stillness

Question
Hello, I was wondering why, sometimes, the platies just lay still near the top of the water, almost lifeless-but with a little effort they will swim away.  It seems fine when it's not just chillin' there by the surface...  why do they do that?  Also, how early do platies mate? I have 11 baby platies, one is two months old and the rest are one month old...

Thank you

Maggie

Answer
Hi Maggie!

Well, I think the first thing you should check is the water quality.Since I don't know your water parameters it's tricky to know exactly what the problem might be.
Do you have ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate tests?
Your aquarium water should never have any trace of ammonia, or nitrite but a little bit of nitrate is normal as it is the end product from the process of the nitrifying bacteria.
Nitrate levels over 30 PPM is considered high and will inhibit growth, cause stress,impair immune system, and reduce energy levels...The simplest and easiest way to get of this problem is a large water change.In fact, a large water change is the best thing to do if any of your water parameters are high. It depends on your tank size but a 30-40% water change siphoned out and replaced with fresh dechlorinated water the same temperature as the tank water will really help the problem.
Another problem it might be is low-oxygen levels. Next time you see your Platies do this, check and make sure they aren't gasping at the surface. If so you need to add more aeration in the form of adding an air pump in airstone.
Also is the water too cold? It should be about 73-80
degrees fahrenheit. Cold water may cause them to be sluggish.

These are all just possibilities, I am not saying they are all or even one of these things. But you can eventually narrow things down to see if there is a problem in your aquarium by checking the temperature, water parameters, and if your fish are gasping or not.

About your Platy babies~
Platies are capable of breeding at 3-4 months of age.

I love platies, they are such great fish!
Best of luck to you and your tank, I hope you figure out your problem with platies.
If you have any more questions or need more info, just email me again in the 'ask a followup question' on the answer page! I would be happy to help you out all I can!

Best wishes, Happy fishkeeping!
Karen~