Molly, Will She Make It Through The Night

[westside]

I didnt see anything wrong before heading to dinner tonight.
We got back, put the kids to bed and came down to feed the fish.

The molly was stuck to the side of the filter intake (whisper 30i) which is large so at least the fish was straight, not wrapped around the intake.

Didnt seem like he was trying to break free.

I hoped he wasnt dead, i yanked the plug and he floated off, but I saw the fins moving at least.
He went down and sat on the floor for a little.

Proceeded to feed, hoping maybe he would stir if e saw food.

Nothing, i tried seeing the other side of him to see if any damage was caused by the intake, but I cant get a view of it.
no matter where he goes He is either up against the back so I cant see his right or swimming the wrong way.

He did migrate back up to his normal resting spot about 30-40 minutes later, up at the top near the heater.

TIA

 

[tttnjfttt]

unfortunately, its not sounding good. Can you please post your water stats (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH), along with tank size and tank mates?

Is there any sign of swelling, open sores, "fungus", white patches, swollen eyes, red streaks, eroaded fins, white spots, a gold dusting, weight loss, a bent spine, or anything else out of the ordinary?

 

[westside]

Went to check on the bent spine..... he is gone.

Third fish in a week... At least there was a reason for this one...

The others are still a mystery, no miscoloration or sores.

nitrite 0
ammonia 0
nitrate ~30
hardness 120
alk 120
ph 7.6

30 gal hex.

Lost a guppy and a red tetra (not sure the full name on that one, I would have to look it up on the tag)
earlier in the week.

Done 2 water changes, lfs suggested adding some aquarium salt.

 

[tttnjfttt]

before you add salt, you should be aware that some fish cannot tollerate salt. What type of fish do you have in the tank?

Also, you said there was an explanation for this one, what is it?

 

[dwarfgourami]

Geting stuck to the filter intake will not be the reason for your mollie's ill health; it is much more likely to be a symptom. Healthy fish, particularly the size of a molly just don't do that. He will have been ill from some other cause already and ended up there because he was weak.
So it is essential that you keep an eye on all your fish, as there seems to be a mystery problem in your tank. Very hard to know what is going on at the moment, water stats seem fine, and even if this particular molly might have done better with salt, this would not have been the case with the guppy and the tetra- so there must be something else... Keep us posted!

 

[westside]

So i took water in to the lfs.
At least now I know I can operate a water test kit.

Now the search for a cause

 

[WILDER]

Did the fish have a bent spine before the filter incident or after, any fish losing weight, are the fish bloated or darkened in colour or gone pale, check the gills to see if they are red and inflamed or any excess mucas on them, also what do the eyes on the fish look like, and finally what does it look like when the fish go to the toilet.

 

[westside]

Spine didnt appear bent at the end either.
Gills werent clogged
they all appear about the same coloration...
nobody is plumping up or thining down as far as i can see.
They seem to be breathing fine,


havent seen anyone poo recently.

left out a couple things.
i keep the tank at 78 f
i feed a pinch of flake daily, and I was putting in an algea wafer occassionally for the molly.
Will the platy eat the the wafers if I add them, is it good for them?
Is the wafer enough or should i try dropping in a spinach leaf once a week?

I removed my live plants because they were covered in snails.

When I was looking for a poo-ing fish I noticed green "spots" on the interior of the glass of the tank.
Algea?
Should I go about getting a algea eater, or let the snails reproduce enough to keep it clean?


Sorry if i am asking too many questions, just trying to work it out without having everyone die off and starting over again.

Thanks again,

 

[tttnjfttt]

I would be very hesitant to add any more fish in your tank until you have gone atleast 2 weeks with no deaths or signs of illness. My solution would be to buy an algae scraper. They are easy to use, don't increase your bio load, can be used as often or as infrequently as needed, etc.

One other thing for you to check is do the fish seem to be breathing fast? Also, how long have you had these fish for? I know i have had an entire batch of fish die off for no apparent reason, all bought at the same time. Sometimes certain fish are just weaker.

As for food, i have found all my fish love algae wafers, not just the fish they are intended for. If you can add in fresh veggies, go for it. It will not hurt them, and i'm sure they love the treat. From the labels i have read, algae wafers seem relatively healthy for the fish.

 

[WILDER]

Are you finding any dead snails in the tank as when they die they can let toxins out which are dangerous to fish.

 

[westside]

how do you tell if a snail is dead

 

[WILDER]

Lol that is a qustion when it doesn't move and it like it rotting away.