jtinbc

I am a newbie freshwater, 55 gallon, 1 month old. My tank has leveled out, and only lost 1 tiger barb, and 1 pecostamus - Now my two mollies, the hardiest ones so far, are lethargic after my first 20% water change. I treated the water, and they are the only two that seem are about to die!! Extremely lethargic, laying on the bottom, then on the top, etc. What do you think happened?? I added a little salt at the water change also. Help!?

paul219

Did you cycled your tank before adding any fish? What are the water stats? What is the tank size?

jtinbc

Yes I cycled it for one month, had my water tested about every other day, and all has been good. I've only lost 1 tiger barb, and a 1 pecostamus. This morning, 1 molly is acting better, the white male is still breathing but at the top of the tank. It is a 55 gallon tank. Thanks for any help.

armadillo

I think your mollies might be pregnant. Have they stopped eating in the last couple of days? Do they hover around the gravel on one spot. Do they have big bellies? Water changes (and salt) prompt mollies to give birth for some reason. I had the same thing with my females. Whenever they are about to give birth, they behave like that.

jtinbc

I'm pretty sure the sick one is a male. The orange one (which I think is a female), looked fat when I first got her, then the belly went down after a week. Don't know if she had babies, and they got eaten or what. The white male is still hanging on, but hanging out at the top of the tank, and just breathing hard.

armadillo

Oh he's at the top? How are his gills? Are they red?

If he's suffocating at the top, it could either mean nitrate/nitrite/ammonia poisoning, or poisoning by your tap water or that the temperature has become too hot too quickly.

jtinbc

Nitrates and nitrites are 0 (by my test strips), and the gills are normal looking, just breathing hard. I treated my tap water (it is a community well) when I put it in (with Zip drops). Took out about 8 gallons, so I put 8-10 drops in.

armadillo

Nitrites and nitrates of the tap water, or the tank water?

I wouldn't use test strips. You may as well test with banknotes. I am using liquid tests and the results are strikingly different. Test strips are notorious for being inaccurate, sorry.

What's the temperature like? It sounds like it could be too hot for him. Going on top of the water and breathing hard is one sign of that. Would be great if it's just that.

I don't know Zip drops. What does it say it does on the bottle? As in: does it bind metals, chlorine/chloramine and/or ammonia/nitrates/nitrites? Looked it up, but can't find it anywhere. What's the brand (I presume Zip drops are one of their products)?

jtinbc

The temp is about 78-79 degrees, and the zip drops (they're at home, I'm at work) are dechlorinator drops. I added them to the tank, right before I added the well water. (This is what the guy at the aquarium store told me to do).

I am finding that everyone has different ideas on how to do stuff with my tank. I've gone to 2 aquarium stores, and 2 different "mart" stores, and everyone has their own ideas as to how you are to do anything regarding aquariums. This is why I've come here. I wish there was a good "bible" for aquatics for people like me. Any ideas?

Tanks in advance (pun intended!)

armadillo

Didn't even get it as I automatically translated into 'thanks'!

I know what you mean about people having different ideas. But one thing's for sure, not all fish stores are to be trusted. There are recurring accounts on Fishlore of appalling misinformation by fishstores (and my own personal experience backs this up 200%, having tried a lot of fish stores).

Temp: mmmh. This is actually on the low side for mollies. So whatever it is, your molly's not too hot. Shame. That would have been the easiest solution.

I'd definitely get a liquid test kit and test the usual suspects (nitrites/nitrates/ammonia). Slightly less likely is metal poisoning from the water, or poisoning by another substance. You didn't add anything new to the tank recently, did you? An even less likely suspect is a gill parasite. Does the fish scratch its side against ornaments/the glass?

Zip drop: So definitely their water is at least dechlorinated. I'd be curious to have the full brand name to see what the product does. When you get home, could you write it down and post it at work later?

jtinbc

First of all, the fish store that I'm talking about is already mad at me for using a Rena XP2 canister filter, instead of his undergravel (he says the ONLY way to go) - -

Just spoke to hubby, and the 2 mollies are still kicking! I'll get the complete name of the zip drops, and post tomorrow when I get home. (I bought them from the fish store guy). I had been using the Stress coat, and stress zyme prior to this. ((Should'a stuck to those!))

I did change the white filter of my canister ((I rinsed it thoroughly with the removed tank water, prior to putting in the canister)), but other than that, nothing else.

And, no they are not rubbing anything, they don't have the strength to do that. Poor fellas, I'm a terrible new mom.

jtinbc

Oh, another thing (I've been reading other posts) - I did put a piece of algae wafer in yesterday to feed my algae eater, and he's not eaten any of it.......could this be causing a problem It is gone now, but it did sit in there longer than 12 hours! Hmmm........

armadillo

Not a terrible new mom at all. You're finding out and learning. That's great! You did great with rinsing off the canister in tank water, btw.

Great news that they're still around.

Dave, do you know much about Stresscoat/Stresszyme? I don't get that over here, and I know you've been talking about the stuff on a few threads. as far as I know, it doesn't dechlorinate, but I have no experience with it, so better wait for the expert on this one.

The fish store has no place to be mad. And undergravel filters are a bit of a controversy actually. Some people swear by it, others suggest it's better left for more experienced aquarists, while others say it is really unstable and wreaks havoc with your cycle.

armadillo

They have been sick since longer than yesterday, haven't they? As you don't use a water conditionner that detoxifies nitrites/nitrates, I'd remove it now, but I have left uneaten wafers in my 10G for 2 days prior to using this conditionner and was always fine. I guess I am lucky though, as I've heard people had really bad experiences with it. But I don't think it'd cause this behaviour without seeing red gills.

jtinbc

Molly1 (orange) is at top of tank, breathing but just sitting there; Molly2 (white male) is at top of tank, breathing, sitting there too, with tail dropped down. Unbelievable. Maybe they are severely depressed or something - all other tank mates (3 dannios, acting normal, fiesty) (2 guramis, a little shy but ok) (2 neon tetras, a little shy but ok) (2 red eye tetras, a little skiddish) (2 glass fish, 1 normal, one a little sickly looking-not moving alot) (1 algae eater, very active and happy) (1 kuhli loach-truly the psychotic fish of my tank, totally spastic when he appears every now and then)

I checked the drops, they are made by Tamsco out of Dallas Texas - they say "intact chlorine and chloramine remover" contains: sodium Thiosulfate and sodium carbonate.

Still trying to figure this situation out. We're on our way out the door to get a real test kit.

Tanks again!

armadillo

OK, so if it's a disease, it's not quickly contagious as they have been poorly for a while. I'd say it's a water quality problem, and your other fish are more sturdy. Great that you're getting a test kit.

Does your conditionner also remove metals?

I now wonder whether it's nitrates/nitrites or ammonia poisoning (likely); or metal in your tap water (least likely). Danios are known to be very resistant to nitrates/nitrites or ammonia poisoning. I think the test kit will reveal all.

jtinbc

Ok....so I bought my 29.95 test kit, and here's the results:
pH shows to be about 7.6
Nitrates 0
Nitrites 0
Ammonia......drum roll...... .25

The paperwork advised me to do a partial water change, so I removed 25%,
I added 2 1/2 capfuls of Stress Coat, and already my fish seem happier. The white molly, still hanging out at the top, but all others are friskier.

Who knows. Tomorrow I might wake up to a tank of dead fish, but maybe my main problem is just that I never really had it cycled good. I'll keep ya posted.

I thought this fish stuff is supposed to be "relaxing" - my hubby says he's never seen me more stressed!!!

armadillo

Oh it's stressful alright!

Does stresscoat condition the water (remove chlorine/chloramine/metals)? If not, I'd advise you condition the tap water before putting it in, and use stresscoat in addition. I'd use SeaChem Prime as it detoxifies ammonia, among other things.

Great that they're doing better.