What could be wrong with my dalmation molly

Christina88

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Hey everyone I really need help ive started having aquariums again but this time I have dalmation mollies everything was doing good till yesterday and I seen one of my girls mollies looked and acted dead and it made me sad but as I went to get her out she was live but didn't want to swim to get away from me and her pretty black and white color is looking very sickly so I put her in a net so the other fish couldn't get to her than this morning she is still alive but now her eyes are white and have red in them. I have never had mollies but this doesn't look good so something wrong with her?
 

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Welcome!
I wish I had some advice.
Maybe post another thread under "Fish Emergencies?"
Might get noticed better.
Good luck!
 
Test the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and GH.

If you can, post pictures of the fish in the tank rather than behind the breeding net.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for at least 2 weeks or until we work out what is wrong.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.
 
Thanks for the advice
I tested the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and GH. The ph and gh are good, the ammonia was a little high but I fixed it yesterday afternoon so its 0 now but the nitrite and nitrate are a little high still so I will do a 75% today when I get home and test everything again.

I was, post pictures of the fish in the tank rather than behind the breeding net when I get home. I was just afraid that the other fish might get it.
 
How long is the tank up & running & was it cycled first? Do you've your exact numbers for ammonia, nitrite & nitrate? Sounds a bit like your tank isn't cycled or crashed.
 
How long is the tank up & running & was it cycled first? Do you've your exact numbers for ammonia, nitrite & nitrate? Sounds a bit like your tank isn't cycled or crashed.

I've had the tank running for about 7 months now and I had it running with no fish for 2 weeks before getting them if that's what you mean by cycled.
The nitrite is 0.25 & nitrate is 40ppm and the ammonia was 0.50ppm but its 0pmm now.
 
Just wondering what caused your established tank to throw up an ammonia spike. Are you missing any fish? Or did one die recently? Something happened to change your parameters. Definitely do more big water changes to get the ammonia and Nitrite to 0 and the Nitrate lower too.
 
Just wondering what caused your established tank to throw up an ammonia spike. Are you missing any fish? Or did one die recently? Something happened to change your parameters. Definitely do more big water changes to get the ammonia and Nitrite to 0 and the Nitrate lower too.

The only thing I can think of that I did was add some new live plants to the tank the last time I did a water change about a week ago but no I haven't had any dead but one did give birth to 6 babies about 4 weeks ago.
 
The only thing I can think of that I did was add some new live plants to the tank the last time I did a water change about a week ago but no I haven't had any dead but one did give birth to 6 babies about 4 weeks ago.

Live plants should improve the water quality. To treat the current issue with water quality & your Molly big water changes will help. When I'd problems with ammonia etc I did 75% water changes (use decloratinator & try match new water temp.to tank temp) until my ammonia & Nitrite was 0 and nitrate below 20. It might help too to test your tap water nitrate level.
 
Live plants should improve the water quality. To treat the current issue with water quality & your Molly big water changes will help. When I'd problems with ammonia etc I did 75% water changes (use decloratinator & try match new water temp.to tank temp) until my ammonia & Nitrite was 0 and nitrate below 20. It might help too to test your tap water nitrate level.

I will test my tap water to see what the levels are but I use a water Conditioner and let it sitting over night cause I thought it would help make the water saver. What temperature should the tank be cause I think its like 70 something but its in the green on my thermometer.
 
My water nitrate level is about 20. It's not something the water decloratinator gets out.
 
Have you been feeding more heavily because of the fry perhaps?

What were the numbers for pH and GH? I don't believe they were the cause of the issue here, but any numbers for those are fine, it's whether they're suitable for a very hardwater fish like mollies in the longer term really, she might be more susceptable if your water is on the softer side.

She also looks as though she has white stringy poop - have you ever wormed your fish? Did you buy them from a big chain fish store or a local, privately owned fish store?

Addition since new comment: please check the exact temp on your tank and let us know.

But the ammonia and nitrite spike are the biggest concerns and likely cause of the current problems. Why the ammonia spiked is a concern, perhaps over feeding, but a dead fish, snail or shrimp can cause the same thing, so checking carefully for anything like that is important.

As @AilyNC said, it's vital to keep ammonia and nitrites at zero. Ammonia is highly toxic to fish, it literally burns their gills and skin, and nitrites block the bloods ability to carry oxygen, so also incredible damaging to them and both are eventually fatal. So keep doing large water changes to dilute it out until ammonia and nitrite are staying at zero again, and nitrates stay low.

Did you do anything with your filter? If you washed it in tap water, or replaced cartridges, that could have lost a lot of beneficial bacteria and caused an ammonia spike.
 
I will test my tap water to see what the levels are but I use a water Conditioner and let it sitting over night cause I thought it would help make the water saver. What temperature should the tank be cause I think its like 70 something but its in the green on my thermometer.
What's the entire stocking of the tank? Temp will depend on what fish you have in there, since different species like different temps. 70 is too cold for mollies, bump to at least 72.
 
Have you been feeding more heavily because of the fry perhaps?

What were the numbers for pH and GH? I don't believe they were the cause of the issue here, but any numbers for those are fine, it's whether they're suitable for a very hardwater fish like mollies in the longer term really, she might be more susceptable if your water is on the softer side.

She also looks as though she has white stringy poop - have you ever wormed your fish? Did you buy them from a big chain fish store or a local, privately owned fish store?

Addition since new comment: please check the exact temp on your tank and let us know.

But the ammonia and nitrite spike are the biggest concerns and likely cause of the current problems. Why the ammonia spiked is a concern, perhaps over feeding, but a dead fish, snail or shrimp can cause the same thing, so checking carefully for anything like that is important.

As @AilyNC said, it's vital to keep ammonia and nitrites at zero. Ammonia is highly toxic to fish, it literally burns their gills and skin, and nitrites block the bloods ability to carry oxygen, so also incredible damaging to them and both are eventually fatal. So keep doing large water changes to dilute it out until ammonia and nitrite are staying at zero again, and nitrates stay low.

Did you do anything with your filter? If you washed it in tap water, or replaced cartridges, that could have lost a lot of beneficial bacteria and caused an ammonia spike.

Yes I put in a new replacement cartridge in the filter and I have the frys in a another tank and they are doing good for now. No I really didn't know fish could get worms, yes I get all 4 of them at my local fish store. As for anything dead I don't think so cause I just cleaned the tank bot to long ago. I could be over feeding though not sure
 

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