The reason of the shimmies

[Salty&Onion]

Yesterday I have moved all my three mollies to my betta tank.
My betta boy is fine with having around them and I'm aware that bettas aren't community fish no matter what and this is just temporary due to lack of heater in my 33 gallon.
I'll be getting Eheim Jager today hopefully and I found one that will arrive between 14th May and 19th May, but due to the virus it could arrive next Monday or Tuesday, it could just arrive earlier.

My mollies are done shimmying, but they sometimes are gulping or gasping at the surface, like drinking water.
I suppose my NO3 levels are quite high and will be dojng today another water change, but could someone tell me the podsibly real reason behind them 'drinking water'?

 

[Colin_T]

Gasping at the surface can be caused by poor water quality, low oxygen levels, chemicals in the water, or gill problems (gill flukes or bacterial or fungal infection).

Check the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH of the tank water. If the ammonia or nitrite are above 0ppm, or the nitrate is above 20ppm, or the pH is below 7.0, do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day until the levels are 0.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Check the tap water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH too.

Increase aeration/ surface turbulence to maximise the oxygen levels in the water.

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Livebearers like mollies get the shimmies from poor water quality and low GH. The shimmies are where the fish swims but doesn't go anywhere.

Guppies, platies and swordtails need a GH of 200+ppm and a pH above 7.0.
Mollies need a GH of 250+ppm and a pH above 7.0.

 

[Salty&Onion]

My water hardness is 190 ppm and my swordtails and guppies and platies are fine with my water, only mollies seem to have some issues.
I will do a wayer change, increase temperature and increase aeration.
My bettas tank is fully cycled, ammonia and nitrite are 0ppm so I would say that nitrate is high and my pH is 7.2, GH is 8 and KH is 16 I think, but I'm not sure as I don't have water test and I tried to look it up with my water provider, but I cannot find anything.

 

[Essjay]

What's the name of your water company, I'll see what I can find.

 

[Salty&Onion]

What's the name of your water company, I'll see what I can find.

Thank you I think it's Bristol Water, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[Essjay]

Can I soften my water?

Hard water is a natural feature of the water supply in this area. It’s caused by the presence of minerals (calcium and magnesium) picked up by our source water on its journey through the ground - in this area, it’s mainly limestone rock.

www.bristolwater.co.uk

Enter your postcode in the box in the second section on that page and click the arrow. it will give you several numbers, the ones you want are total hardness, mg/l CaCO3 and degrees German.

 

[Salty&Onion]

Can I soften my water?

Hard water is a natural feature of the water supply in this area. It’s caused by the presence of minerals (calcium and magnesium) picked up by our source water on its journey through the ground - in this area, it’s mainly limestone rock.

www.bristolwater.co.uk

Enter your postcode in the box in the second section on that page and click the arrow. it will give you several numbers, the ones you want are total hardness, mg/l CaCO3 and degrees German.

Thank you!
It showed me this :

 

[Essjay]

The two you need are:
253 mg/l CaCO3 - this is the same as ppm
15 degrees German - this is dH.

 

[Salty&Onion]

The two you need are:
253 mg/l CaCO3 - this is the same as ppm
15 degrees German - this is dH.

Ok. Is it good for mollies? Or any other livebearers?

 

[Essjay]

This hardness is good for most livebearers. It is right at the lower end of mollies' range (they need over 250 ppm) while guppies and platies need over 200 ppm. Ideally it should be a bit harder for mollies, though not much.

I know the mollies are in your betta's tank temporarily, but once you get the heater, what other fish will the mollies be with?

 

[Salty&Onion]

This hardness is good for most livebearers. It is right at the lower end of mollies' range (they need over 250 ppm) while guppies and platies need over 200 ppm. Ideally it should be a bit harder for mollies, though not much.

I know the mollies are in your betta's tank temporarily, but once you get the heater, what other fish will the mollies be with?

Oh, thanks that makes sense.
The mollies will be with swordtails, platies, guppies, white clouds, pleco, shrimp and with future stock which will include kuhli loaches.
Sadly I will be forced to euthanise my swordtail and guppy, both of them are suffering and in their places I will put 2 more mollies as I noticed that they are social with each other (atleast my ones).

 

[Essjay]

With white clouds and potentially kuhlis in the same tank, I would not do anything to increase GH. I will leave it for those members who keep hard water fish to say if the mollies will be OK. (I have soft water so I know soft water fish better).

 

[Salty&Onion]

With white clouds and potentially kuhlis in the same tank, I would not do anything to increase GH. I will leave it for those members who keep hard water fish to say if the mollies will be OK. (I have soft water so I know soft water fish better).

Mollies seem to be OK in this water, they were shimmying because their water is freezing and when I've moved them to my betta tank they stopped with the shimmies and my sailfin male immediately started courting one of my females, but something causes them to gasp/gulp at the surface which looks like they are drinking water..
I will never understand mollies and their shimmies..