloodworms a couple of times a week, is that not a good idea?


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

I see you have the yellow platies with the black markings. I had a couple of those and they lived for about 6 weeks. There did not seem to be anything obviously wrong with them- one day swimming and the next day laying on the bottom and then dead.
I have no idea what killed them.
Where did you buy them? 
Also if you are on the same type of water purification that I am on, which is chloramine by injection into the water towers those things do go wrong sometimes and you get an extra squirt of either ammonia or chlorine. have lost a few fish this way as have others in town. And sometimes the fish up and die or act weird after a water change so something has happened in the water supply that we can't detect. Sometimes the towns backwash the sewer system and that stirs up crap in the pipes that come into the houses.
Also you can try adding some extra water turbulence. They may be oxygen deficient in some way. If you have used too much dechlorinator you sometimes get that problem. The fish just suffocate and are dead on the bottom but look really healthy. There is a lot that could be going on. Where in Ontario are you? I am north of Toronto.


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## southcity (Sep 8, 2011)

mousey said:


> I see you have the yellow platies with the black markings. I had a couple of those and they lived for about 6 weeks. There did not seem to be anything obviously wrong with them- one day swimming and the next day laying on the bottom and then dead.
> I have no idea what killed them.
> *Where did you buy them?*
> I purchased them from Big Al's
> ...


I am in London

Thanks for the response. Keeping my fingers crossed that I wake up tomorrow and don't find a dead fish.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

Hmm the ones I had were also from Big Al's. 
They have had some poor batches of fish in the last several months.


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