# Stressed Sunburst Platy



## esl97 (Mar 23, 2012)

So I brought home a sunburst platy a week ago and he was fine for the first few days, although pretty shy. Lately I have been getting worried as he has been lying on the ground and hiding. he still eats and occasionally swims around, but spends most of his time resting on the ground. What can I do to make him more active? He is with some neon and serpae tetras and a dalmation molly. The serpaes occasionally chase him around, but nothing major. How do I make him less stressed? *c/p*


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Here is where you start to see evidence of your overstocked 10g. Have you tested for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? What is your normal maintenance routine?


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

is the tank cycled? what are the levels?


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

He has probably come from the store fighting something off, and the new tank with the crowding has taken down his defences. In an overcrowded tank, it's usually the new fish that drop first, as they haven't grown slowly accustomed to the conditions (higher bacterial counts, ammonia and probably acidification) and it hits as a shock.
The best way to bring around a fish like that is a warm, filtered five gallon tank with a bit of salt (for a platy) until he/she rallies - probably a week. keep the fish on its own until it's better. 
If he goes back into a tank where he has about 2 gallons to himself, he may recover. With a dalmation molly, if it is a 10 gallon you have, you may have room for 2-3 neons. If you have more than that, the molly will do the same as the platy very soon.


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