# Platy with scales protruding out...



## Ulyaoth (Jan 9, 2010)

For a while one of my original platies started getting really skinny, her gut went in where it used to be big and round, hiding a lot, like under the plants and behind the filter, and the scales on the top of her seemed to be peeling off almost, all upturned and pointing out. Finally she started having issues swimming, just laying on the bottom of the tank and having trouble swimming to the top for food, then she disappeared so I'm assuming she's dead since that was over a week ago.

Now I'm worried because the other platy who'd been fine, is now starting to hide a bit, still round bellied but it looks like a few scales are poking up a bit like the other one had. Any ideas what it could be and if it's treatable?


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## britnyjackson (Mar 10, 2010)

Could you possibly post a picture and give the details of your water perameters?? I think that would help determine what's going on, at least a little bit.


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## Ulyaoth (Jan 9, 2010)

Well I could only get a pic on my phone and I doubt you'd be able to see it on him, it's very minor, I don't have any of the one that died.
Ammonia and nitrite are 0, nitrate 20. Temperature is 76F. The water is also a bit soft and neutral pH, I know platies like harder water but could that be a cause?


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## tanker (Mar 13, 2010)

I read up on this recently because one of my platies had his scales sticking out ("pineconing"). It seems that it's usually due to dropsy - organ failure, but I read that it could also be due to a bacterial infection of the skin. If it's dropsy then it can be due to different things, like infection, tumours or parasites - the organ failure is a symptom, not a disease in itself. With dropsy, the fish swells up which pushes the scales out, but that doesn't sound like what happened to your first fish. 

In other words, I've no idea what's wrong with your fish and it could be lots of things. It may help our fish experts if you can get a good photo, and have a look at the sticky at the top of the sub-forum and post the information requested there. 

My guess would be that in your case it's some kind of infection because you've had 2 fish affected. Do you have other fish in your tank? If so, I'd isolate your sick fish if you've got a quarantine tank.


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## Ulyaoth (Jan 9, 2010)

1. 16 gallons

2. used a api test kit

3. freshwater

4. almost a year

5. 2 bamboo shrimp, 6 danios, 4 of which were put in the tank around same time as the shrimp back in september, others have been in since May, the platy's(both the one who died and the one still around) have been in since January

6. no

8. yes, a bunch of anacharis and java ferns, one large anubia plant

9. aqueon powerflow 20, wash out the impeller every once in a while in tank water being changed

10. nope

11. some I guess, it's 10 feet from the window though

12. 3 gallons today, 3 on sunday, about that often, every 3 or so days, started vacuuming it just in September

13. Wardley tropical flakes once a day when the lights turn on. Up until a month ago used Tetra fakes.

15. no

I'll see if I can get a decent picture but I doubt it'll show up much.
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...ad-all-members-please-read-652/#ixzz18EqN4Nlj​


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## Ulyaoth (Jan 9, 2010)

The last one shows how he looks to have gotten worse just today, I was looking it up and found that it looks to be TB, pictures of infected fish looked just like the other platy and how he's starting to look, also a few of my danios that I never had any idea what was wrong because I thought for some reason diseases all made them bloat. TB is really bad isn't it :-( I really don't want to lose all my fish and my shrimp, any way I can save the rest without having to restart the whole tank? I'll buy a tub to put him in by himself or with any others that may look sick tomorrow.


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## tanker (Mar 13, 2010)

Yes, from what I've read, TB is bad. I don't think you would be able to save any fish if that is what it is, but I'm no expert. I'd still isolate the sick fish, just in case it isn't anything as virulent as TB. 

Maybe you could PM Bettababy. She seems to know about diseases. From her profile it looks like she hasn't been on the forum for a couple of days, but hopefully she'll log on soon and may be able to help you.

I'm so sorry you are having these problems :-(


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