I have 2 female platies who are about 2 years old each. They are very large and round and generally healthy. Recently they seemed even fatter than usual. For a few days they were hiding in the plants, I assume giving birth. Now they are swimming around, but seem to like swimming tipped forward, with their noses down, tails in the air. They are eating and seem happy. One has what looks like one loose scale. Should I worry?
2007-04-25 18:55:11 · 4 answers · asked by Elsa 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
Oh I forgot to say that they Can swim normal, they just seem to like swimming that way.
2007-04-25 21:47:49 · update #1
Sometimes when livebearers give birth, they will swim like this, with their snout down and their tail up, if they are having trouble getting the babies out. She could just be finishing up with babies... they can take 2-3 days to have all of their babies in some cases, itjust depends on the fish.
2007-04-26 04:21:56 · answer #1 · answered by lmaryott4 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The swimming position would seem to mean a swim bladder problem. This is usually caused by their diet, either by overfeeding, or giving them improper foods. Try giving them some foods that are higher in fiber - cooked peas with the skin removed are a good choice. I'll put a link in the box below where you can see some other food choices.
One loose scale wouldn't be anything to worry about. It may have caught on something because of the odd way they're swimming. If your fish loses that scale, another will grow back. I'd watch them closely, to make sure it stays just the one. There's a condition called dropsy in which the fish appear bloated and the scales stand out so the fish looks like a pine cone. This has a few causes, including water quality, and bacterial infection. You can find information about that in the link, too.
2007-04-26 02:50:08 · answer #2 · answered by copperhead 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You got to check the breed of platy you got just to be sure.Some platies have a certain habit of swimming, different from the other kinds.
Sometimes fish lose scales from certain sharp objects or edges in the tank that scrape their sensitive skin while other times, mildly poor conditioned waters could also weaken the scales and cause them to wither.
But since they are eating well and not exactly struggling for anything such as air, you should have nothing to worry about and just let them be.
2007-04-26 05:16:51 · answer #3 · answered by Laurenzo O 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They could be having trouble trying to give birth,due to old age and are out of balance. They may have eaten something that caused their bellies to bloat and aren't even pregnant. See what the experts have to say.
2007-04-26 02:37:21 · answer #4 · answered by DAGIM 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋