Elocrocker
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2020
- Messages
- 3
Hi, I'm new to Aquariumadvice, but I've always followed some of these threads when trying to figure something out with our tank.
Our 55 gal tank has been established for around a year or more at this point. We have two black mollies, male and female, and a handful of guppies (they're hard to count).
Our female molly, we call her Mama, is 2-3 years old, and has reoccurring issues with white spots/patches on her body. They look slimy? Recently it got on her eye and looked like it might have been in or around her mouth a bit. The local pet store said it sounded like Ich, and so I've treated the tank with IchX. I did two nights of it while leaving the carbon filters out. She cleared up and I said cool, but. Sure enough, the spots came back, so I tried using Melafix instead, but I ran out of that, so I went back to the IchX the next day, buuut I ran out of that too. This is my first time using IchX, it's what the pet store recommended but I didn't buy a big enough bottle. I usually used Melafix any time we'd seen the spots come up before. What I've read online is that Ich is more granular? Tiny spots, vs this patchy slimy stuff. Maybe it's the same thing?
The IchX directions say to do a 1/3 water change before every dose, so we've done that, and treated the new water with Prime before putting it in the tank. I also used Stability in the tank after the second water change. I also removed the carbon filters for the time being. We use a MarineLand Bio-Wheel Penguin 350 filter. I think I need to change the bio-wheels. The packaging said they never needed to be changed, but the pet store said to change them every couple of months. I'm not sure what to do there?????
Just checking this morning, the ammonia level is at zero (the API testing kit had no color change- it stayed yellow), and the using the API test strips (5 in 1) the pH is around 8, the GH (hardness) is around 180. (We live in Michigan and the water is really hard unless you own a house with a water softener: we rent) The nitrite level had no color change, but the nitrate level is perhaps around 160?
Covid19 has caused the pet store we go to to close for the time being, so I'm not sure what to do now. Mama had cleared up again after the second dose of the IchX, but this morning it looks like there's another spot on her side. She knows I was watching her though and has been hiding, so I've been unable to get a picture of it.
I've read that increasing the temperature is effective, so I've increased it a little bit. It was already around 82? I'm not 100% because our thermometer broke. The heater has an indicator to say what temp you're setting it to, but I'm not sure how exact that is. She likes to hang out by the heater normally, so I don't think the increase in heat will bother her or any of the other fish.
She seems to be acting normal. She's always got an attitude and is the head of the tank, so that part hasn't changed. She could be pregnant and is also why she's hiding a bit and maybe why she's stressed out? We never really know with her because she's full grown and is always huge, plus she always eats her babes. The male in the tank is the only surviving molly we've had (his mom was a different female we had previously), but now the two are buddies.
We haven't cleaned the rocks in awhile, partly because of all the water changes recently with trying to treat the spots. We have a bladder snail infestation, but I don't know if that would be what causes her to get sick. They're just impossible to get rid of. (we've been trying)
I've heard mixed reviews about algae? I'd like to think it's normal and healthy, maybe just unsightly, but the algae is a bit overgrown right now.
Any beta that can be offered is appreciated. I care a lot and would really like to not lose her before her natural time if possible.
Thanks!
Our 55 gal tank has been established for around a year or more at this point. We have two black mollies, male and female, and a handful of guppies (they're hard to count).
Our female molly, we call her Mama, is 2-3 years old, and has reoccurring issues with white spots/patches on her body. They look slimy? Recently it got on her eye and looked like it might have been in or around her mouth a bit. The local pet store said it sounded like Ich, and so I've treated the tank with IchX. I did two nights of it while leaving the carbon filters out. She cleared up and I said cool, but. Sure enough, the spots came back, so I tried using Melafix instead, but I ran out of that, so I went back to the IchX the next day, buuut I ran out of that too. This is my first time using IchX, it's what the pet store recommended but I didn't buy a big enough bottle. I usually used Melafix any time we'd seen the spots come up before. What I've read online is that Ich is more granular? Tiny spots, vs this patchy slimy stuff. Maybe it's the same thing?
The IchX directions say to do a 1/3 water change before every dose, so we've done that, and treated the new water with Prime before putting it in the tank. I also used Stability in the tank after the second water change. I also removed the carbon filters for the time being. We use a MarineLand Bio-Wheel Penguin 350 filter. I think I need to change the bio-wheels. The packaging said they never needed to be changed, but the pet store said to change them every couple of months. I'm not sure what to do there?????
Just checking this morning, the ammonia level is at zero (the API testing kit had no color change- it stayed yellow), and the using the API test strips (5 in 1) the pH is around 8, the GH (hardness) is around 180. (We live in Michigan and the water is really hard unless you own a house with a water softener: we rent) The nitrite level had no color change, but the nitrate level is perhaps around 160?
Covid19 has caused the pet store we go to to close for the time being, so I'm not sure what to do now. Mama had cleared up again after the second dose of the IchX, but this morning it looks like there's another spot on her side. She knows I was watching her though and has been hiding, so I've been unable to get a picture of it.
I've read that increasing the temperature is effective, so I've increased it a little bit. It was already around 82? I'm not 100% because our thermometer broke. The heater has an indicator to say what temp you're setting it to, but I'm not sure how exact that is. She likes to hang out by the heater normally, so I don't think the increase in heat will bother her or any of the other fish.
She seems to be acting normal. She's always got an attitude and is the head of the tank, so that part hasn't changed. She could be pregnant and is also why she's hiding a bit and maybe why she's stressed out? We never really know with her because she's full grown and is always huge, plus she always eats her babes. The male in the tank is the only surviving molly we've had (his mom was a different female we had previously), but now the two are buddies.
We haven't cleaned the rocks in awhile, partly because of all the water changes recently with trying to treat the spots. We have a bladder snail infestation, but I don't know if that would be what causes her to get sick. They're just impossible to get rid of. (we've been trying)
I've heard mixed reviews about algae? I'd like to think it's normal and healthy, maybe just unsightly, but the algae is a bit overgrown right now.
Any beta that can be offered is appreciated. I care a lot and would really like to not lose her before her natural time if possible.
Thanks!