Just lost another platy. Another one of the green neon teenagers, only born last spring. She must have just died, because the other fish hadn’t gotten to her at all.
When I scooped her out of the tank I took a closer look. She wasn’t pregnant, like her smaller sister is currently, but she did have the bent spine I’ve seen on several of the newer platys. I assume this is a result of the massive inbreeding that takes place to produce the distinct varieties found in the fish store. Still, it’s not nearly as bad as what they do to dogs in Japan.
I can only hope that re-combining the different platy varieties will lead back to a stronger, more viable fish. Also, I’m going to get my water checked on Saturday. And possibly buy some more females (of a different variety); the male/female ratio in the tank has gotten far too skewed towards the male side and I think they’re starting to harass the poor females too much.