bmxer193

i use to have 4 mollies 2 died a while back and the other 2 lived together for a few more months but not long ago 1 died and now the mollie that is left is going crazy! flying around the tank going after its own reflection! or it is laying on the botton of the tank. it hasnt eat much since its friends death. Today i found it going to weirdest thing I found him IN a shell !!!! I cant get any new fish for the next few days, any help on how to lower the fishes stress (i cant add salt i have snails)

Nitrate: 40 (low compared to wut it use to live in)
Nitrite:0-.5
PH:7.0
and the tank is kept at 78 F

Chief_waterchanger

I would do an IMMEDIATE 50% waterchange. Your nitrate is killing your fish. You are probably NOT doing enough waterchanges on the tank, or have decomposing organic matter in the tank. What size tank is this, what kind of filter do you have on the tank? What other fish are in the tank?

bmxer193

That nitrate level is very low compared to what is was at and has been at (at some points was as high as 140!) i do about a 30-40% water change every week. its only a 5 gal (i plan to get a bigger tank) and besides the mollie i have about 5 very small snails. O and i have a "deluxe aqua- tech 5-15(gal) power filter" and i do change the filter media often

Chief_waterchanger

Nitrate levels become lethal, I think, to most fish at about 50. At 40 it is probably making the fish very sick. At a Nitrate of 140 I am surprised you didn't lose every fish in the tank.

Describe what you're doing by changing the filter media often? If you take it all out you will be taking away the vast majority of your good bacteria, which would make your tank recycle everytime. When you want to change the filter media I would suggest changing no more than half at a time.

bmxer193

I change the media about once every 3-4 weeks all i do it take out the old one and put in the new one i got at the pet store. There are to medias in the filter the the first one is the one i replace, but the other one is called a "bio-fiber" which you are never suppose to replace

armadillo

The Chief is helping you out on this one, but as I came across your latest question, I'll fill in briefly.

What you're meant to do frequently (I check if mine needs it weekly) is rinse out the filter media in used tank water. You only entirely replace it infrequently. So what you do is you take the filter medium out, and rinse it in tank water in a bucket from your water change. Like The Chief is saying, you're loosing a lot of good bacteria by replacing it so often, although your intentions are blatantly very good and you sound like you really want the best for the fish to be going through that much effort.

I know it's a lot to learn in one go, but soon you'll get the hang of most of the big don't s and hopefully you'll be good to go.

Could I suggest you also check our articles in the beginners section? They're quite informative when you're getting started.



http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/fr...beginners.html

Early mistakes

http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/fr...more-fish.html

If I had to summarise the essential lessons of basic fishkeepings those would be:
- always over-size your tanks. never undersize.
- water change, water change, water change
- research before getting any fish. never impulse-buy.
- don't listen to petstore advice without double-checking somewhere else.

I'll leave you back in The Chief's expert hands now.

bmxer193

Thanks for the help armadillo! ill be sure to read those articles.

bmxer193

so back to my question is there any way to lower the fishes stress (besides salt and lowering nitrates)?

bmxer193

when the nirtrate is under control all add a few platys (will mollies and platys breed?)

Chief_waterchanger

Mollies and platies could have intercourse, but would not produce a viable offspring.

I would honestly say until the nitrate is under control there is little else you can do to lower the stress. It would be like putting you in a closed in small room with no air vents and filling it with paint fumes or pumping exhaust fumes into the room. It would stress you out and keep you sick until you eventually were to weak to fight it off and would succum to it.

I would do 50% waterchanges every other day until the nitrates dropped, then do 50% waterchanges once a week and keep a close eye on the testing to ensure it doesn't start to get too high again.

I hope I have been of some help to you.

(Aww, thnx Ms. Dillo.)

Chief_waterchanger

I would not add more fish to the tank.

A 5g would only be enough for 2 mollies (which would be pushing the bioload limits, since mollies get to about 2-3 inches). OR 2 or 3 platies. I would not suggest adding anything to the tank. If anything, why not get ahold of a 10-20g tank and have it cycling. Once it is done cycling you could put a trio of mollies and a trio of platies in a 20g and even toss in a trio of corys or something. In a 10g you could have a trio of mollies or 4 or 5 platies...

It is SOOOO easy for water perameters to go haywire in small tanks. Infact the more water a tank has the easier it is to keep water conditions and water perameters very neutral. (That is good justification for larger tanks. )

bmxer193

Thanks for your help again and i am going to get a bigger tank soon most likely a 15 or 20 (but i have to let it cycle so it will be a little while before i can get those new fish...i dont like waiting, but i have to)

Chief_waterchanger

Glad you are one of the more mature fishkeepers. Learning to wait is something most people never do.

Good luck on the larger tank.

bmxer193

Thanks for all you help i have 1 last question when you siad "trio of mollies and a trio of platies in a 20g and even toss in a trio of corys or something" you do meant to put "and" in there right? so that would mean theres 9 fish in the 1 tank (just making sure, better safe than sorry!)?

Chief_waterchanger

Yep yep.

A 20 gallon tank can handle 3 mollies and 3 platies and 3 cories without problem. Mollies get about 3 inches at adult size and platies about 2. So 3x3=9+3x2= 15+3x2= 21 inches of fish, but that one inch over won't be a problem. Just make sure to do your weekly waterchanges and have a working filter on the tank it should be fine.

Thank you for caring about your fish so much!

armadillo

BMXer, you've really got the right attitude to fishkeeping. First check, then buy. If only we had all started that way.

pistorta

Since when are nitrates so toxic? I would be more concerned with possible ammonia poisoning along with nitrite swings (if bacteria is being compromised during filter cleanings/changes).

armadillo

They're toxic, but in waaaaaay bigger quantities than nitrites and ammonia.