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I bought a platy from petco the other night. The shipment was new so of course there is going to be a few who wont make it. The platy i bought is active but sometimes can be seen resting on the bottom. Are platies normally slow? He just seems unenthusiastic (quite unlike his guppy tankmate.

I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

When I first got my platies they seemed a little sluggish but perked up after a few days, although occasionally I'll do a head count and think one is missing, it will be under a rock cave hanging out on the gravel... so my guess is that they just sometimes chill out. Most of mine are more active than that but they also have a lot of friends (by now I have 17 platies). So, what are your platy's other tankmates? Water parameters? Size of tank? I have found that if I am a little busy and not on top of a water change all my fish seem a little less active. Anyhow, I'll check back later and see if I can help more. Good luck.

-Beth

If you're expecting as much activity from your platy as much as your guppy you're in for disappointment.... Although my platys are active in their own right, they're not nearly as "busy" as my guppies.... Sometimes my platys do "rest" - but unless it's really excessive, I don't think you have much to worry about.... Just keep an eye on them! If something is wrong, it could be a number of things - one of the first things to check would be your water parameters.... Also, did you make sure that you allowed the platy to acclimate to your tank by floating the bag before turning it loose? Sometimes when people get in a hurry, they immediately turn their fish loose and the fish become kind of "stunned" as they haven't had enough time to adjust......

To thine own self be true...

Its been almost 2 days since i got him and he seems to be perking up. He is in there with a guppy and 2 otos. I dont know my water parameters (cant find my test kits ), but the other fish are active and healthy. Maybe hes just timid...

I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

Did you but the stock on the day they arrived in the shop? The LFS shouldn't have let you but it but its not unheard of for some to do it but its not a good idea if you did, they need time to aclimate into the new water, then to yours. You may have stressed it too much and it needs time to recover.

He died. All my other fish are fine. I guess i should have waited a week or two. I usually hold off with the new shipments, so i can see whos hardy and whos not.

I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

So sorry for the loss of your platy... it is so sad when they don't make it.

-Beth

hm, i just bought one from petco last night too. he is always at the bottom of the tank. i hope he's just shy though

I have had 2 mickey mouse platys, so far, that have been fairly active at the store, then, after being home for about a month, began hiding, and shooting off objects in the tank. I treated them for parisites and bacterial infections. HOpefully that does the trick. I just lost another of my mickey platys yesterday. I started off with 3, thought the littlest one was lonely, so I got another one. Shortly after I got the 4th one, the smallest one died. Now, the 4th one that I got, just died, and my male, the biggest one, is starting to hide, and act kind of funny. I'm treating the tank for parisites again, even though I just finished a round of treatments, and did a 20% water change. The big one, as of this morning when I left for work, was kind of hiding, and had his little "male part" hanging out. I don't know if whatever is getting my fish is making this happen to him or what, but he was kind of just there...not really swimming around. But it's good, well, sort of, to know that other people are having the same problem with their platys as me. Let me know if you find anything out!!!

The change of ph or hardness could have been too drastic, yet when I moved my platies they hid for 2 days yet they came out fine after that time

My platies were slow at first as well ,but they will even eat out of my fingers now ,they are the first to greet me.They seemed timid at first ,I believe they are just getting settled ,but I am a newbie ,what do I know,lol.Mine (2 mickey mouse) did the same thing ,I thought they were dying ,they would rest at the bottom on their bellies,Now they are all over the place ,they hang with the mollies and guppies...


Thanks, hope it all works out...

Mongoose
P.S.- I am awake for medical reasons alot .but sometime I go and look at my fish late late at night to just check things with a flashlight and my platies will actually ,just like crash when they sleep ,they get in little caves I made and just lay on the bottom ,on their belly,sides too ,it is very funny looking to me to see them sleeping on their sides ,and just laying and rolling around ,they get very comfortable thats for sure... (mine anyways)