Epileptic Molly & Disfigured Molly

[SmellyKC]

I'm new to keeping fish....

I started a 10 gallon tank, let it run for over 48 hours and added two Dalmatian mollies. 3 days later a silver and black molly were added. Things seemed to be going well.... Tomorrow will be two weeks since the first fish were added. I think that my female Dalmatian molly came home pregnant. One morning I noticed that my male Dalmatian's mouth appeared to be swollen or stuck open. That evening, he appeared to have (from what I read online) pop eye in both eyes. I went to the pet store and they recommended an all-in-one treatment (Tetra Lifeguard). The directions said to treat for 5 days, the associate said 3 days would probably be sufficient. Male Dalmatian (Pongo...kids aren't very original ;-)) didn't appear to be getting any better, so I did the full 5 days. Last night was the last dose and I replaced the carbon filter an hour ago (24 hrs after last Lifeguard dose). Pongo's appearance is still no better...in fact it's worse. His upper lip looks like it is rotting off. I also witnessed the black molly nibbling on Pongo's lip! Based on subsequent conversations with different pet store associates, I've pretty much braced the kids for Pongo's short existence. Although he looks terrible, he eats,swims and interacts like nothing is wrong with him. I was told I didn't need to separate him (maybe not the best advice?). I had the water tested at the pet store and was told it "looks good", but don't know the specific numbers. Now, I've noticed that the pregnant female Dalmatian (Perdita) seems to be having what I can only describe as epileptic fits. She bounces herself off of the little hide out we have. There are no visible signs of parasites that I can see (but she is primarily white). And like I said, I just treated the tank with the all-in-one. I know it's difficult with no water readings, but I was hoping someone would have some insight or advice.... Thanks for taking the time!

I've attached a video of Perdita's strange behavior and you can see poor, grotesque Pongo too:
http/youtu.be/5uInqCXZTkc

 

[Flute]

First of all, welcome to the forum!
Secondly, your problems are being caused by your tank not being cycled before you added fish. This means you are now in a fish in cycle, where you need to be doing large water changes every day to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels down. It's these levels that will be causing your fish's illnesses. Your "epileptic" fish is doing what is called flashing. This means something is really bothering her and she's trying to scrape herself against things- this will most likely be a sign of ammonia burns.
Pop eye is an infection that can be caused by poor water quality, but is treatable. Daily water changes will quickly help him feel better and hopefully let him start to recover.

Please click on the link in my signature, this will take you to the Beginners Resource Center, where you can read up about how to cycle your tank properly with a fish in cycle. It's a lot to take in at first, but I promise you it will be well worth it

And lastly, please get a liquid test kit for your tank. These are a huge must whilst cycling a tank with fish- you need to test daily, sometimes several times a day to ensure the ammonia and nitrite levels are as close to 0ppm as possible. The most commonly used one is API test kit, you can get these online for about £20

 

[VTDrew]

I have been told in the past that bringing in a object from an existing tank can be super helpful. A live plant, a piece of drift wood, some gravel. They will have good bacteria colonies on them to help kick start your nitrogen cycle. Make sure its a super reputable fish store with healthy tanks or good bacteria won't be the only thing you bring in.

Another thing I learned, as a relatively new fish keeper is...sometimes meds are the worst thing you could do. When that filter comes out, so does a good chunk of your bacteria. My first bout with illness turned out to be a result of poor water quality. When the filter got pulled for the meds, it got even worse. Filter + Daily water changes made a quick turn around.

 

[the_lock_man]

Mr Drew, you were told wrong, sorry. What is helpful is introducing some mature filter media (sponges, ceramics, etc.) from a cycled filter. The bacteria don't live anywhere else other than the filter in anything like decent numbers. Bringing in a piece of wood will be a waste of time.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

The best thing you could do immediately is to change the water every day, as much as is possible without having to remove the fish from the tank. It's been a long time since I've had a fish with popeye but that can be healed without the need of meds, very very clean water (which is what your fish are needing anyway). In the past, I've cured popeye that way fully in about 2 1/2 weeks.

 

[SmellyKC]

Thank you to everyone for the replies! Filter was replaced last night. My first water change was tonight (about 25%). Will keep everyone posted. Thanks again!!

 

[SmellyKC]

"9. Only clean the gravel superficially, of obvious dirt and uneaten food. You want the bacteria to colonise it and actually start to grow. Also, don't swap out your filter at this point - if it gets blocked, just clean it enough to unblock it, in used tank water."

Here's a true newbie question.... I read "water change" and remembered back to my parent's tank where the water would be changed and gravel cleaned. After reading several of the links from Flute's signature, I found the above. So, my question: when a daily water change is required for the cycling, should I just be changing the water and not vacuuming the gravel too?

 

[DreamertK]

Vaccing is fine, just only do portions of the gravel/sand and not the entire floor in one sitting.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I disagree... if you have gravel it is a terrible source of rotting waste and food that goes unseen until you do a complete vacuuming right down to the bottom of the tank. This should thoroughly be cleaned weekly as the rotting waste and food will eventually contribute to the ammonia in your tank.

Also, do not replace the media (probably sponges or filter floss) in your filter. If they have become gunky (change in color is inevitable and not bad) then squeeze the gunk off in a bowl of old tank water then replace it)... the plastic casing and impellor can be thoroughly cleaning... it is most important not to improperly clean your media as that is where your good bacteria reside (not in your gravel). You probably only need to squeeze your filter media monthly... and with only two fish probably less than that.

 

[DreamertK]

Perhaps it's different with gravel rather than sand? Doing my whole floor of sand results in ammonia spikes for me.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Very little should penetrate into the sand since the spaces between grains is small, usually a surface clean is enough. Gravel, however, has large spaces between pebbles and debris builds up quickly.

I personally clean mine half-heartedly mid-week and thoroughly on the weekend and my bucket water always comes out a dark beige just from the vacuuming. It is shocking what muck can hide away.

 

[DreamertK]

I was trying to clean up a lot of residue dust that didn't get rinsed out the first time when I was young and dumb about fish keeping, so I was sticking the siphon down in the sand to extract the dust. It sucked up a bit of dust each time, but I eventually moved the tank and rewashed the sand. So now the only dust is just a small bit behind the tank and now I only pick up surface materials from the sand with the siphon. So I guess if you're not penetrating the sand, a full clean is in order.

Though, uh, I hope those molly's are doing better. Go get yourself a test kit! (The liquid master kit is the best bang for your buck)