Is my fish dead?

Question
We have a Mickey Mouse platy who started becoming very lethargic about 48 hours ago, staying near the bottom of the tank and swimming up in short bursts before returning to the gravel. She became even slower last night and began laying at the edge of the tank - often on her side - moving to a new location only very occasionally. Now she appears not to have moved at all for about 8 hours. I carried out an emergency water change last night as it was due.

Is the platy dead? I thought fish were supposed to float when they died, but are there occasions when they just lie down and expire? We had a case of fin rot about 3 months ago, which caused the death of another platy we had, but after medication and water changes the remaining fish (2 platies and 7 neon tetras) appeared fine. This platy has no sign of fin rot but to me looks quite pale.

I don't want to dispose of her without being sure that she's dead! I've heard rumours of fish doing this and then being revived - how can I try this and what should I look for?

Any help gratefully received!

Thanks,
Ian

Answer
Hi Ian,
I'm sorry to hear about your poor platy. If she has no other symptoms. I am quite certain she may be passing on from old age. Pale color and extreme lethargic behavior are indicaters of old age. If she is several years old this is most likely her case.

As long as her water is clean and warm, just leave her alone in peace. Try to limit her stress levels as much as possible. Don't let other fish pick on her. And leave the aquarium light off to limit stress.

Probably the worst part about fishkeeping is when you lose a beloved fish. It's best to give them the best life you can and remember that quality is better than quantity.
Best wishes to you....

I hope this helps... If you have anymore questions feel free to email me.

Karen~
ps: When fish pass on they do often lay on the bottom. The best way to comfirm this, is to take them in a net and watch for respiration movements. If there is none, and no response from being handled. Then it's time to give her a proper burial.
Best wishes to you and your fish....