Please help! Fish dying

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Emma73525

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Hi, over the last 2 days 2 out of 3 of my neon tetras have died - not sure why used a tester strip and the water seemed to be good. However another one of my fish (not sure what type) has started to sit upside down in my tank, occasionally flipping the right way around (photo) . It has slightly puffed out scales. Has anyone got any idea what is killing my fish? (I have also treated the tank with protozoan white spot and fungus treatment over the last week if this helps in any way?) Thanks
 

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Looks like a molly in the plant, and it looks and sounds like it's dying, I'm afraid.

Did the deaths start before or after you began adding white spot and fungus treatment? Why did you start using that treatment?

What are the results for the water tests, in numbers please?
 
The deaths started after I added the treatment
Readings:
-hardness 120
-free chlorine 0
-nitrate 25
-nitrite 0
-alkalinity80
-carbonate 120
-ph 7.6
Looks like a molly in the plant, and it looks and sounds like it's dying, I'm afraid.

Did the deaths start before or after you began adding white spot and fungus treatment? Why did you start using that treatment?

What are the results for the water tests, in numbers please?
 
The deaths started after I added the treatment
Readings:
-hardness 120
-free chlorine 0
-nitrate 25
-nitrite 0
-alkalinity80
-carbonate 120
-ph 7.6
Do you know the ammonia levels?
 
I donā€™t think my tester strips cover this? I listed the levels that my tester strips had, so maybe this is where Iā€™m going wrong


What made you begin the treatment?

Firstly, I'd do a 50% water change as an emergency measure, dilute out the medication some, then please come back for further questions, so we can try to figure out the underlying problems :) Fresh clean water, declorinated and temperature matched to the tank temp is the best first aid measure for fish.
 
If they started dying after you treated them, you might have overdosed them and they could be dying from chemical poisoning.

Can you post pictures of all the fish in the tank so we can check them for diseases?
 
What made you begin the treatment?

Firstly, I'd do a 50% water change as an emergency measure, dilute out the medication some, then please come back for further questions, so we can try to figure out the underlying problems :) Fresh clean water, declorinated and temperature matched to the tank temp is the best first aid measure for fish.
Hi, sorry forgot to answer that part of the question.
I started the treatment originally as I saw white dots on two of my mollies so assumed they had white spot. Thanks for the help, Iā€™ll try a water change
 
Hi, sorry forgot to answer that part of the question.
I started the treatment originally as I saw white dots on two of my mollies so assumed they had white spot. Thanks for the help, Iā€™ll try a water change
No problem, hopefully we can help.

After you've done a large water change, would be helpful if you could come back and copy/paste the questions below, and answer them as best you can (don't worry if you don't know the answer), and include those photos of the tank and fish. Since we can't see the tank and fish ourselves, the more you can tell us, the more we'll likely be able to help :)
I'm sorry about the ones you've lost, never pleasant.
Tank size:
tank age:
pH:
ammonia:
nitrite:
nitrate:
kH:
gH:
tank temp:


Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):

Volume and Frequency of water changes:

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:

Tank inhabitants:

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):

Exposure to chemicals:

Digital photo (include if possible):
 
If they started dying after you treated them, you might have overdosed them and they could be dying from chemical poisoning.

Can you post pictures of all the fish in the tank so we can check them for diseases?
Yes, here are some photos. Please let me know if you need any more. (My dwarf gourami also floats around the top quite a bit now that I think about it, is this normal? I introduced it about a week ago)
 

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Yes, here are some photos. Please let me know if you need any more. (My dwarf gourami also floats around the top quite a bit now that I think about it, is this normal? I introduced it about a week ago)
Gourami do tend to hang around the surface, males build their bubble nests at the surface, and they feed from the surface. They like to hide away in plant matter, especially when there's a lot of activity in the tank which you'll have with all those male livebearers. Not surprised he picked that spot where the fake plants are tallest to hide away. He'd probably benefit from some real plant matter floating there he can make his own hiding spots, like a big bunch of elodea, water sprite, guppy grass, something like that.

I can't see any signs of illness or disease on the fish myself, think you might have a male/female ratio problem though with the livebearers, think you have a couple of female mollies, but more males. That could well be a problem with the males harassing and chasing the females too much. That adds stress and eshaustion, can eventually kill a female.

Sounds like it's a new tank? And probably a cycling/over stocking too fast problem. Large water changes for now, using declorinator and temperature matching the new water to the tank temperature, then we can talk you through how to do a fish in cycle, and remedy the stocking problems :)
 
Gourami do tend to hang around the surface, males build their bubble nests at the surface, and they feed from the surface. They like to hide away in plant matter, especially when there's a lot of activity in the tank which you'll have with all those male livebearers. Not surprised he picked that spot where the fake plants are tallest to hide away. He'd probably benefit from some real plant matter floating there he can make his own hiding spots, like a big bunch of elodea, water sprite, guppy grass, something like that.

I can't see any signs of illness or disease on the fish myself, think you might have a male/female ratio problem though with the livebearers, think you have a couple of female mollies, but more males. That could well be a problem with the males harassing and chasing the females too much. That adds stress and eshaustion, can eventually kill a female.

Sounds like it's a new tank? And probably a cycling/over stocking too fast problem. Large water changes for now, using declorinator and temperature matching the new water to the tank temperature, then we can talk you through how to do a fish in cycle, and remedy the stocking problems :)
Yes itā€™s a fairly new tank. I did start to think about the male to female ratio once I had done a bit more research into mollies, but I had already bought the 3 males, so my fault that I hadnā€™t done more research before buying. I have a 1:1 ratio currently (excluding the black and yellow upside down fish as they told me it wasnā€™t a molly at the aquarium shop, apparently it had just been put in the wrong tank)
I will start doing the water changes and make sure Iā€™m more careful in future when buying fish - donā€™t want to have the same problems again :/
Thanks everyone for your help and advice :), better start doing some water changes! ā¤ļø
 
Yes itā€™s a fairly new tank. I did start to think about the male to female ratio once I had done a bit more research into mollies, but I had already bought the 3 males, so my fault that I hadnā€™t done more research before buying. I have a 1:1 ratio currently (excluding the black and yellow upside down fish as they told me it wasnā€™t a molly at the aquarium shop, apparently it had just been put in the wrong tank)
I will start doing the water changes and make sure Iā€™m more careful in future when buying fish - donā€™t want to have the same problems again :/
Thanks everyone for your help and advice :), better start doing some water changes! ā¤ļø
Black and yellow one might be a platy, hard to tell when it's upside down, but I think molly... if it survives, a better picture will clear it up :)

For now though, yes please, an urgent water change is needed! Since it's a newish tank and old tank syndrome is unlikely, I'd go ahead and do a 75% water change. Get as much of the medication out of the tank as possible, since it's had such a negative affect on the fish.

I'm about to do a W/C on one my own tanks, so you won't be alone doing a later night water change anyway!
 
I donā€™t think my tester strips cover this? I listed the levels that my tester strips had, so maybe this is where Iā€™m going wrong
I would suggest API Freshwater testing kit since chemically testing water is more accurate than strips. (please correct me if iā€™m wrong) You can test the ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate with it. Hereā€™s a link but you can also buy them from most pet stores like Petsmart and Petco.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NCI/?tag=ff0d01-20
 
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I would suggest API Freshwater testing kit since chemically testing water is more accurate than strips. (please correct me if iā€™m wrong) You can test the ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate with it. Hereā€™s a link but you can also buy them from most pet stores like Petsmart and Petco.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NCI/?tag=ff0d01-20
Yep I agree, and so will most people here. It might seem a bit pricy compared to a pack of strips but it will last much longer and the accuracy is much better. Also, I think they are on sale right now if you order online at PetSmart.
 
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