Amnagrla

I have two balloon mollies in a 10 gal tank. One of the balloon mollies, about 2-3 weeks ago, I found stuck to the side of the filter. I thought he was a goner. I moved him and he somehow survived until now. Thursday I moved the whole tank to my house from my dorm and I was worried about the stress. Today I saw him and he was stuck to the filter again. I moved him, turned off the filter for a few hours and then he seemed fine again! I turned the filter back on and he seems okay. Acting normal. Does this sound familiar to anyone?? Is Einstein going to die? :-(

Stradius011

What filter do you use?

Sabi

Mabe the filter suction is too strong for him or perhaps he's weak for some reason?

Amnagrla

I have a tetra whisper - 115-120 Volts 60 Hz. It came with my 10 gal tropical fish tank kit. I don't really want to put Einstein (my molly) in a birthing net, just doesn't seem fair. So i was thinking of contructing something, like a net or something around the filter with large enough holes that filth can get in but so Einstein won't get stuck to it. :-( I've been waking up to him stuck to the filter in the morning, like maybe he falls asleep and floats over to it or something and gets stuck. After I shut off the filter to let him off, I turn it back on, and he is fine! Shows no sign of being sick or anything. So I'm thinking maybe he's just not as strong as my other fish.

Besides this, does anyone have any other suggestions??

Bonochick

There really might be something wrong with him though, despite how he looks or acts. I had a fairly small pleco who looked and acted normal...except I was finding him stuck to the filter. I'd shut the filter off, and he'd swim away like everything was fine, although his fins were getting shredded. One day though, he was dead.

I haven't done it myself, but is there maybe some way to have a sort of mesh or nylon cover over the filter intake so that he wouldn't get sucked into the vents? Worse thing would be that he was just stuck to the filter but not getting his fins damaged by being stuck in there. Or, if we're to believe something is wrong with him, would it be possible to quarantine him temporarily to maybe give him some time to get better and get some strength back?

Sabi

I'd be interested to know whats the matter with the molly. I had a redtail shark that behaved just the same, he died in the end, i'm afraid

Amnagrla

lol in the end, I put Einstein in a birthing net for one day while I tried to construct a little device to go around the filter. He died yesterday. I'm particularly upset because he was my favorite. So now I have a 10 gal tank with one balloon molly in it.. that I've had for over two months and it still hasn't cycled! I bought one of those ammonia eliminating solutions to make it safe for the fish, but it's taking so long! My ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates have been at 0 for SOOO long now. So frustrating. I don't want to buy any more until it cycles but man... so long.

Sabi

I know how that feels!
My worst nightmare in fishkeeping is getting my cycle right!!
I still don't know if i have everything straight now.

armadillo

Oh no. that's awful. My balloon molly is my favorite. I'd be really sad if something happened to her. Really sorry that you've lost Einstein.