Cycle use and questions about my fish

[Big Ben]

I just started my tank about 9 days ago, i treated my water b4 puting in the aquarium, washed the gravel 4 times, set it all up and then ran it for a day. Went and bought 3 mollies, put them in. Then my sisters bf tells me I should use cycle so they don't die.

So I bought some. Now heres my question : where do I pour this stuff in? or do I mix it in? Do I pour it in the water directly, stop the filter and pour it in the filter? Where?

Well i poured one capfull into the water directly and then I poured another capfull on the bio fiber in my filter. Its been a week since I did that and I'm wondering how I should deploy the Cycle.

Now I have 3 questions about my fish...one of my mollies did die but all along it kind of swam slow and something seemed wrong with it. Sometimes it would just stay in one spot for a long time. The other two swim fast and seem healthy...with healthy behaviour except the female hits the male during feeding and sometimes chases him around the tank. It's like she won't let him swim around her or eat any food. She was like this to the other female as well and that may have played a part in the death of my other female, .

Now my first question is ; I know I should get more females but how many are good for a 10 gal when it's just being started? I plan on getting some gouramis or some less hardy fish later on..but not until I know my water won't kill them.

My second question about my fish is : why is the female bullying the male?

My third question is : My mollies are 'balloon' mollies. But only one looks like a balloon molly. Maybe did they give 2 regular mollies and one Balloon? The molly that died was a white female that didn't have a big belly. The black male doesnt either. The silver female however has a pretty big one and at first i wasn't sure if she was pregnant until i was told that that's hwo balloon mollies look.

 

[Zagz]

Cycle will not help cycle your tank. To keep your fish alive you need to get a liquid test kit and change water whenever your ammonia gets over .5ppm IMO.

Are you positive that it is the female chasing the male? If you are going to add more fish before the end of the cycle, add only one more female for now and keep doing regular water changes with dechlorinator. Ballon mollies are fairly distinct in their look so it is quite possible that the lfs sold you regular mollies instead of all balloon mollies.

Welcome to AA btw. Glad to have you here.

 

[Jchillin]

A liquid re-agent test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are ideal at this time. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals produces a very reliable product.

Cycle by it's name is very misleading. As Zagz says, it will not cycle your tank. It contains dormant beneficial bacteria but they were already present in the tank when you purchased it, along with anything else you have in it. It won't hurt but it's benefit is doubious at best.

Usually it is hit or miss with using mollies to cycle a tank. If you want to be successful, get the test kits and test your water each day. Perform PWC's immediately if any substance goes the level noted by Zagz.

Good luck and welcome to AA.

 

[Big Ben]

So what name brand or brands of kits would you recommend? Also I'm quite sure its the female whos chasing the male away from eating and from being around her, she doesn't have a gonopodium and the male does...he sometimes nips at her side and sometimes they swim together alrite but whenever i fed them she went nuts and would hit him and try to scare him away from eating. Thanks for all the help

 

[severum mama]

The Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Master Test Kit is what I use, and lots of people around here recommend it. It's the one that is $13.49 BTW.
http://www.petsmart.com/global/prod...77854&itemNo=17&Nao=12&In=Fish&N=2030068&Ne=2
This is much more accurate than the test strips.