Mollies + Guppies = Bad?

[phantomlink]

I started up my 75 gallon livebearer tank the other week, I got 14 male guppies of varying colour, and about 13 or so female guppies. I know they're to be a 2:1 ratio or greater, but I figured a large tank with places to hide might work well. The store is 2 hours out of town so when I got there I learned their usual female only guppy tank was filled with males and they had none to sell. I picked up some salt and pepper platy ( 3 female, 1 male ), and 4 of another kind of platy with the same ratio. Before I left I grabbed a pair of Sailfin Mollies and I put my dalmation lyretail molly in the tank as well to keep it 2:1

Well... needless to say I've found the odd dead female every couple of days and the males are getting beat up a little. Today I found 3 dead female guppies and a dead Salt and pepper platy The only thing I can think of is are the sailfin mollies. They're the largest fish in the tank but I have no idea if they're bullying/killing the rest of whats going on. I never see anything happen its always when I'm sleeping or going to work

I wont be able to restock the livebearer tank for awhile so I'd like to get this under control, and if the molly are being mean then theres no way I can put my 9 fry in that tank when they get larger at the end of the month. Water parameters are fine as well

 

[basboi85]

Did you put all these fish in at 1 time ???

 

[phantomlink]

The tank was done fishless cycle, no need to worry about that. All of my tanks were done fishless and waited a week ( while still adding ammonia ) before adding the fish from the store after acclimatizing them

 

[basboi85]

I'm sure adding such a large amount of fish at one time will make your ammonia rocket as your filter/s now have to play catch up to match the bio load you've introduce I've counted I think 38 fish.

In my eyes is a lot of fish to introduce at one time.

Not trying to insult you or anything.

I'm sure when a more knowledgeable member will prove me wrong If I am wrong.

By any chance and I know everyone says it but have you checked your levels as you mention a few fish dieing and tbh to me I think it could be ammonia poisoning.

And I personally know from my own experience

I have had a livebearer tank which included 28 mollies 5 was male sailfin mollies I've had guppies in their and Mickey Mouse platys all in one tank and I have never in the time of owning mollies seen them attack or kill guppies or platys.

3 of my female Molly's was not much smaller than my blue spotted gourami's.

I'm not trying to insult you at all and I'm no expert but I seriously doubt it was the mollies

Edited : ignore part about water tests as just remembered you saying all was fine

 

[Questions?]

I'm sure adding such a large amount of fish at one time will make your ammonia rocket as your filter/s now have to play catch up to match the bio load you've introduce I've counted I think 38 fish.

In my eyes is a lot of fish to introduce at one time.

Not trying to insult you or anything.

I'm sure when a more knowledgeable member will prove me wrong If I am wrong.

By any chance and I know everyone says it but have you checked your levels as you mention a few fish dieing and tbh to me I think it could be ammonia poisoning.

And I personally know from my own experience

I have had a livebearer tank which included 28 mollies 5 was male sailfin mollies I've had guppies in their and Mickey Mouse platys all in one tank and I have never in the time of owning mollies seen them attack or kill guppies or platys.

3 of my female Molly's was not much smaller than my blue spotted gourami's.

I'm not trying to insult you at all and I'm no expert but I seriously doubt it was the mollies

+1

 

[snazy]

Mollies can be fin nippers but to kill I am not sure. The stress of it probably plays the biggest role.
If ammonia and nitrIte are 0, then also take into consideration you may have got sick fish and a disease is killing them.

 

[phantomlink]

Basboi85 I know theres always a chance to lose some fish when starting a new tank, when I did my 125 gallon I put in my entire stock in one afternoon which was probably near 80ish or so fish and I've only lost a few since then. The whole idea behind the fishless besides for not being cruel is to get the filters to the point where they can supply a full tank worth of ammonia and not poison the fish

I have no idea about a potential disease, besides for some missing pieces of fins the fish all look fine. Sadly one of my Whiptail catfish I bought for the tank which was homed in my smaller 50 gallon for 2 weeks or so also died, I'm watching the other 3 but all I can do is probably an extra water change when I get home from work in the morning. Without knowing if there is something spreading in my tank I have no idea how to cure it, and the fish stores here aren't exactly stocked for tanks over 20g in size medicine wise. Heck, my 125 gallon had a nice case of ich where most of my fish got infected and I didnt lose a single fish while treating as compared to my new tank.

I guess we'll see what happens... my King Cobra guppies are fascinating fish if I can save them I will but I might turn it into a platy species tank if I lose more guppies

 

[basboi85]

They way I've read it your tank had cycled and had no fish in it and you've gone and bought set fish and put them in your tank and I forgot about you mentioning that your water stats was fine hence why I edited at the bottom of my last post.

As your stats are showing up fine then as states above some of the fish you've brought home are possibly sick and have now infected your tank.

I am in no way means trying to insult you in anyway.

Personally for me 38 fish in one go is a bit to many for me to introduce at one time but I can fully understand why as you said you lfs is 2hours away and that is a pretty long drive to make every week to get your stock up.

I've currently sold all my mollies and guppies as I want to start a new stock as after my tank crash I had a while back my new stock just didn't hold the same value as the fish I had before


I hope you get to bottom of you fish dieing

Chris