Help - Platy swimming oddly

[MissMelba]

Hello,

I have an orange platy (male??) that is swimming oddly. I have had this fish for about five months but a few days ago he started swimming with his tail low. I searched this site and the 'net but can only find problems relating to swimming with the head low. No other changes are evident; color good, eating normally, hangs with the other platies. No new tankmates, current tankmates are two other platies, ten mollies (including fry), and two panda cories. The water parameters are all good (ammonia = 0, nitrites = 0, nitrates = ?5?, pH = 6.9, kh & gh ok), and I do weekly water changes (which doesn't seem to stress the fish, they seem to think the gravel vac may be a source of food). The tank is 175g so crowding is not an issue. None of the fish seem stressed, just this one with the tail hanging low. The tail, nor any of the fins, are clamped. Any one have a suggestion what could be wrong? And what to do to fix it?

Thanks,

MissMelba

ps - we have some new fishies in a 10g quarantine tank, a couple more weeks and they go in the main tank Yea!!

 

[blueturq]

Platies prefer a higher ph 7.0 (neutral) or preferably higher.

You are VERY close to neutral.

That could possibly be the problem, and if you need to raise your ph then you could add some crushed coral.

On the contrary, you say that you've had it for 5 months?, well unfortunatley since livebearers (guppies, mollies, platies, swordtails, endlers, etc) are extremley overbread and inbred they could have a shortened lifespan because of all of this hybridization, which might explain your situation, because your water parameters seem fine for the most part.