sickfish

Question
umm im very new at the fish keeping thing and i got 2 male guppies 2 females, 2
platys and a ghost shrimp..anyways well ive had them since friday the 7th and
yesterday i had noticed one if the female had little ones and that one of the
males was dead. then today i had come back from fishing and i had noticed that
the other male was like sinking and looked dead but when i touched it, he would
move around and swim for a little while..i dont know what to do about.  

Answer
Hmm...sounds like we need to be a little more specific about symptoms. Your female platy was probably already weak and stressed from travel and her introduction to your tank, which didn't help her birthing situation. If your fish are not sick, they may just be VERY stressed out. Get a water test to check the quality of your water (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and pH are standard), and grab up a water conditioner or other chemical that features an enzyme that will coat the fish and decrease stress. A wee bit of nitrate in the water, as well as a fluctuating pH can take out weak fish easily. Once your water quality is checked and maintained, we can weed out new tank syndrome and a potential bacteria colony overload.

However, they may also be suffering from a near invisible bacterial infection. Are they covered in a layer of slime? Are their gills or fins swollen or bleeding? Are any blood vessels visible, or are the fish bleeding from areas on their body? Are their fins frayed and white at the tips? Check your local fish friendly pet store for some Maracyn Two or another treatment for bacterial infections. Follow the instructions on the box, and if you have a filter make sure you remove the carbon!!! It will remove the antibiotic from the water as soon as you introduce it.

I hope I helped you care for your aquatic friends.