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My very first platy is starting to look a bit sad. She's gotten fairly skinny, but she still swims up to greet me at feeding times and gets her fair share. Now she's started to get a bit of fin rot

All my water params are good, and all my other fish are healthy.

I don't know how old she was when I got her, but I presume 3-6 months, and I've had her for 8 months now. I was thinking maybe old age, but the profile says 2 years for a platy. Thoughts?

it could be that she was older than you originally thought, especially if you bought her at the lfs...unfortunately we have no idea how old they are when we buy them there, yet where else do we get a majority of our fish

Has she been a "hard breeder, tried and true?" Meaning she is dropping fry for you each month and lots of them each time? I've heard that this can be hard on the female, and can shorten their lives, ie. making them old before their time (go figure 30 babies a month for 12 months....360 kids driving you crazyit would make anyone old:%))

If possible take her and put her in a smaller tank, by herself and treat her with some melafix, this should help the tail and fins...Also while she is out of the tank give her some extra love and some extra goodies to eat...she may just be getting slower and not as able to get to the food before all the others get their share, and thus not leaving her as much as she needs...and make sure it is a good quality food, I like the Tetra and Hikari brands...

There is also one other thing that it could bewhen was the last time she dropped fry? Could it be that she has recently had a large drop of fry and thus seems a whole lot thinner than she has been? I've been through that before and it will scare the snot out of you when your plump female is suddenly really thin...and keep in mind you may not be seeing the fry, depending on the other fish in the tank

heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle