Started with Molly w/ Ick, and now have a cloudy tank too

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HardenDrew

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
10
I need some help. I am new to aquariums, and I bought a 10 gallon tank.
Going to start off by saying i messed up already.
I've had the tank about a week, and went away for the weekend, and when i came back, my black mollie had ick. I bought stuff to treat it, and the water turned blue, now the water is soo cloudy, that I can barely even see the fish. There are also thick looking bubbles (fairly large in size) forming on the top of the water. Please help!!
10 Gallon Tank with heater and filter
- 1 Plecostomus
- 1 Black Molly
- 1 Dwarf Gourami
 
So if your tank was set up for a week it didn't have enough time to cycle, this might have stressed the Molly out do it became susceptible to ich. The water is blue because if the meds, and you need to do a water changes every week about 25% until your water is perfect. I suggest you get a liquid test kit from your LFS. But since you treated the water with the meds I suggest you do a 50% water change every day for as long as you use it, and then do 25% water changes everyday until the water appears to be normal. If you want to ditch the idea of meds you can always crank your heat up to 88 degrees and add aquarium salt, this will get rid of the ich and improve your mollies life, although I'm not sure if all your fish will like the salt they should be fine. Most LFS use them in all of there tanks. Also some meds contain copper and other hard metals that can hurt your fish so I would read up on the kind you are using if you decide to stick with it. Best if luck.
 
I'm thinking about discontinuing the meds, because it seems to be completely screwing over the rest of the tank, the only problem with that is that my heater is a heater that has a built in thermostat, and isn't actually adjustable. What would be your recommendations as far as that goes?
 
I would go and get a 100 watt rod shaped heater, they are more expensive then the pads but are a lot nicer, you could get a aqueon heater for about $32 at petsmart you can adjust the heat accordingly, and these things usually run a little hot by about 2 degrees so I would also get a tank thermometer just to be on the safe side.
 
Also, you want to be doing 50% water changes every other day or every third day. Make sure you clean the substrate because that's where the Ich is when it drops off.

And an adjustable heater is very helpful in treating Ich. 86 degree water is very necessary.
 
I got a tank thermometer today, but the local store does not have adjustable heaters, but I have ordered one, I did a 50% water change yesterday, and bought a siphon, and will be cleaning out the gravel tonight, and doing another 50% water change today.

Do you think the molly will die in the 2 weeks it takes for the heater to get here? :/
 
Also, you want to be doing 50% water changes every other day or every third day. Make sure you clean the substrate because that's where the Ich is when it drops off.

What do you mean by substrate
 
The water changes and siphon are great! As long as you keep the water super clean, he should be okay until then, I would think. The clean water will help boost its immune system, which will help. If it looks like it is getting really bad, do an Ich treatment with medication.
 
Ok, thanks! I got a siphon/ Gravel Vac earlier today that I will be using, and loving later tonight! :D
 
The water changes and siphon are great! As long as you keep the water super clean, he should be okay until then, I would think. The clean water will help boost its immune system, which will help. If it looks like it is getting really bad, do an Ich treatment with medication.

I am thinking about continuing daily use of the meds until i get the adjustable heater, because I do not want to risk it. Is that a bad idea?
 
No just make sure you follow the instructions to the letter. If the instructions say to do a water change then do one. If it says to wait, wait. It would do the fish no good to remove all the medications before it had time to work.

Also, if there is carbon in your filter, make sure to remove it, as that will pull the medication from the water
 
I removed the carbon filter 2 days ago (when I started doing the meds at first). I will look into it to see how often it says to do water changes. If I remember correctly, it does not say to do anything. I think it just says what the dosage is.
 
Is it possible that that my pleco ate my black molly??
I have been looking for the black molly for about 20 minutes now (in a 10G tank).
I don't find it possible for him to have escaped the tank...
 
If the pleco was hungry enough and the molly was close to him yeah, he could have been eaten. What type of.pleco is it?
 
I think plecos will eat fish that are already dead. The Molly may be hiding out somewhere.
 
I have literally picked up the only thing they have to hide in. I pulled it out of the water and it was not in there at all. and i stirred up the gravel, and saw it nowhere. The only other thing i can think of is it jumping out of the tank.
 
It could have, but with you doing the water changes I wouldn't think so. Clean water makes it less likely that they will jump. But at the same time... I can't imagine that your pleco would be large enough to eat a molly right now.

And that common pleco is gong to get huge. Mine is well over a foot long! They also produce a ton of waste. You're going to need a larger tank sooner rather than later, I'm afraid. Unless you give him to a good home when he starts to get big
 
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