Flicking Like Crazy!

[Meggie :)]

Hey everyone!

My fish are starting to flick like crazy! It started a few days ago, just a little, so I wasn't sure it was anything at all...but now it's noticably something wrong...They are also always hiding (3 balloon mollies), and they are usually swimming all over the place... I don't know if it is ich or what! I would treat with salt but I have corydoras...maybe I could put the cories in my 5.5 gallon betta tank for just a week or so to treat this?

What do you suggest I do?

Thank you!
Meg

 

[FishBlast]

Hey everyone!

My fish are starting to flick like crazy! It started a few days ago, just a little, so I wasn't sure it was anything at all...but now it's noticably something wrong...They are also always hiding (3 balloon mollies), and they are usually swimming all over the place... I don't know if it is ich or what! I would treat with salt but I have corydoras...maybe I could put the cories in my 5.5 gallon betta tank for just a week or so to treat this?

What do you suggest I do?

Thank you!
Meg

Post water stats (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, PH). If ammonia and nitrite are not 0, they could be the cause of the ich, or the cause could be any new acquisition (plant or fish).

 

[Meggie :)]

Ammonia: Okay I can't tell if it's 0 or .25...but I think it's my tap water. I've tried treating it with ammonia remover before and it didn't work
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: between 0 and 5
PH: 7.8 ish

New additions: I added a new molly about a week or so ago, but she died after giving birth...like a day and a half after giving birth...during that day and a half, she was very lethargic and stressed...I assumed from birthing 40+ fry?

Do you think this is ich? I am STILL not noticing any white spots on the fish...

thank you for your reply!
Meg

 

[FishBlast]

Ammonia: Okay I can't tell if it's 0 or .25...but I think it's my tap water. I've tried treating it with ammonia remover before and it didn't work
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: between 0 and 5
PH: 7.8 ish

New additions: I added a new molly about a week or so ago, but she died after giving birth...like a day and a half after giving birth...during that day and a half, she was very lethargic and stressed...I assumed from birthing 40+ fry?

Do you think this is ich? I am STILL not noticing any white spots on the fish...

thank you for your reply!
Meg

Look against white neon light, it shows best if it is 0 or 0.25.
The new fish might have brought in something.
Flicking can be due to ich, velvet (requires that you shine a white light from the side of a fish to see if it has some kind of dust all over it) or gill flukes (in which case they don't show anything but constant scratching of their gills unless the flukes go to the skin). Or it can be some substance in the water (a new dechlorinator for example).
If it is ich, an increase in temperature should show white spots on the mollies later on.

 

[Meggie :)]

I have some aquarium salt...Could I maybe move my corydoras to the 5.5 gallon betta tank that is empty right now so I can treat with salt and raise the tempurature? I'd move them back after. And if so, exactly how to I treat with salt for a 10 gallon?

Thank you!
Meg

 

[Meggie :)]

Bump! Anybody?!

 

[Prime Ordeal]

If your 5.5gallon tank is cycled then you could move the corys to it now. Be sure to acclimatise them to it as you would with any new fish.

However, you seem uncertain that you have zero ammonia and if it is not zero that could be causing the flashing. You need to be certain of that before you start panicking.

Are you using a dechlorinator that detoxifies ammonia? If you don't know just say which one it is and I will tell you.

 

[Meggie :)]

I will post in just a minute what dechlorinator I'm using thank you...with your guys' help I have decided to put the cories in the empty betta tank and treat the ten gallon with salt...ooh I should probably take out my assassin snail too...haha I don't know about aquarium snails, but I know what salt does to normal snails and I am not taking the risk haha!

Thank you for all your help! I will post what dechlorinator I am using in just a second as soon as I get it from downstairs
Meg

 

[Meggie :)]

The dechlorinator I use is API tap water conditioner

Edit: Also just noticed that their gills (even the cories that I moved to the betta tank) are red...is this a sign of anything?

Any information would be so so helpful!
Thanks!
Meg