Is mollie sick?

[Caper]

I wasn't sure whether to post this here or in the disease section?

I bought 2 mollies (1 black, 1 white)Friday. Everything seemed to be fine. When I came home tonight, I was watching the fish and noticed the white one swimming...ah...differently?

From what I've seen so far, he swims up and down at the end of the tank alot. Occasionally venturing around a bit. But tonight he's going up & down then...sometimes he is almost veritical (mouth up) for a few seconds then back to swimming.

Does this mean he's sick? I'm looking on the net to see what I can see about this behaviour but haven't come across anything as yet.

Thanks,

Dolorosa

I found another post titled "sick mollie" should I have posted this under that topic? Even though it's a different "thing" going on with mine?

[Caper]

He died tonight

[Caper]

OMG...he is not dead!

PLEASE HELP!

He is lying on the bottom...and looking closely...it looks like his lips are big? Sorry...don't know how else to describe it. Looked on the net, could it be a fungus?

It's 11:44 Sunday night...is there anything I can do.

Tried to get pics...don't think you can see...but up close it looks like he is "pouting"

[HummingBird]

Don't know what the actual problem is, but if it is a fungus (and even if it isn't) treating the tank with Melafix or a similar antifungal will help.

[Caper]

Thanks Hummingbird!

Unfortunately, if that's all I can do...have to wait till tomorrow. I hope I can get this stuff...if so...can I put it in the tank with the other fish...will it hurt them?

Have to go...thanks again!

Will check here in morning before I leave for work.

If he makes it through the night, darn...have to get a tank for sick fish

[Caper]

He didn't make it...

[Shelley]

R.I.P. little fishie.....I just hate it when that happens . Hoe whatever it was wasn't contagious. Possibly a good argument for a quarantine tank. Can't think what can have been wrong with it, how is the other Mollie you got at the same time?

[Caper]

Thanks Shelley

The other mollie seems to be doing fine. When I took the little bugger out that died, I gave him a once over and his mouth looked ok.

Unfortunately, I think I killed him

I did my water changes tonight and my ammonia was .5 and nitrites were a tad over .1. I changed the water last week and tests were fine.

The tank has been up and running since June 3rd so could this possibly been the ammonia spike that is part of the cycling process?

[Pegasus]

Hi Caper,

Sorry to hear about your loss.

You say:

I did my water changes tonight and my ammonia was .5 and nitrites were a tad over .1. I changed the water last week and tests were fine.

I "think" I read in one of your posts that you do a thorough cleanout once a month.

Be "very" careful with your filters, and "avoid" cleaning them "too" much.

Just rinse them gently in a bucket of tank water if you have to.

Ammonia levels will rise for a number of reasons, but the main ones are ...

Filters that don't hold enough beneficial bacteria to control the bad bacteria..

Overfeeding.. (Which I understand you have cut down on recently)

Overstocking.. and lack of water changes.. (weekly should be fine)

Dead fish or plant/food matter in the tank.

If you have quite a number of livebearers in your tank.. (Mollies.. Guppies.. Platties etc).. then the addition of a couple of well mixed tablespoons of salt to say every ten gallons will help build up some resistance for the fish, and will also encourage new scale growth to some extent. Salt helps to flush the old mucus from the fish, so promoting new growth.

Don't overdose the tank if you have catfish in there.

Without a doubt.. the quickest way to reduce rising ammonia levels is through water changes, but these should be done gradually and not in huge amounts that will stress the fish or alter the conditions too dramatically.

Take care now

Bill.

[Caper]

Thanks Bill

Just checked my water again...ah...still Tuesday here, water change last night:

ammonia .25 before water change .5

ph 7.6 same as before water change

nitrites tad over .1 same as last night

So, how much & when change more water obviously will defenitely need more till gets under control, right?

Bill, I didn't have the test kits when I first started my 10 gallon. So, could this be the ammonia spike be from the cycling process?

This is what I usually do:

-weekly water change, just vacuum don't remove anything except one ornanament in 10 gallon that gets messy (& fix anything I've moved by mistake plants & such :lol: )

-the filter in each tank has one bio fiber filter (which I occasionally, not regularly, give a swish around in water taken from tank); one filter that has carbon in it (this I clean in tank water every second week, and replace once a month)

-monthly I remove everything so I can give gravel a really good vacuum; clean the glass inside; until I had the ottos in the 10 gallon I would clean plants too

-in the 29 gallon I've given it its monthly cleaning but didn't clean off ornaments or plants waiting till I get algae eaters then will clean accordingly

Sooooooooo...am I missing anything...and oh, I do my water tests weekly. The 10 gallon has been good although pH is staying close to the 7.6 mark same with the 29 gallon. What makes the pH go up Bill?

Thanks

Oops...one more thing so far in 29 gallon 1 platy, 1 mollie, 2 guppies, 3 black neons, & 5 neons...to many too soon? Salt????

[HummingBird]

Sorry to hear he/she didn't make it. I had a dream last night that had a molly that looked just like that in it (could have been yours but I used to have one that looked exactly the same too), it was in the ocean though and it was like 50x the size of a normal molly!

[Caper]

Hummingbird...that was probably my mollie trying to say thank you for trying to help

Thanks again!

[Caper]

Uhhh...Bill...anybody...do I need to change anything (see previous thread) and what about the ammonia?

[Pegasus]

Hi Caper,

Sorry to hear you lost your fish. It looked like a Sailfin from the pic.

You ask:

Bill, I didn't have the test kits when I first started my 10 gallon. So, could this be the ammonia spike be from the cycling process?

Yes.. it "could" be from the cycling process... but I notice you also mention ..

monthly I remove everything so I can give gravel a really good vacuum;

This is something that could also cause a jump in the ammonia levels, as any undue disturbance of the gravel will release unwanted (anarobic) bacteria from beneath the substrate.. so the rule here is to be gentle and avoid disturbing the gravel if it can be avoided.

When people say that they lose fish after a water change or cleanup... then this is what I suspect.

Sooooooooo...am I missing anything...and oh, I do my water tests weekly. The 10 gallon has been good although pH is staying close to the 7.6 mark same with the 29 gallon. What makes the pH go up Bill?

Your pH is within safety levels, but things you can check are:

First:.. Check the water from the tap to see what reading it gives.

Second:.. Check to see that you have no shells, gravel or ornaments that are breaking down gradually, which will change the alkalinity of your tank and raise the pH.

Third:.. Do the Vinegar test.

Try each of the above.. a bit of gravel (dry).. a bit of rock (dry) etc.

Submerse each in a bit of vinegar, and if it fizzles, then chances are it will change your pH.

Four:... RELAX... Stop Worrying.

Getting your tanks to a stage where you can sit back and relax takes time, and often causes a bit of expense along the way, as there is a big learning curve to get over, so try to avoid stressing out at every little thing that you think might be wrong, as the margins for error are quite large and things just don't HAVE to be EXACTLY by the book to make them work.

As an example.. I haven't done a test on my water for over four years.

I have not used ANY form of chemical in my tanks for over thirty years.

On the rare occasions I HAVE had to treat a fish it has been done in a quarantine tank, and natural methods were used.

My last water change in my main tanks was over four weeks ago.

My sponge filters (which I have in every tank).. haven't been changed in over two years.. although they do get rinsed at water change times.

This is not to say you or anyone else can do the same... it's just that you will eventually reach a stage where you KNOW things are right... without all the chemicals and tests.. but it takes time, and a lot of patience.

Take care now

Bill.

[Caper]

so the rule here is to be gentle and avoid disturbing the gravel if it can be avoided

This one shocks me Bill...I really thought that once a month you were supposed to give the gravel a really good vacuum, that is why I was doing it!

When doing the weekly change I try not to disturb too much of anything but sometimes :oops: I do.

I do stress (as Caryl has mentioned ). You folks are right though if I don't stop stressing over EVERYTHING then I will not enjoy my fishies anymore, and I don't want that to happen. I have to learn to calm down :roll:

Second:.. Check to see that you have no shells, gravel or ornaments that are breaking down gradually, which will change the alkalinity of your tank and raise the pH.

Third:.. Do the Vinegar test.

Try each of the above.. a bit of gravel (dry).. a bit of rock (dry) etc.

Submerse each in a bit of vinegar, and if it fizzles, then chances are it will change your pH.

Is three how I check two :roll: So just take thinks out and do the vinegar test then. I don't use the tap water I use bottled water at present. Our water is horrible and has been "white" lately...mental note...call water department!

Anyway, have to go get ready for a wedding. Maybe this will take some stress away

THANK YOU THANK YOU

[Pegasus]

Caper asked:

Is three how I check two

Yes it is Caper, but not always possible with large objects, but if you pour a bit of vinegar on a rock you might feel is suspect and it fizzles, then it might be breaking down in your tank and changing the pH..

Some of the cheap tank ornaments (and the expensive ones).. are designed more for looks than durability.. so these should be checked after extended use.

It's usually the lime based rocks or calcium in certain things like shells that cause the alkalinity, as will shell grit and coral bits.

Keepers of some of the African Lake species "want" their water to be high in pH, plus a little on the hard side, so they add certain types of rocks and substrate to hold the water at the high level.

Bird and Oyster grit will "raise" the pH.. while Peat moss added to a filter will "lower" the pH. Driftwood and logs will also lower the pH in many cases... so you may need to "buffer" the water if the pH get too low.

Ammonia levels will tend to be higher at a low pH BTW

Generally anywhere between 6.5 and 7.5pH is the safe region.. but a point either side of this will do no harm.

More harm is done if the changes are rapid, as with temp.. so these rapid changes should be avoided.

HTH

Bill.

"Bottled Water"... WOW... now there is an expense we don't need

[Caper]

Bottled water for now...remember I only have 2 small tanks...and I'm not smoking as much as I used to...trying to quit!

Plus I really do have to remember to call the water department about the water. Sydney was always known for bad water. But I didn't mind it till recently, the white cloud and the :-? taste!

About the salt, was at the dept. store today. The manager of the fishie dept. was there. She told me that all there tanks have salt in them. She recommended 1 tablespoon for every 5 gallons of water every 3-4 months, does this sound right? She said to put it in with my goldfish as well.

I also did water change in the 29 gallon tonight...tested the water later...ammonia going down...not quite .25...but not 0. This time Bill all I did was vacuum some water off, no vacuuming or touching gravel at all. Will do the same for the next few days as needed to get the ammonia down.

I forget :oops: approximately how long for a 29 gallon to cycle?

Sorry so long a post...but...well...you see...IT'S FNZAS FAULT!...if you folks weren't so darn good

[Pegasus]

Caper said:

She recommended 1 tablespoon for every 5 gallons of water every 3-4 months, does this sound right? She said to put it in with my goldfish as well.

The theory behind this is that the addition of a bit of salt replaces some of the minerals lost at water changes. Many of the older generation of aquarists used to religiously add a percentage of salt at water change time.

Having said that... there are many aquarists today that keep perfectly healthy fish without the addition of salt, and I only add it if I see the fish looking a bit off colour, or for medicinal purposes.

You ask:

I forget approximately how long for a 29 gallon to cycle?

How long is a piece of string..?

It "could" take three months... or twelve months, as there are so many factors involved, but generally they say that when your readings are at zero... and remain that way... then the tank is cycled.

My "cycle"... if you can call it that... takes three days.. then I sit back and relax

The three days is more to see that the temp and such are stable rather than any other reason.

(Still having fun.. )

Bill.

[misnoma]

I'm with Bill.. my new tanks take ~2-3 days to cycle

[Caper]

Yup...still having fun :lol: