dead platy

[murdock6701]

Tank Size:
Age of the tank:
pH:
Ammonia:
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nitrites:
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Fish:

Symptoms:

has anyone ever had a fish just burst open? found a dead female platy in my tank this morning with it's inards hanging out of it.....2 days ago, I moved my loach into that tank to help cull snails - any connection? it all seems too weird for me to answer

[eve]

that sucks, sorry to hear that

any chance she could have cut herself on something?

[murdock6701]

no sharp edges on anything - this is the second one in 2 days - the other fish was unmarked - maybe old age but I doubt it....this is the same loach I had my doubts about when my silver dollar came up w/ an injury a while back in a different tank

[eve]

hmm, that's weird
what kind of loach is it?

[murdock6701]

clown, about 4" long

[eve]

what else do you keep in this tank, besides platies and that loach?
and what size is the tank?

[murdock6701]

sorry, 20 gallons - (1) 6-1/2" pleco, 7 adult platys and about 30 juvie platys getting read for the pond - parameters are all good - everyone looks happy and healthy - no signs of ick or bloating

[barbara]

Clown loaches are normally kept in groups, because they can be aggressive fish, and they do better in shoals. This may be the problem, I am not sure though.

[eve]

sounds like your clown might be the culprit
because of his size, and not having any other buddies

[murdock6701]

kind of thinking along the same lines - think I'l put him back where he was and deal w/ the snails in another way - temps still way too cold to start the pond - 75 in the daytime - 35 at night - need a new heater for the pond as well, if I even do it this year

[eve]

sorry that this didn't work out for you

how about vegetable bait for the snails?

[Carl]

The evidence certainly points to your Clown loach, but I personally find this to be unusual, inf fact I currently have a single Clown Loach with a couple platys (among other fish such as my Angel) in a relatively small tank.

This said, the other idea that comes to mind is internal Nematodes, I used to called this the "Alien Effect". This is a well known problem as to trematodes causing these symptoms. However trematodes have to be introduced (accidentally if coarse), and I do not think you have added anything here in the last month if I am correct? My the way, snails can carry these Nematodes, but again if these snails have been here for some time, this makes them an unlikely host.

I have some further information here:
Aquarium Answers; Trematodes and Nematodes in Fish

Carl

[goldenpuon]

Could she have died and then had your clown eat her? Once I had an rather unpleasant experience of finding a betta with her gut cavity totally empty and the other betta females eating her. She had been sick and hiding and I had not known it with the number of other fish in the tank. I think it is possible that the clown attacker her or perhaps she died and the other fish ate her. Hope you figure out what happened.

[murdock6701]

good point Renee, except she was floating on top of the tank - I've had troubles w/ loaches in the past - remember the "shell of death" from the old forum?

[goldenpuon]

I don't remember the "shell of death". Can you refresh me on that?

Actually on more than one occasion, I have seen this happen, once in my grow-out betta tank when I was still breeding bettas and once in my adult female tank. One day I had a fish, the next the other fish were nibbling the fish's dead body with all the entrails etc. gone. This happened in a matter of under 24 hours as far as I know. In my juvenile grow-out tank, I believe I saw the fish alive within 24 hours of her death and her being eaten, the afternoon before she was there and the next morning she was 1/2 eaten if I remember correctly from that far back.

Was your platy off-color when she died? Both of my bettas that died (as far as I remember) were barely off color and as you mentioned your fish was floating, they mine that were eaten would have probably floated if they had were a bit less heavy. The female's body in the adult female tank was very light and was sort of swaying slightly at the bottom with the movement of the sponge filter. Also, were the platy's gill covers sticking out? On one of the occasions w/ the 1/2 eaten betta, she had an open mouth and both gill covers sticking very far out. Sorry if I am rambling, just trying to figure out what went wrong with her.

I wish you luck with figuring this out.

[murdock6701]

the only logical solution id that they we both pregnant and were probably in thast of giin birth - unless isloated in a breeding box, the other fidh hound them to get at the fry - they both could have come under attack and stressed out - am sure the loach was responsible for her death as eating the insides is their priority and then when the fish rots, they devour the rest - had a loach that kured fish into a conch shell and trapped them and ate them - similar circunstance happened to Bill - no moe conched unless there is a hole in the end for escape - it is unfortunate and I feel badly about the situation - I do have almost 200 fry and am getting another frre tank in a day or so - my lan is to select the top breeders and put them in there and concentrate on the pond, even if I have to move it inside for a month til the weather gets warmer - fry in w/ the adults are almost at the sellable stage - while there are more than a few in the tank, the bioload is stable and like I mentioned earlier, all water parameters are excellent - I overfilter everything - I know the snails affect the balances so have been removing them after crushing them - crushing them and letting them fall into the tank does not help the tank - the platys used to eat them but show no interest anylore - my daughter's betta on the other hand thinks they are candy! amazing how much there is to learn thru trial and error and constant observation and journal keeping