# Sickly fish



## TodoMM (Apr 30, 2016)

A friend of mine has a Platy fish that's having trouble swimming. It's sort of laying on its side and struggling, and we're not sure what to do.

We looked some stuff up online, they said feeding them mashed up frozen peas was one remedy. Is this true? Are there other ways to fix up the little guy?

Edit: Another article says to let the fish fast for 3 days to let him digest. She says she feeds him a couple times a day, but that's because one of the 4 that she has is rowdy and greedy but is having no problems whatsoever.


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

Is is swimming on its side, or laying on its side at the bottom? Swimming on its side with a distended stomach would indicate swim bladder problems, which is what the peas are for. If the peas fail, there are other things you can try, but we need to establish whether it's really a swim bladder issue first.

Is it a female, and has it been in with males at all? Platys are prolific breeders, and can sometimes experience problems after giving birth (I lost one this way).

How long has she had them? Was the tank cycled? Has she tested the water for ammonia and nitrite?

I wouldn't personally feed as often as twice a day, even in that situation. If she's feeding flake, she can pinch the flakes under the water rather than scattering them on the surface. That way they disperse around the tank better (even more so if you put them in near the filter outlet) giving the slower/less greedy fish a chance to get their share.


Edit - if you do try the peas (or pea - one is more than enough with only 4 fish in the tank) it should replace the normal food on that day. Cook it and remove the outer shell, then crush up the inner part. It's not a bad idea to do this once a week or so in any case, as it keeps their digestive systems working nicely.


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## TodoMM (Apr 30, 2016)

@NaomiM
"the fish is swimming on its side at the bottom of the tank, so I'd assume it's a swim bladder issue. I'm pretty sure that this fish is a male, so the problem wasn't caused by pregnancy issues. ive had them for roughly 4 years with no previous problem with this specific fish other than a cut on its lower belly (presumably from another fish, so the problem could be caused by an infection)
I haven't checked the water recently. They get pellets that sink, and i do scatter them around the tank. Thanks for the reply too" --Is her reply


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

Fish with swim bladder issues are more likely to stay at the top of the tank rather than the bottom in my experience. If she's had them four years, it may just be old age - four years is about the average lifespan for platys. I'd do a water test anyway as this is generally the first port of call with a poorly fish, to eliminate water quality issues. Re the cut, how recently did it happen? Does it look white or red around the edges at all? It might be worth adding a dose of Melafix - a general-purpose antibacterial and antifungal medication that is mild enough not to harm the filter bacteria, so is a good go-to med for preventing infections.


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## TodoMM (Apr 30, 2016)

@NaomiM We read your reply, but unfortunately the little platy died today. We were just speculating about the old age since it was about 3 years old. Thanks so much for your help though!

Edit: One of her fish is showing signs of pregnancy though. Not the first time she's been riddled with having to take care of baby fish, though, so that'll go well hopefully.
With death comes new life!


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

No worries - sorry she lost the platy. It may well just have been old age. If she has males and females together, all the females are likely pregnant - they're prolific breeders!


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