Help! I found my platy dead in my tank! What should i do to make sure my other fish don't get sick from it?!

Question

I dont know how long it was dead in there for and i dont even know why it died?! I tested the pH of the water and for ammonia. It all came out okay. What can i do to make sure my other fish dont get sick from the dead one and does anyone have any idea as to why it died?

i already took it out...

Answer 1

I see you already took it out. Assuming your platy was younger than about 3 years, you have a premature death.

Now you see if there is a reason for the death; test your water for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and Ph. You need a liquid test kit to do this. If your Ammonia or Nitrite is over 0 ppm and/or Nitrates are over 20 then this was your problem.

Next try and remember when you added the Platy - new fish ? If so could be carrying a disease from the pet store. If not you need to try and remember if you made any changes to your tank recently (new plant, decoration, fish). Any of these could cause the change in your ecosystem.

Observe your other fish - any strange behaviour ?

Check that your temperature hasn't changed and your filter is running properly.

Don't go taking the tank apart and rinsing everything under a tap. This will kill your biological filter, presuming you have one. If the words 'biological filter' and 'nitrogen cycle' are new to you, you should google them or visit www.aquariacentral.com, www.thinkfish.co.uk or www.aquaticommunity.com to name but three sites on which you can educate yourself.

Answer 2

Well, we need a little bit more information to answer this question.

Did the dead platy have any small white spots on him that looks like someone sprinkled him with salt? If so, that's Ich or velvet. Both of these are parasites, and even if your fish don't look infected, the parasites are still in the tank. Raise the water temperature to between 80 and 82 degrees, and add some aquarium salt (available at any petstore, 1 tablespoon per 10 gallons). This will kill the parasite while its in its free swimming stage, and hopefully before it infects any of the other fish.

If it has white fuzziness on its body that looks like cotton, its a fungal infection. Treat with a fungicide, available at any petstore. Some of these meds are better than others, so as an associate for his/her recommendation.

Other causes of death that can't be so easily described are bacterial infections and viral infections. Both of these come in many different forms, so without knowing the symptoms, its difficult to rule out these.

It could simply be old age as well. If there are no signs of disease, that is a possibility. Remember that most of the fish you buy in pet stores like Petsmart of Petco are adults (as to show off their pretty colors). Since the fish in question already has a short lifespan, its lessened for you as you probably have already bought the fish halfway through its life.

Hope this helped. Sorry for your loss.

Answer 3

Well, im sorry to hear about the loss. What you should to is remove the Platy IMMEDIATLY!!!!! This is crucial because when a fish dies, it decomposes releasing ammonia which can kill fish. Check your ammonia levels in the tank. Do a 20%-30% water change. That's the best you can do

Answer 4

they in all hazard have not got sufficient room I also have a 10 gallon (39.9 litre) and the optimal i had replaced into basically 5 platies they in all hazard have been given under pressure or they the two have been given a affliction. it rather is optimal if u shop say 6-10 platies in a 20 gallon aquarium.it is likewise organic to have a fish ineffective on the backside then on the real.(to illustrate my 6 year old goldfish replaced into ineffective the opposite direction up,RIP:( ur temperature is fantastic yet i could be basically hectic related to the tank length.)yet ur fish could have died in starvetion. and do u shop the fish with the different fish?

Answer 5

If you don't know why it died then there is no treatment you can give. Do a water change and clean the tank. Were there any signs of disease? If not, the other fish will probably be fine, just keep an eye out for signs of a disease.

Answer 6

you should take out the dead platy with rubber gloves then clean your tank and its water you don't want other fish to get infected make sure it does not have ammonia .you can buy aquarium salt at a pet store and see what it can do,also try to remember if you bought anything new from a petstore (plants,rocks,sculptures)any of these can change it ecosystem. i hope this information helps.

Answer 7

you wouldnt be stupid enough to leave dat fish inside dead wit other fishes right?.....i didnt think so.to make sure ur fish dont get the same reason why ur fish died is totake ou the fish and after that take 25% of the water out and replace it wth water.

Answer 8

go to : wwwjunglelabs.com click on fish health---
that's the only product i use in my store- with amazing results.
most pet shops carry this brand.
remember to remove any charcoal from filter while treating with any medicne..
it's hard to tell about your platy-- you just said it was dead.
jungle labs will tell you what to watch for if you have a sick fish, and what to do.

Answer 9

take the fish out!

Answer 10

take it out with ruber gloves and i am sure u can clean the tank and that should do it.