Red Wag Platy ..sick?

Question
QUESTION: Well i have two red wag and two sunset fire wag platy. i
had the two red the longest...now one of them always seem
to go to the bottom of the bowl..i don't he was dead until
i took the net in put it in he swam..well i don't know what sexes my platy are....but anyway he has like little white
spots now i took him out and put in another bowl and i
really don't know what else to do pleaseee help!!

ANSWER: Hi Julie,

Unfortunately, you have many problems right now with your Platies. Fortunately, I can help!

1)Your Platies are suffering from Ich, or White Spot disease. It is characterized by small salt-grain like spots, and is fatal. You can get a medication at your local fish store. Look for something like 'Quick Cure' or another medication that says on the label that it will eliminate Ich/Ick. All of the fish may be infected, it is highly contagious. Get the meds now! It will mean the difference between life and death. See this site for more info:
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/ich.htm

2) Since you said bowl, I presume you don't have a heater. Platies are tropical fish, they MUST have a heater, unless you live in a desert! The platies need a temperature (water temp.) of 75F and above. They are prone to disease below this. You will need to buy a small heater from the fish store, (under $25 for a small one). During the treatment, it is necessary to raise the temperature to about 84F, to speed up the recovery time and to kill the protozoan (Ich). Since higher temperatures result in low oxygen, you will need an air pump with an airstone for further oxygenation.

3) Please don't keep fish in a bowl. Even goldfish can't live in bowls. Bowls offer no filtration whatsoever, and you need an aquarium with a filter. I recommend getting a 5 gallon aquarium kit for your fish, They will be much happier. Bowls are death traps for fish, and they will be unhealthy.

I'll give you a simple checklist:

-Get ich medication from store
-Get a small heater
-Get a small air pump and an airstone
-In the future, get an aquarium kit with a filter.

Follow the medication directions CAREFULLY!

Good Luck, I hope the Platies recover.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Should i clean the entire tank until i get the heater?
And is a air pump is the same as a filter?

Answer
Hi Julie,

Yes, cleaning the tank would be a good idea. Thanks for considering the needs of your fish; they will be very happy!

An air pump is not the same as a filter. If you're going to get either one, the filter would be more important, but I would recommend getting both. Remember to get an airstone with the pump, it will produce more efficient bubbles. (and airstone is less than $2 for a pack of 2) An air pump oxygenates the aquarium water, while a filter removes toxins and particulate matter, and as the water flows from the filter to the aquarium, it gets  oxygenated a little. A filter also provides beneficial bacteria with a home.

Hope they recover!