Dalmation Molly Complications

HI everyone! I'm concerned that my dalmation molly just plain doesn't like me.

I am a college student that started the hobby back in september this year while I was away at college. I bought a tank and some fish currently I have my tank stocked with
1 dalmation molly
4 albino corydoras catfish
7 neon tetras

I know my tank is over stocked a little bit, I was a bit excited when I started. However it has never been a problem in the past. currently these are my tank readings

0ppm amonia
0ppm nitrite
15-20ppm (it varies when I test it but I have yet to see it below 15 or above 20)
PH 7.5-7.6 (again it varys I'm not totally sure why but I have bought a PH reducer to help stabilize it)
81 degrees (I know that is kinda hot but any time I try to lower it my molly sits on the heater, doesn't move, and refuses to eat until I raise the temp.)

despite my beginner mistakes everything was fine until the end of the semester and I had to move out of my dorm for the summer. I lowered the water level, covered the tank and drove really carefully the 1.5 hours home. This was the first time I took them anywhere long distance. (I took my tank to a friends house that lived in town over winter break)

before I came home she was very active and would swim around and often times show herself off if she was hungry (once she even splashed me because she saw that I had the food in my hand but I was taking too long). She can very clearly see outside of the tank but now that I have her home all she does is hide when I or another human comes into the room.

Did I perhaps traumatize her when I brought her home and now she hates people? none of my other fish are acting strangely since I brought them home, just her.

advice? I really like her for her personality and id hate to have to rehome her. will she eventually get over herself? (not saying I didnt do anything wrong but I just can't sit down and talk out our differences lol)

edit: something else to note, when I have been out of the room for a while and come back into the room she is out and about in the tank but once she sees me I guess she goes back into hiding

 

Sounds like something has spooked her. Is there something different in the tank possition. I had a tank in my living room in which the fish kept getting spooked. I realised that they were trying to hide at the side opposite the TV. I realised the light from the TV upset them so I stuck some black plastic over the side of the tank facing the TV and the problem stopped.

 

Definitely sounds like she is spooked. Give it some time and hopefully she'll get back to normal again. On the temp I have mine set at 25c (77f) and my four dalmation mollies are very active. Maybe try lowering the temp by 1 degree, leave it for a week and repeat, if you want to bring it down a bit.

Tony.

 

Definitely sounds like she is spooked. Give it some time and hopefully she'll get back to normal again. On the temp I have mine set at 25c (77f) and my four dalmation mollies are very active. Maybe try lowering the temp by 1 degree, leave it for a week and repeat, if you want to bring it down a bit.

Tony.

okay ill give it some time, I tried to drive carefully but I presume it wasn't a very pleasent ride in the back of my car so hopefully she feels better soon, its almost been like 4 weeks since I came back

as far as the temp I was mainly concerned with my other fish. they don't seem to be bothered by the heat but I can't tell

 

hmmm four weeks does seem a quite a while. Maybe as Heron mentioned there is something else that is spooking her.

Tony.

 

HI everyone! I'm concerned that my dalmation molly just plain doesn't like me.

I am a college student that started the hobby back in september this year while I was away at college. I bought a tank and some fish currently I have my tank stocked with
1 dalmation molly
4 albino corydoras catfish
7 neon tetras

I know my tank is over stocked a little bit, I was a bit excited when I started. However it has never been a problem in the past. currently these are my tank readings

0ppm amonia
0ppm nitrite
15-20ppm (it varies when I test it but I have yet to see it below 15 or above 20)
PH 7.5-7.6 (again it varys I'm not totally sure why but I have bought a PH reducer to help stabilize it)
81 degrees (I know that is kinda hot but any time I try to lower it my molly sits on the heater, doesn't move, and refuses to eat until I raise the temp.)

despite my beginner mistakes everything was fine until the end of the semester and I had to move out of my dorm for the summer. I lowered the water level, covered the tank and drove really carefully the 1.5 hours home. This was the first time I took them anywhere long distance. (I took my tank to a friends house that lived in town over winter break)

before I came home she was very active and would swim around and often times show herself off if she was hungry (once she even splashed me because she saw that I had the food in my hand but I was taking too long). She can very clearly see outside of the tank but now that I have her home all she does is hide when I or another human comes into the room.

Did I perhaps traumatize her when I brought her home and now she hates people? none of my other fish are acting strangely since I brought them home, just her.

advice? I really like her for her personality and id hate to have to rehome her. will she eventually get over herself? (not saying I didnt do anything wrong but I just can't sit down and talk out our differences lol)

edit: something else to note, when I have been out of the room for a while and come back into the room she is out and about in the tank but once she sees me I guess she goes back into hiding

My Mollies did the same thing the first 2-3 days and then they were fine with me coming up the tank and them often coming up too.
My tank is at 75 Degrees and is fine, hopefully it is like mine!

 

hmmm four weeks does seem a quite a while. Maybe as Heron mentioned there is something else that is spooking her.

Tony.

in my dorm they were right by the door so any time me or my roommate came in or out they were right there. and now they face the door but are on the opposite side of the room (now in my bedroom not my dorm room)

I'm not quite sure what could be spooking her I know she can see out side the tank but I'm not sure to what extent

the most obvious thing to me at the moment could be perhaps my lighting situation, my dorm room could be quite dI'm at times and at home the lighting is much better

 

in my dorm they were right by the door so any time me or my roommate came in or out they were right there. and now they face the door but are on the opposite side of the room (now in my bedroom not my dorm room)

I'm not quite sure what could be spooking her I know she can see out side the tank but I'm not sure to what extent

Quick changes in light can spook the fish, and they may be avoiding that. Is your tank well planted/does she have places to hide?

 

This is my current tank set up, she usually hides down in the tree house thing, in the base of it

 

This is my current tank set up, she usually hides down in the tree house thing, in the base of it

Some live plants could go a long way, mollies love nibbling on plants and algae. What do you feed her?

 

Some live plants could go a long way, mollies love nibbling on plants and algae. What do you feed her?

I wanted to do live plants but when I got to the store they told me that I couldnt do plants in a sand substrate, the nutrients wouldnt stay in the sand like they would soil or gravel.
As far as food, ive got some algae pellets and I drop half of one, about once a month but as far as regularily I have goldfish flakes and she nibbles on the API bottom feeder food I have for my corydoras

 

I wanted to do live plants but when I got to the store they told me that I couldnt do plants in a sand substrate, the nutrients wouldnt stay in the sand like they would soil or gravel.
As far as food, ive got some algae pellets and I drop half of one, about once a month but as far as regularily I have goldfish flakes and she nibbles on the API bottom feeder food I have for my corydoras

They're right about the sand not holding nutrients, which means that you can't have plants root in easily. What you can do, is plant root tabs nearby the plants in the sand, which add nutrients to help the plants grow. There are also all in one ferts and seachem brand ferts as well that you can use so the plants can take the nutrients they need from the water column. There are several plants that do not need to root that you can use in the tank, such as hornwort or java fern. These can be tucked behind a rock/attached to wood.

 

Java fern and anubias both don't need substrate, just something to attach them too. My Java fern is doing well, my anubias is not quite so well, but I've started to dose some fertilizer so hopefully that will make it happy again.

Definitely quick changes in lighting can scare the fish, My mollies seem to swim around at night when there is barely enough light to even see them, so I don't think a dI'm room will be the issue.

Tony.

 

I wanted to do live plants but when I got to the store they told me that I couldnt do plants in a sand substrate, the nutrients wouldnt stay in the sand like they would soil or gravel.
As far as food, ive got some algae pellets and I drop half of one, about once a month but as far as regularily I have goldfish flakes and she nibbles on the API bottom feeder food I have for my corydoras

Although the sand does not hold nutrients many live plants feed directly from the water through the leaves and only use the roots to anchor. My tanks have gravel which does no

 

Although the sand does not hold nutrients many live plants feed directly from the water through the leaves and only use the roots to anchor. My tanks have gravel which does no

Not hold gravel either but they do fine feeding of the nitrates in the water and from flora boost I add once a month. Sorry about this post being split in two I hit post by accident when typing.