Molly Now Dead Another Dying Rapidly - Still Columnaris Or Something E

[fergiesek]

I hoped I wouldn't be on again so soon on something of this nature

Looking for help from you guys again please. I do have a hundred questions but will post the non emergency ones in the general discussion forum, or this will lose its focus. I apologise in advance that this'll be wordy. I want to give as much info as I can.

Our emergency
Following the loss of our 2 gold gouramis last week to what was 'diagnosed' as columnaris, we lost a black molly yesterday ( mollies were our original fish with tetras) and I have our other black molly in the hospital tank looking like he's about to go any second ( basing that on the symptoms of the others) He's no longer feeding from this morning.

Also have a dalmation molly sitting most of the day behind a piece of wood. She is swimming some of the time and feeding normally. No superficial symptoms ( tho hard to tell on a dalmation!) only this behaviour. I think she is the mother of my 4 babies and looks pregnant again so my question on her:

is this behaviour 'normal' for pregnant fish? Hiding and resting on the bottom of the tank behind something. Or is she ill as well and should I move her to hosp tank also? I'm frightened to just now in case its just cos I think she's pregnant and if I move her with sick black molly I might end up killing her.

Tank is 180 litres

Stats are:
PH - 7.2 - 7.4
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5
Temp 26 degrees
Water changes (25/30%) and hoovering weekly
Carbon removed from filter to add meds
Cycled and first fish added - end jan 08

Decoration is:
Gravel
2 plants
resin cave
2 rocks
wood with live plant (added last sunday)
airstone
baby nursery

Fish in main aquarium
2 blue gouramis
2 dalmation mollies
5 serpa tetras
2 cory cats
1 otocinclus
4 babby mollies in nursery plastic holder

Hospital tank is 13 litres
Set up yesterday as emergency so added half main tank water with above stats, half new water with conditioner added. All stats same as above.
filter
heater
airstone
2 fake silk plants( for comfort)

Worried that adding half water from main tank, as it was an emergency, in order to provide cycled water would have passed illness to the hosp tank? Main tank stats are fine but is the illness still in the water?

The black molly we now have in the hospital tank was in the top corner this morning completely motionless and we thought he was dead. My husband went to get him out and he moved, then started swimming like he was 'drunk'. Now hiding in the leaves of one of the plants and when I tried to move him there he swam vertically to the bottom and is struggling to balance again.

Moved him to hosp tank yesterday when we noticed he had the clear/whitish string poo like thing coming out of him. Like the columnaris on the gouramis started.
I can't get a pic as he's hiding but there is no real visible sign of anything. The string is gone now and all I can really see thats different is one white spot on his back.
Gills seem to be moving quicker? And the swimming problem.

I started treating main tank with Melafix and Pimafix on Wednesday.
Adding both of these to hospital tank also and just added API Aquarium Salt ( salt added to hosp tank only)

A little knowledge is indeed a dangerous thing and my head is spinning with all these meds. I started treating what I thought was columnaris again, but is this something else, or not something else but symptoms of columnaris?

I read up on columnaris and 99.9% certain thats what gouramis had. But mollies? Read up on white spot and they seem to have had/have the symptoms of that - white spots and more rapid gill movement but not the rubbing themselves against things. BUT the stringy poo isn't a white spot symptom I don't think. As I said, a little knowledge....
with people you don't need to have all symptoms so I guess animals and fish are the same.

The black molly who died yesterday had no signs of anything superficial wrong but was 'hiding' in leaves and sitting in top corner and bottom of tank motionless for long periods.

Also bought anti white spot and myxazin but have not used. Terrified to add too many meds, and end up using the wrong meds or adding something will maybe have an adverse reaction with something else, or harm certain fish but not others as its a community tank.

Is there a general medication for everything when you don't really know whats wrong?

So, my dalmation molly question is above. Is she ill or just behaving 'pregnant'?

My other question(s)

Is, is this still columnaris? I have no clue what meds can mix with what others ( apart from melafix with pimafix) and I don't want to do more harm than good.

Should I increase the temp in both the main and hosp tanks cos I'm using meds?

Should you not feed your fish when using meds?

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY am I using the right meds in pimafix and melafix - and salt in hosp tank- or should I be using something else. What is wrong with my fish.

As I said, I'm probably reading TOO much and sometimes conflicting advice, so my head is spinning.

Sorry if this is garbled. I hope someone can help. Even if you ca answer some of my questions as individuals. I'm grateful.

And aside of this does anyone know an easy to understand, simple fish emergencies/how to identify and treat diseases book? I need to start learning more.

Many many thanks in advance
Fergie
xxx

 

[scooterchick]

Hi Fergie,

First thing first, keep calm, this is all a learning curve and it's very easy to loose heart at the beginning, hence so many second hand fish tanks for sale. Please also remember that for every fish you loose, lots of fish will benefit for the experience you have gained.

OK, the matter in hand. The molly in the hospital tank, leave the room and ask your husband to put him out his misery, I'm afraid he's not going to survive and it would be kinder to euthanise. The best way to do this is by a sharp, swift blow to the head knocking him out and finishing it instantly. If he can't do that (I couldn't, I get my hubby to do the dirty stuff) then some people suggest the freezing method (I've done this in desperation when I could bear to see a fish suffer any longer). Put some tank water in the freezer, leave it til it's very cold and ice is just starting to form on the top. Put the fish in and return to freezer. You're going to feel like the most horrible person on earth but it'll be a quicker death than doing nothing. The fish should just get cold, fall asleep and not wake up. It's a horrible but necessary part of fish-keeping.

Next thing. Keep a spare filter in your main tank so that you can instantly set up a hospital tank. The water is useless I'm afraid, it's much better to have mature filter sponge and fresh clean water and you have an instant cycled tank, with the benefit of being completely clean water. Just make sure you're matching the temp of the main tank and hosp tank.

Next. Mollies do mcuh better with salt. I lost a lot of mollies with the same symptoms as yours are showing until I set up a tank for them with marine salt added. Since then they've been much healthier and I've got tons of fry (not such a good thing). You might want to think about a molly only tank, they're such great fish it was worth giving them their own tank!

Ok, your female. It sounds like she's suffering from the same disease as the male. I don't think you can save the male as I said earlier, but perhaps you can still save the female. When the male's been removed from the hospital tank, clean it out, fill it back up with fresh water with conditioner, add your aquarium salt. Take some filter sponge from your mature tank and stick it in the filter. Your main tank will cope with losing some bacteria and you won't need a huge lot of one fish in a small tank. Your hospital tank will then be ready and we can start trying to diagnose what's wrong, and the fact you have clean water means you can change meds if need be straight away.

I think your tank has a bacterial problem, probably introduced by the gouramis but because your mollies prefer brackish water they're more susceptible to things when they're kept in freshwater and I believe that's what we're seeing.

IMO you shouold be treating with an anti bacterial med, but please wait for other's opinions, I don't want to get it wrong.

I'll be online for the next couple of hours.

Good luck x

 

[fergiesek]

Well my other molly in hosp tank now gone. I thought I'd caught him and hospitalised him on time when I saw the stringy thing on him at 5pm last night? Should I have hospitalised sooner when he was hiding in the rock?
Like yesterdays black molly no superficial signs, apart from possibly one white spot on his back - just the behaviour I described in first post.

What on earth is wrong that I've now lost 5 fish in a week? I am so scared I'm going to lose the lot!

Water stats are fine, there's the filter rippling the water on surface and an added airstone so oxgen fine I think?

If it was columnaris with the gouramis last week - which I'm 99.9% sure it was - is it a cert we'll lose the lot despite the water stats being fine and oxgen fine?

I'll carry on adding melafix and pimafix to the main tank. Am I right in my thinking that you do NOT do a water change until you finish the 7 days of medication?

I'm going to dismantle the hospital tank to give it a good rinse out. Should I add anything to it to thoroughly clean?

I'm going to rinse it out and start cycling from the start again to have it ready in case someone advises me to move dalmation molly I think is pregnant there - please see original topic. Or, god forbid, any moretake unwell. I hope not.

Many thanks again
Fergie

 

[scooterchick]

Hi Fergie,

If it was columnaris then there's a good chance you will lose all your fish. I'm not convinced it was though. Just doesn't add up. As the fish were relatively new to your tank the LFS you bought the fish would have seen some kind of symptom by now, I would have thought.

I've just been reading through all your old posts and I'm more than ever convinced it's a bacterial thing brought on by stress and poor water conditions. I'm afraid your tank was in no way cycled when you added your fish and in effect you did a 'fish cycle' and the stresses that causes on the fish is starting to show. It's not your fault, the LFS want to sell fish so they'll tell you anything. Adding bacteria to standing water doesn't kick off a cycle cos the bacteria would just die with nothing to feed on ie amonia from fish waste. So, your tank probably wasn't fully cycled until nearer the end of feb, in that time your fish would have been living in high amonia and nitrite levels.

Now, you have a cycled tank now so that's great. Fingers crossed it's not columnaris and I think the best thing you can do just now is manage the tank. Keep an eye on things, keep up with water changes and see what happens.

Ph, and if it is columnaris lowering the temperature may slow down the disease. As I said though, I'm not convinced and I really hope for once I'm right!

 

[fergiesek]

Hi Fergie,

First thing first, keep calm, this is all a learning curve and it's very easy to loose heart at the beginning, hence so many second hand fish tanks for sale. Please also remember that for every fish you loose, lots of fish will benefit for the experience you have gained.

OK, the matter in hand. The molly in the hospital tank, leave the room and ask your husband to put him out his misery, I'm afraid he's not going to survive and it would be kinder to euthanise. The best way to do this is by a sharp, swift blow to the head knocking him out and finishing it instantly. If he can't do that (I couldn't, I get my hubby to do the dirty stuff) then some people suggest the freezing method (I've done this in desperation when I could bear to see a fish suffer any longer). Put some tank water in the freezer, leave it til it's very cold and ice is just starting to form on the top. Put the fish in and return to freezer. You're going to feel like the most horrible person on earth but it'll be a quicker death than doing nothing. The fish should just get cold, fall asleep and not wake up. It's a horrible but necessary part of fish-keeping.

Next thing. Keep a spare filter in your main tank so that you can instantly set up a hospital tank. The water is useless I'm afraid, it's much better to have mature filter sponge and fresh clean water and you have an instant cycled tank, with the benefit of being completely clean water. Just make sure you're matching the temp of the main tank and hosp tank.

Next. Mollies do mcuh better with salt. I lost a lot of mollies with the same symptoms as yours are showing until I set up a tank for them with marine salt added. Since then they've been much healthier and I've got tons of fry (not such a good thing). You might want to think about a molly only tank, they're such great fish it was worth giving them their own tank!

Ok, your female. It sounds like she's suffering from the same disease as the male. I don't think you can save the male as I said earlier, but perhaps you can still save the female. When the male's been removed from the hospital tank, clean it out, fill it back up with fresh water with conditioner, add your aquarium salt. Take some filter sponge from your mature tank and stick it in the filter. Your main tank will cope with losing some bacteria and you won't need a huge lot of one fish in a small tank. Your hospital tank will then be ready and we can start trying to diagnose what's wrong, and the fact you have clean water means you can change meds if need be straight away.

I think your tank has a bacterial problem, probably introduced by the gouramis but because your mollies prefer brackish water they're more susceptible to things when they're kept in freshwater and I believe that's what we're seeing.

IMO you shouold be treating with an anti bacterial med, but please wait for other's opinions, I don't want to get it wrong.

I'll be online for the next couple of hours.

Good luck x

Scooterchick! Hi!

I am so sorry, I posted my 2nd post there and never even noticed you had replied to my original one!
I'm sad but you're right, my fish and future fish will benefit from this learning. Who the heck said this was a relaxing hobby!!!(lol)

My hubbys at work, he's as soft as me but he may have helped the poor wee guy out his misery, as it would surely have been kinder. Thanks for that advice, I know you wouldn't have given it lightly.

My dalmation molly - in the main tank - is still behind the wood on the gravel, and now my only remaining molly, another dalmation is sitting right beside her. So thats 2 acting strangely now. Other fish and baby mollys look fine - for now at least!

For future - can I maybe just add aquarium salt to the main tank to keep the mollies happy? A molly only tank sounds nice but not poss I'm afraid, wouldn't be practical for us.

Would aquarium salt be ok for the community? Listed all the other fish we have on first post and once we get this 'thing' cleared up we do want to add other fishes, prob other types? so would adding salt be ok and mean happy molly's but happy other fish also?

Im going to get that hosp tank cleaned out but one problem tho, I am completely ignorant on the filter as my hubby does that bit ( note to self to learn that bit!!!)

Our filter is an Aqua One canister filter and I have no clue as to its 'make up', so wouldn't know what the 'sponge filter' is? Or even if it has one. My husband did remove the carbon filter so we could add meds but is the carbon filter a different filter? Please excuse my ignorance!

The hosp tank is a my first aquarium from pets at home (another kind forum member pointed me in its direction) and its filter simply pumps the water through, its not like the main tanks filter. We were going to keep this hospital filter in the main tank if possible so it was always cycled but after all this I'm inclined to just keep the hosp tank up and running all the time, so its always cycled. Fishless but cycled. For emergencies or the into of new fish - if we ever get this sorted!

So, without knowing what the sponge filter in the main tank is , or if it even has a sponge filter, how do I set up the hosp tank today? (Again, and for anyone else reading this, please excuse my ignorance. Maybe one day I'll be a learned forum member! ;-))

I'm going to phone the aquarium shop in case you're off line again to ask bout that filter. They sell it so they should know I guess.

Many many thanks for your help - and extreme patience.

I am breathing and stayingcalm - honest!

Fergie
XXX

 

[fergiesek]

Hi Fergie,

If it was columnaris then there's a good chance you will lose all your fish. I'm not convinced it was though. Just doesn't add up. As the fish were relatively new to your tank the LFS you bought the fish would have seen some kind of symptom by now, I would have thought.

I've just been reading through all your old posts and I'm more than ever convinced it's a bacterial thing brought on by stress and poor water conditions. I'm afraid your tank was in no way cycled when you added your fish and in effect you did a 'fish cycle' and the stresses that causes on the fish is starting to show. It's not your fault, the LFS want to sell fish so they'll tell you anything. Adding bacteria to standing water doesn't kick off a cycle cos the bacteria would just die with nothing to feed on ie amonia from fish waste. So, your tank probably wasn't fully cycled until nearer the end of feb, in that time your fish would have been living in high amonia and nitrite levels.

Now, you have a cycled tank now so that's great. Fingers crossed it's not columnaris and I think the best thing you can do just now is manage the tank. Keep an eye on things, keep up with water changes and see what happens.

Ph, and if it is columnaris lowering the temperature may slow down the disease. As I said though, I'm not convinced and I really hope for once I'm right!

Hi! At least I'm laughing now as it took me so long to write my first reply post to you - phoning hubby in between- that you'd replied meantime.

I so hope you're right and we don't have columnaris.

I'm now going to send this quickly and not risk you replying to my other mentime1 ;-)

Await your leared reply.

Many thanks again, I'm really grateful. So's Mr Fergie. Especially taking the time to read all my former posts.
XXX

Hi Fergie,

If it was columnaris then there's a good chance you will lose all your fish. I'm not convinced it was though. Just doesn't add up. As the fish were relatively new to your tank the LFS you bought the fish would have seen some kind of symptom by now, I would have thought.

I've just been reading through all your old posts and I'm more than ever convinced it's a bacterial thing brought on by stress and poor water conditions. I'm afraid your tank was in no way cycled when you added your fish and in effect you did a 'fish cycle' and the stresses that causes on the fish is starting to show. It's not your fault, the LFS want to sell fish so they'll tell you anything. Adding bacteria to standing water doesn't kick off a cycle cos the bacteria would just die with nothing to feed on ie amonia from fish waste. So, your tank probably wasn't fully cycled until nearer the end of feb, in that time your fish would have been living in high amonia and nitrite levels.

Now, you have a cycled tank now so that's great. Fingers crossed it's not columnaris and I think the best thing you can do just now is manage the tank. Keep an eye on things, keep up with water changes and see what happens.

Ph, and if it is columnaris lowering the temperature may slow down the disease. As I said though, I'm not convinced and I really hope for once I'm right!

Hi! At least I'm laughing now as it took me so long to write my first reply post to you - phoning hubby in between- that you'd replied meantime.

I so hope you're right and we don't have columnaris.

I'm now going to send this quickly and not risk you replying to my other mentime1 ;-)

Await your leared reply.

Many thanks again, I'm really grateful. So's Mr Fergie. Especially taking the time to read all my former posts.
XXX

Typing so fast there - that should of course have said - Await your LEARNED reply. Thank you.

 

[scooterchick]

Hi Fergie,

Sorry about your molly, my skim reading let me down again, just when I back and re-read I saw he died, poor wee guy.

Your filters shoudl have sponge inside them, when you take them apart to clean them you'll see it, although him indoors does it. All you need to do is cut a bif of the sponge off and replace it with new sponge which you should be able to buy at lfs. Incidentally while we're on the sponge subject I assume when hubby clean the filter he does so by just giving the filter sponge a quick sloosh in the old tank water? Cleaning it under the tap destrpys the good bacteria and causes your tank to go through a mini cycle everytime you change the water, very stressful for the fish. A very common mistake from us nuerotic folk wanting things to be spotlessly clean for the fish!

The hospital tank idea won't work I'm afraid. A filter has to be 'worked' to reamin cycled ie you would need fish always in the tank to give the good bacteria something to feed on. With no fish in the tank, the bacteria wouldn't hve a food source, see what I mean? Best to keep the filter in the main tank and set up the hospital tank as and when reqd.

Your cory's won't tolerate salt either so unfortunately you won't be able to add aquarium salt to the main tank BUT you could keep your hospital tank up and running for the mollies, I've seen those wee tanks and it'll be big enough for a couple of adults and the fry til they get a bit bigger. How does that sound?

It's very catching this fish-keeping carry on. It started for me with my husband bringing in 4' tank that I really didn't want as I knew I'd be left to look after it and didn't have a clue! I've got 3 tanks up and running now with another 2 that I'm still trying to figure out what to do with!

 

[fergiesek]

Hi Fergie,

Sorry about your molly, my skim reading let me down again, just when I back and re-read I saw he died, poor wee guy.

Your filters shoudl have sponge inside them, when you take them apart to clean them you'll see it, although him indoors does it. All you need to do is cut a bif of the sponge off and replace it with new sponge which you should be able to buy at lfs. Incidentally while we're on the sponge subject I assume when hubby clean the filter he does so by just giving the filter sponge a quick sloosh in the old tank water? Cleaning it under the tap destrpys the good bacteria and causes your tank to go through a mini cycle everytime you change the water, very stressful for the fish. A very common mistake from us nuerotic folk wanting things to be spotlessly clean for the fish!

The hospital tank idea won't work I'm afraid. A filter has to be 'worked' to reamin cycled ie you would need fish always in the tank to give the good bacteria something to feed on. With no fish in the tank, the bacteria wouldn't hve a food source, see what I mean? Best to keep the filter in the main tank and set up the hospital tank as and when reqd.

Your cory's won't tolerate salt either so unfortunately you won't be able to add aquarium salt to the main tank BUT you could keep your hospital tank up and running for the mollies, I've seen those wee tanks and it'll be big enough for a couple of adults and the fry til they get a bit bigger. How does that sound?

It's very catching this fish-keeping carry on. It started for me with my husband bringing in 4' tank that I really didn't want as I knew I'd be left to look after it and didn't have a clue! I've got 3 tanks up and running now with another 2 that I'm still trying to figure out what to do with!

Hi Scooterchick!

You have hit on something there. My hubby rinses the filter under the tap and not in the tank water! So, we've been destroying the 'good' bacteria then? Bacteria stats are ok tho? BUT maybe nitrate would be higher - better? - if we'd been rinsing in the tank and not under the tap!

I'll tell him off when he gets home! ;-) No, seriously its all a learning curve eh! These details that no one really tells you at first are what really matter. We read up and took advice from LFS for weeks first too!

I just talked to LFS as I thought you'd maybe be off line as I said earlier. Wait for it (lol) ........

She said to add salt to main aquarium as it wouldn't harm any fish - never asked what fish I had, despite me asking if she wanted to know? - thank goodness I seen your reply first and never took her advice and added it!! I don't want my 2 corys added to the fishes already in fish heaven!

She also said not to bother with the sponge from the main filter. Just to add fresh, conditioned water and salt to hosp tank, leave today and put mollies in tomorrow. She said they could tolerate it? ( I said I didn't think they'd last till tomorrow in main tank).

Think I'm gonna stick to learned forum members advice from now on! ( sorry LFS's everywhere!!)

I'd rather take your advice so back to that sponge! I'll need to wait till hubby comes in and he can hopefully 'identify the sponge'. If not I apologise in advance I'll need to seek more help on that.

Be back with an update.

Thaks so much again
Fergie
XXX

 

[fergiesek]

OK, next instalment!

We 'diagnosed' what the sponge was! and put it in the hosp tank mini filter. Hospital tank now set up.

Should we add the sponge that was in the hosp tank mini filter to the main tank now to let it cycle ( and leave it there all the time) OR wait till this dilemma is sorted out and then add?

We've not put the dalmation mollys into the hosp tank because -

one has now been swimming about merrily again since mid afternoon and looks fine. Maybe it was just keeping it's pal company sitting behind the wood with her? What do you think?

the original one which I think may be pregnant is now swimming about - waddling about I should say - came out from the back of the wood after being there all day and started feeding off an algae pellet from this mornings feed. I'm surprised at the change in behaviour, as she def looked like she was hiding and her gills were moving reasonably fast up till now.

BUT something else I've noticed. I've just given the fishes their 2nd - last feed - and she came to the top and was trying to feed but can't seem to move to a vertical position? She can swim horizontally - waddling - but when she tries to swim vertically seems to float back down again? She keeps persevering for a while but then just moved down the bottom and eating on an algae pellet I put where she was swimming. She seems happy, just 'strange' that she can't swim vertically. Big belly tho ( hence me thinking shes pregnant again as my hubby sure she was the one who gave birth to the 4 baby fishes) so maybe just that.

Ive been reading about swim bladder disease too but as I said before a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I'll leave diagnosis and treatment to you guys if you'll be so kind as to advise.

So, do you think I should leave her in main tank? Am I being paranoid and she's just showing pregnancy behaviour? Or behaviour some fish show?

Do some fish hide in plants and behind things ( the gouramis and cory cats sit in our wee resin cave every now and again) and sit on the gravel sometimes?

I don't want to be hospitalising her, and possibly stressing her more, if leaving her in the main tank is ok if she's swimming and eating again?

Naturally any signs of white string or anything superficial I'll put her in hosp tank straight away.

Thanks again for any advice.
Fergie
XXX

 

[scooterchick]

Hi Fergie,

Yeah, it's amazing the rubbish information that lfs's give! Take everything they say with a pinch of salt and ask on here!

The filter washing could be a big part of your problems, unless you're testing your water everyday, which I doubt (I know I don't!) you're probably having amonia peaks which won't be helping the fish, so when you've got a bucket of old tank water just give the filter sponge a quick scoosh in the water, don't frantically clean or it or wring it out, infact you don't even have to clean the filter every water change, only every other change unless the tank's particularly dirty, which I don't think it will be.

As for your hospital tank.....well theorectically your mollies could cope with a new filter IF you were changing the water every day and IF they were healthy to begin with, but your mollies are sick plus you would have to medicate everyday to replace what was lost through water changes, so lfs is talking poo.

I have to honest, I'm not familiar with the filter you use, I tend to stick to fluval filters, but I'm guessing they all work in roughly the same way, with an internal sponge that the good bacteria colonises onto. Your carbon pads draw any impurities out of the water, but they also take medicine out, that's why you should remove them before medicating the tank. In a healthy established tank you don't really need them. I only use them if I think I've added something I shouldn't have and then I take it out 24 hours later.

I think that's it just now, I'll need to re-read your last post!

 

[scooterchick]

Hi fergie,

When you say you've located the sponge, did you put the whole lot on the hospital tank? Or just cut a bit off it? You just need a bit off it, not the whole lot cos that'll leave your main tank with no cycled filter.

Yes, I would also give your hospital filter sponge a good clean and then put it in your main tank to cycle it. After a couple of weeks it'sll be cycled and ready to use in the hospital tank.

Also, if you're not going to put fish in the hospital tank I would remove the filter cos the good bacteria will die without a food source ie the fish poo poo.

And, your molly does sound as though she's still struggling, I would still move her and treat with aquarium salt and an anti internal bacteria med and see how she goes. If she is pregnant neither will do her any harm and if you can move her to the hospital tank without exposing her to the air then all the better.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=7380

Re salt and corys xxx

 

[fergiesek]

Hi fergie,

When you say you've located the sponge, did you put the whole lot on the hospital tank? Or just cut a bit off it? You just need a bit off it, not the whole lot cos that'll leave your main tank with no cycled filter.

Yes, I would also give your hospital filter sponge a good clean and then put it in your main tank to cycle it. After a couple of weeks it'sll be cycled and ready to use in the hospital tank.

Also, if you're not going to put fish in the hospital tank I would remove the filter cos the good bacteria will die without a food source ie the fish poo poo.

And, your molly does sound as though she's still struggling, I would still move her and treat with aquarium salt and an anti internal bacteria med and see how she goes. If she is pregnant neither will do her any harm and if you can move her to the hospital tank without exposing her to the air then all the better.

[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/content/Tropical-Fish-Emergencies/7380/http-www-fishforums-net-index-php-showtopic-7380/"]http/www.fishforums.net/content/Tropical...showtopic-7380/[/URL]

Re salt and corys xxx

Hi!

We did only chop off a big enough bit to fit in the hosp tank filter but I really appreciate you asking and not taking for granted that we'd know. Best to check. I actually double checked your post.

The molly I think may be pregnant still swimming about and eating the algae wafers big style but still wobbling so we'll keep the sponge in the hosp tank filter for now just in case we need to put her in there (hope she makes a huge recovery and doesn't have to right enough!) Will monitor her closely as I've ben doing and move her tomorrow if no change.

Can I just clarify 3 things please:

can I simply place the black sponge that came with the hosp tank filter straight into the water in the main tank? Or does it have to go in the main tanks filter? Will it be ok with the Melafix & Pimafix meds I'm using in the main tank just now?

anti internal bacteria med? any specific kind? Using API Melafix with API Pimafix as I'd said but we can go tomorrow and get something else if it'd be better.

by 'without exposing her to the air' do you mean take her from the main tank to the hosp tank in a jug or something and not just catch her in a net?

Thanks for the link to salt and corys. You've saved 2 wee corys lives there! ;-)

I'm gonna sign off now and try to relax. Been like a cat on a hot tin roof all day with this. And I've taken up more than enough of your time!

Thank you again. I am learning so much from you. Thank you. And your replies are so easy to understand - especially for a newbie!

If I could buy you a big fat drink or 6 I would!!

Fergie XXX

 

[scooterchick]

Hey,

I'm glad to help!

Best thing is try and squeeze the black sponge from hospital tank into main filter if possible. So long as it's not so squashed it disrupts the flow of water, it'll be fine even if it's not very neat!

Interpret's anti back med is about the best you can get in UK. Primafix and melafix aren't really med's as such, more like tonics, like if you had a cold you would drink hot lemon, it won't cure you but might make you feel a little better.

And yes about the jug. If you can catch a fishy 'swim into my jug' it's a lot less stressful than being netted, especially for a sick fish.

have a good night, don't you get stressed about it but have a cry if you want one, I cry everytime I lose a fish but it makes me a bit more prepared to save the next.

Speak soon!

Anna xx

 

[fergiesek]

Hey,

I'm glad to help!

Best thing is try and squeeze the black sponge from hospital tank into main filter if possible. So long as it's not so squashed it disrupts the flow of water, it'll be fine even if it's not very neat!

Interpret's anti back med is about the best you can get in UK. Primafix and melafix aren't really med's as such, more like tonics, like if you had a cold you would drink hot lemon, it won't cure you but might make you feel a little better.

And yes about the jug. If you can catch a fishy 'swim into my jug' it's a lot less stressful than being netted, especially for a sick fish.

have a good night, don't you get stressed about it but have a cry if you want one, I cry everytime I lose a fish but it makes me a bit more prepared to save the next.

Speak soon!

Anna xx

Hey Anna!

Thanks again. That analogy for the melafix/pimafix is ace! I completely understand from that.

Well, 2nd molly is swimming about good style, eating and looks 100% fine so he's off the casualty list!

Molly I'm worried about was like a different fish this morning?!
Was up about 7ish this morning as although its saturday the cats tell you its breakfast time so no lie ins in this house! ( the 2 of them are sooo jealous these days cos fish are getting 99.9% of my attention! ;-)) I would have been getting up to check on molly anyway. If truth be told I've had watched her all through the night if I'd been allowed!!

Molly was swimming about all over the tank, was interested in eating and this is the most weird bit - she actually looked slimmer? I thought, no way, its too early and you're seeing things but no, she does? (I did check for babies! none)

How on earth can she look, well 'pregnant' for maybe the last few weeks and them overnight - slimmer?

The tank lights are on from bout 6am to 8am and then 2pm till 11:30pm. When the lights went out I noticed she went down to the corner again? Wonder if there was a connection between getting darker and going to the bottom again? Still mostly swimming tho. For the last while she's been sitting on the bottom again. No rapid gill movement tho so gonna leave her where she is for now, as she is swimming most of the time.

So, lets hop that continues or this post will be epic, and you'll have tio start charging consultation fees! ;-)

Gonna dismantle the hosp tank and put the piece of filter from the main tank, and the original black filter back in the main tank filter again.

I have one more question on the ph/nitrate in the hops tank tho in case of emergencies again, if its to be set up in a hurry.

I tested the hosp tank stats this morning after the cycled filter had been in with fresh conditioned water since yesterday aft.

Stats:
ph 6
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate - 0

That ph is acidic so surely that would be too dangerous to put a fish in? And the 0 nitrate?

Sorry for another question. Think I'm like you, preparing to save the next wee sick fish.

Signing off now and will speak soon.
Thanks a million again.
Elissa XXX

 

[scooterchick]

Hi Elissa,

What PH is your tap water? We really need to figure out what's causing the PH to rise in your main tank. In the meantime if you did have to use it, just acclimatise the fish slowly by mixing the water. The nitrates are nothing to worry about, or rather the lack of them, they'll soon appear!

I'm glad things are starting to settle down, maybe your female was constipated? Hence the new slimline appearance, or perhaps she was pregnant and aborted. Fingers crossed for a full recovery!

Happy Easter
Anna xx