Sick or natural habit?

[yensid77]

My mollies have started acting a bit strange. I've only had them for a few weeks so I guess I don't truly know their habits so I could just be worrying about nothing but I thought I would ask.



First thing I noticed is the all orange one would chase the orange and white one away while food was in the tank. Then I started noticing both of them swimming at the bottom of the tank swimming vigorously but not moving anywhere. Sometime this was together with one on top of the other sometimes touching sometimes not and now apart from each other. I thought they might be mating when it was together but the same behavior apart made it just odd.

Tank is a 30 gallon extra high, I don't have a test kit for the water parameters but I do weekly water changes with the next water change due tomorrow.

Thoughts?


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[yensid77]

I have moved them to quarantine since when I got home yesterday they were both laying on the bottom of the tank. I thought they were dead. Not sure if it is Molly disease or something else.


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[Delapool]

Got a couple of quick questions: Kind of like a shimmy motion to them? Anything changed in the tank (eg driftwood added)? No oils in water? Also do they perk up after a water change or worse?

A lfs may check water chemistry? Ph would be top of my list (although I'd love to see kh and gh as well to double-check the water isn't too soft for them).

 

[yensid77]

They go back and forth. Water change or not. I'm having the water tested today but my ph is at 7.8


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[yensid77]

The shimmying is basically they go to the bottom of the tank and wiggle about an inch off the gravel. The only addition I had done was co2 just from a yeast bottle and air stone but shut that off when they started acting funny.


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[Delapool]

Did it just happen with DIY co2 or do you think unrelated?

 

[yensid77]

They have continued doing it in the quarantine tank so I don't think it is related.


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[yensid77]

I am medicating that tank for disease and will see if they bounce back.


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[Delapool]

Sorry for the delayed reply. The cases I've had were from oils from wood, Pimafix meds or low gh/kh. Your ph sounds fine. Good luck with the meds.

 

[yensid77]

They are doing better in the quarantine tank so I'll leave them there with medication for a week. If they look better after that I will bring them back into the main tank


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