New Tank- Deaths

[rabbut]

The tank will cycle for the bio-load in it. Its a supply and demand thing. One fish produces a small amount of ammonia and the bacteria then process this for you, so yes, you can cycle with one fish, and in theory the cycle will complete quicker. The only issue is that you can only add one more fish after the tank has settled on zero ammonia and nitrite for a week, so progress will be slow for the first few weeks, as you can only double your fish numbers in a week in safe and realistic tearms The slow progress though, will be better for the fish, as they'll go through less ammonia and nitrite poisoning.

Guppies aren't hardy IME. The used to be, but they are now that imbread, that they have lost all stress. Few will make it past a month in a tank before dieing due to parasites. To be able to breed these comercially, importers keep them drugged up on anti-biotics while growing them on, and they just can't cope without them these days. If you want guppies in the future, try to find a local breeder, as they should have some better stock

The pH is low, and you state the hardness is also. Mollies come from hard brackish water, so this may be the issue. I'd carry on with one only for now, and if it survives, get another fish after a week of the ammonia and nitrite remaining zero. Avoid mollies though, as they clearly don't like something in your tank ATM, and I don't think it will be just that it is cycling

HTH
Rabbut

Edited for spelling

 

[davefish]

I'm inclined to agree with you Tag. I actually said this in my post a few days ago^^ (it's up there somewhere). Maybe check your dechlor to see if it gets rid of chloramine as well as chlorine. I think they all do nowadays, but I'm not sure. I'm assuming you are doing everything else by the book, acclimatising them well etc. And the journey home from the LFS doesn't take you 8 hours or something.

As I said earlier too, mollies aren't suited to your water conditions at all so I wouldn't keep them, and certainly wouldn't cycle with them.

If you are getting them all from the same shop, same batch, then it's possible they are just really sickly fish. Terribly inbred, or something else gone wrong. Do the fish look healthy in the shop? Are there many dead in the tanks? Is your LFS reputable?

If that last mollie survives a week then maybe get another fish or two (no more), but I wouldn't get mollies. I also wouldn't class guppies as hardy fish at all, I would only recommend them for mature tanks. Maybe try a danio.

If the last mollie standing dies soon then just do a fishless cycle, ammonia is cheaper than fish.

EDIT: Ok, Rabbut beat me to that, but at least we are in agreement on everything (and I said most of this 2 days ago anyway, so I kind of got there first )

 

[Tag2008]

Thanks Guys,

I bought 5 Mollys in total and got them from 2 shops both seemingly reputable and said to be the best shops in the area???

I do see my PH is the lowest PH Ive ever had but I am in a new house just build and wondered if there could be something in the pipline with it being a new estate?

I have an RO unit but as yet dont have it set up..

I bought my mollys from 2 shops as i mentioned, the first shop I came home with a male and female and the next morning the male was dead... so thought Hmm stress, traveling? New tank? Poor quality fish?? so many questions... so I went to teh other shop a couple of days later and came home with 3 more Mollys.. all looking good in the shop and no dead in their tanks....

The new 3 added gave me 2 of them dead the next morning and 1 survivor... so this left me 1 from my fist buy and 1 from the second buy..

The survivor from the second bu lasted a few days and was a bit of a bully to the other and seemed full of beans and was pregnant...then this morning she was sat at the bottom of the tank lifeless..

So now there is 1 Black molly felale, she loooks full of life .. fins up and eats like a horse..

I will take it one day at a time now and wont buy any more and just get them 1 at a time over the next few weeks as suggested, Ive no great plans for this tank its the small hospital/emergency tank realy but wanted a few fish in there to amuse myself realy.. I have the big tank started the fishless cycle so hopefully It will work out as ive never tried it b4.

Thank you once again for your comments they are much appreciated..

Tag

 

[Tag2008]

Well..

My test kits are old so went out and got some more...

My Ph in the new kit is 7.4 so should be fine for mollys eh.. so what killed them then?

Could stress of moving to a new tank have killed 4 fish in a space of 24 hrs from loaving the shops to being in the tank?

Im still puzzling over what has killed them? Or is it still just a case of you have to take your chances when doing a fish in cycle no matter if your water specs are good?

Thanks again
Tag

 

[rabbut]

Could be anything realy, with the pH being good on the new kit. Can you get the water tested at an LFS? If so, can you do so and get them to scribble down the numbers for you? While you are there, ask them if they have had any issues with their mollies, you never know...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[davefish]

Mollies don't get on well in soft water. They much prefer hard. So if it's still the case that the water is soft (which you said it was initially) they still aren't the best fish for your even if you pH is ok. Not that I'm saying that would kill them in under 24 hours of course.

 

[Tag2008]

Hi Guys,

Well the Molly is still going great in my small fish in cycle tank..I havent bothered to replace any fish and hope i can cycle with just the 1 fish as I only hope to have a pair of something in the tank and hopefully the molly will fit in...

Anyways Ive been doing 25% water chagnges and im still getting a high ammonia reading and dont know why?

If the tank is not cycled and im doing water changes can 1 wee molly produce enough ammonia to raise it in the text kit to about 1

If not what can give me ammonia? Ive only plastic plants and gravel in the tank and the bio filter sponges ..and hover the graven when I water change.

The fish seems fine eats like mad and displays no distress that I see...

I got a new PH test kit and its 7.6 the strips i was using were a little off..

Thoughts welcome as ever..
Cheers Tag