Molly Fish - Please Help

[AwesomeMarioFan]

Hello,

We have a lyretail molly who we seen laying sideways on the bottom of the tank. I immediately tested the water: the nitrites were 0, the pH was 7.6 (which doesn't seem very high), however the nitrates read around 60 ppm. Realizing this was very high, we did an immediate ~40% water change and changed out the filter. We had did a water change the week before but have been feeding them a lot since, and I believe this is what caused the bad water quality. From what I can tell, this is nitrate poisoning. (The symptoms seem to match up to what we've been seeing) This morning he didn't eat much and was close to the bottom of the tank, but I still seen him swimming around for part of the day.

After some more research, I see that it causes issues with oxygen in the fish's blood supply, so I currently have our oxygen pump up to maximum. I was wondering if there was something else we can do, its been about 1.5 hours now and the fish is still breathing on the bottom of the tank (every once in a while he will try swimming and fall back to the bottom).

I understand that the next stage of the problem he has is the fish curling up because of the water pressure, but I was worried about moving it. Should I put it in a breeding net with oxygen positioned around it, or will this only make things worse? I'm not sure what else to do - any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Matt68005]

The best treatment for NITRITE poisining is methylene blue.

 

[AwesomeMarioFan]

The best treatment for NITRITE poisining is methylene blue.

Hey,

Thanks for responding! Do you think it is nitrite poisoning? When testing for nitrite using the API kit, the solution seemed to be completely clear instead of the blue indicated on the chart (for 0), so I'm not sure what the reading was. I will try another test again soon, but would it be a good idea to do some ~30-35% water changes every day for a few days?

 

[Matt68005]

If they have been in a non-cycled tank for awhile, they probably have ammonia/nitrate poising, the main thing that makes shipped fish get sick at the store.
The dropper strips are more accurate, and yes do PWC everyday until its cycled, the "let it sit" cycling of a aquarium is ovbiuously more for non-fish tanks.
prime is a good declorinator that neutralizes the harmful effects of ammonia and Nitrite.
If you have any local FISH stores, call them and ask if they have methylene blue. It runs $5.99 for a 4oz liquid bottle for me. It will de-contaminate them, kill parasites, harmful external bacteria and fungus, and increase their oxygen levels, it is listed to counter the harmful effects of nitrite poisoning in fish.
You just have to be careful, because it will stain EVERYTHING except the glass, so don't spill it on the floor your spouse will kill you. And it does kill Good bacteria, so they would have to be put in another tank or plastic tub while you treat them.
Its just an idea, and some info for future reference for you. Its a great drug, safe, non-toxic.....just messy.