Lev
Aquarium Advice Activist
Hi all!
Shame I can't just post here for an introduction, but actually already needing a bit of advice!
My other half has always wanted to keep fish, and was never allowed to as a child - we used to keep temperate water tanks (around 40L) when I was growing up, so I thought for Christmas this year I'd take the hobby up again (after a 10 year break) and start him up with a tank.
We got hold of a 325L tank second hand from someone we trusted. It had until that morning been used to keep a community of mixed tetras, and we purchased the full set up (see my profile). We used the filter and left the used pads in, and cycled the tank for 5 days (also washed the used filter pads in the water and goes without saying used tapsafe). After checking the water and noting the nitrates to finally have increased ever so slightly from 0, we went to pets at home (large chain pet store) and after getting the water rechecked we bought 6 mollies on their advice (a dalmation male, a black female, two platinum females, and 2 gold doubloon mollies one male one female).
There were so many mollies squashed into the little tank it was hard to choose them - but when we got back and acclimatised them after finally releasing them into the tank I noticed one of the platinum females was swimming on the spot alot and generally wasnt as active as the others. I figured it was stress and as she was eating left her alone.
We're a week and a half on now. Have done first 25% water change and gravel vac. Ammonia remains at 0. Fish being fed on small pinch of tropical fish flakes twice a day, and twice have been given bloodworms.
3 days ago I noticed the platinum female was looking a bit rounded. I figured she was pregnant. Still swimming about and eating normally. Unfortunately yesterday I noticed some more swimming on spot, and whilst she came up to the top to feed, after one mouthful she stopped and went back down. On closer inspection she seemed to have a slightly "serrated edge" and whilst not the classical pine cone appearance, i worried she had dropsy. As soon as I could (I had to go to work) I set up a hospital tank (see profile) with water from the main tank, netted her and placed her in it. I've treated it with API stress coat and thought we'd try interpret anti-internal bacteria. I've also treated the main tank prophylactically and done a 10% water change.
The platinum molly in the hospital tank is saton the bottom, although not breathing heavily. I'm leaving her alone. I know she's almost definitely going to die if it is dropsy.
The other mollies are in the main tank, wizzing about like their normal happy selves and non showing signs of illness.
My questions are - as newbies (one of us to fishkeeping completely, and one to tropical fishkeeping - and rusty at that) have we done anything horribly wrong? Is there anything else we could do?
My partner is away at the moment and I was going to add in some tankmates this week - but I'm going to hold off for now. Is a week sufficient?
Shame I can't just post here for an introduction, but actually already needing a bit of advice!
My other half has always wanted to keep fish, and was never allowed to as a child - we used to keep temperate water tanks (around 40L) when I was growing up, so I thought for Christmas this year I'd take the hobby up again (after a 10 year break) and start him up with a tank.
We got hold of a 325L tank second hand from someone we trusted. It had until that morning been used to keep a community of mixed tetras, and we purchased the full set up (see my profile). We used the filter and left the used pads in, and cycled the tank for 5 days (also washed the used filter pads in the water and goes without saying used tapsafe). After checking the water and noting the nitrates to finally have increased ever so slightly from 0, we went to pets at home (large chain pet store) and after getting the water rechecked we bought 6 mollies on their advice (a dalmation male, a black female, two platinum females, and 2 gold doubloon mollies one male one female).
There were so many mollies squashed into the little tank it was hard to choose them - but when we got back and acclimatised them after finally releasing them into the tank I noticed one of the platinum females was swimming on the spot alot and generally wasnt as active as the others. I figured it was stress and as she was eating left her alone.
We're a week and a half on now. Have done first 25% water change and gravel vac. Ammonia remains at 0. Fish being fed on small pinch of tropical fish flakes twice a day, and twice have been given bloodworms.
3 days ago I noticed the platinum female was looking a bit rounded. I figured she was pregnant. Still swimming about and eating normally. Unfortunately yesterday I noticed some more swimming on spot, and whilst she came up to the top to feed, after one mouthful she stopped and went back down. On closer inspection she seemed to have a slightly "serrated edge" and whilst not the classical pine cone appearance, i worried she had dropsy. As soon as I could (I had to go to work) I set up a hospital tank (see profile) with water from the main tank, netted her and placed her in it. I've treated it with API stress coat and thought we'd try interpret anti-internal bacteria. I've also treated the main tank prophylactically and done a 10% water change.
The platinum molly in the hospital tank is saton the bottom, although not breathing heavily. I'm leaving her alone. I know she's almost definitely going to die if it is dropsy.
The other mollies are in the main tank, wizzing about like their normal happy selves and non showing signs of illness.
My questions are - as newbies (one of us to fishkeeping completely, and one to tropical fishkeeping - and rusty at that) have we done anything horribly wrong? Is there anything else we could do?
My partner is away at the moment and I was going to add in some tankmates this week - but I'm going to hold off for now. Is a week sufficient?
