Fish Dying - Am I Doing Something Wrong

[neesymac]

I got my tank about 4 - 5 weeks ago now and when i bought it i got 2 spotted mollys and a platy - they have been fine up until now but one of my spotted mollys has beencurling up and just floating round the tank.

When i go to "Fish" it out it comes back to life. What could be wrong with it???

I have also managed to kill the Silver shark i bough on Saturday - but the 2 rosey barbs i got on sat are fine................very weird

 

[WILDER]

How many gallons or litres is the tank, and what are your water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.
The molly did you use it to cycle the tank, does it have a bent spine.

 

[neesymac]

How many gallons or litres is the tank, and what are your water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.
The molly did you use it to cycle the tank, does it have a bent spine.

Hi Wilder,

Thanks for the quick reply

It's a 125 litre tank

The molly has been in all the way through the nitrite cycle, and it has been perfect normal until last week. It just seems to scrape along the gravel and curl up. It has had no other obvious signs and was eating well up until last week.

My nitrate is back to normal, but my PH is on the high Alkaline side but i have been given PH down to use, but i only used that 1 hour ago. I am putting the PH down in small doses so as no to upset the fish too much

 

[WILDER]

Don't bother using them ph adjusters more trouble than they are worth, is the fish resting to one side on the bottom of the tank.

 

[neesymac]

If i used bottled water for my weekly water changes do you think that would bring the PH level back down rather than using a PH buffer???

Yes the molly just lists to one side and it's gills are not moving as fast as they normally would.......I think it's gonna be dead when i get up in the morning

 

[WILDER]

What is your ph normally, need ammonia and nitrite reading.
Sadly she's in bad shape and isn't going o make it once they lay to one side at the bottom of the tank not good news, could be a bacterial infection.
No don't use bottled water it has minerals in it.

 

[neesymac]

I get the water tested at my LFS and i forgot to ask for the readings - i will get them when i go back this week

Should i just fill a plastic bag with water and put her in that, or will i just fish her out when she's dead?

thanks for the advice

 

[WILDER]

Do you have a tupperware container or icecream box, just add some tank water to the container and float on top of the tank water.

 

[neesymac]

Do you have a tupperware container or icecream box, just add some tank water to the container and float on top of the tank water.

I do - I am off to do that now

 

[WILDER]

She dosn't sound good, bless her.

 

[neesymac]

Thanks for all the advice wilder - i really appreciate it

I didn't realise keeping tropical fish would be so hard - I take it i am right in saying that keeping fish would be easy your water is always in tip top condition

 

[WILDER]

Just a few rules, don't overstock tank or buy fish to big for the tank, top water quality with weekly maintanance, good varied diet. quarantine new fish.

 

[neesymac]

me being thick again - when you say "Good Varied diet" what do you mean - i have just been giving them Tropical fish food

Is that not right???

 

[WILDER]

Frozen foods such as bloodworms,brimestrimp,river strimp,krill, and daphnia good at digesting the fish food.
algae tablets or flakes livebearers love them.
Veg, shelled pea, broc, grated carrot,lettuce, cucumba,savoy cabbage, sproats, spinach.
And finally i use tubliex worm freeze dried.

 

[neesymac]

So everything you have just listed there you can feed to freshwater tropical fish

I didn't know any of that

Thanks again for the advice