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About Ron Coleman
Expertise
I am an expert on cichlid fishes, particularly New World cichlids. My broader expertise includes the behavior, ecology and reproduction of fishes in general. (I am NOT an expert on Goldfish. Please do not ask me questions about why your goldfish are sick -- they are almost always sick due to the way that they are sold). Also, please do not use abbreviations, such as "my GT has a swollen
eye" because I don't know what a "GT" is. The more clearly you can explain your question, the better chance I have of understanding what it is that you seek. Thanks.
Experience
I teach at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page . I also write for many popular aquarist magazines, and I am editor of Cichlid News magazine. I am a scientist and I spend my time teaching fish biology, ecology, behavior and evolution and doing research on the reproductive biology of fishes, particularly cichlids. I do research in the laboratory and in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. My main interest is understanding the evolution of parental care in fishes. I am interested in encouraging greater public awareness, understanding and participation in science.
Organizations belong to
American Cichlid Association, Pacific Coast Cichlid Association, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, etc
Publications
Cichlid News, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Copeia, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, AUK, Environmental Biology of Fishes
Education/Credentials
PhD (Toronto, 1993) MSc (Simon Fraser, 1986) BSc (British Columbia, 1983)
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You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Pet Fish > Fish > Sick platy
Expert: Ron Coleman
Date: 5/10/2008
Subject: Sick platy
Question
5 gallon tank might get a bigger tank in a couple of months
4 one inch fish, two pregnant female guppies (Ana & Tory), one emerald cory catfish (Antsy), one male red wagtail platy (swag)
Tank is still cycling(wasn't aware i couldn't get tank and fish on the same day)
I had the guppies for a month in a two gallon with an airstone and undergravel but had to get rid of that tank and decided to get a five gallon
Never really appreciated fish until recently because I have fallen in love with my fish and their personalities even though I've only had the cory and platy for a week and a half, got them when I bought the new tank.
My platy has clamped fins and it looks like fin rot too,looks like the fins are losing color at the tips.Some are spiky then there are chunks missing in other parts and the tail fin is also split in one spot. The fin rot I just noticed yesterday and the clamped fins today but he just started acting funny it was fine before. He is staying close to the top or the bottom, doesn't look like he's gasping for air. The temperature is 76 degrees I have a filter with a bio-wheel and I've been feeding a variety of food, fish flakes, freeze-dried worms, freeze-dried baby brine shrimp. 25% water changes every other day vacuuming gravel once a week. All my other fish look happy and are fine, the platy used to school with my guppies but is staying to himself. What should I do about my platy I am afraid to quarantine since wherever I would be putting him will most likely not have a filter or heater but I don't want any of my other fish to get sick. I am also scared to treat the entire tank. Could it be possible that there is a surplus of bacteria in the water it looks like there are a lot of particles in there even after I do water changes. Should I return him to the petstore, I don't have the receipt but they might take him back. I've read about placing salt in the tank but I heard that corydora's are sensitive to salt. Before this happened he used to race up and down the side of the tank, is this normal? My cory does it sometimes too. HELP!
Answer
Hi Jenny,
Are the guppies acting aggressively towards the platy? I ask because the symptoms you describe sound like a fish that is being beaten up, not a fish which is necessarily sick. Consider putting it in an isolation chamber (even a large plastic tupperware type container or a large glass jar) to see if it improves.
-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>
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