Death incoming?

[CaptainMako]

Hey everyone,

Can I first grab your attention and please ask you to help me? The past few times I've posted threads (various sections), I never got any replies, but I kinda need it this time.

I didn't get any sleep last night, I was still in bed as of ten minutes ago, somebody else turned my tank light on and fed my fish, and saw something. It's an uncycled twenty nine gallon with six lyretail mollies and a gourami. I'm using it as a QT until they look okay to put in my main tank.

The mollies have been in there for about a week to a week and a half at the least, the gourami was purchased only a few days ago. Externally, all of them look healthy, except for one of the mollies. He's pale, and seems to have trouble moving, and also appears "limp". I won't go so far as to say he has a broken back, but he is slightly bent.

Some of the mollies have tendency to swim in place for a bit, but not at the bottom like they are resting. I don't think they are having trouble moving though, because if they see the food canister they zip right up to the top of the tank.

I have also had a reoccuring problem with cloudiness. I guess it's because the tank is trying to cycle, but I don't know.

That thing that I mentioned earlier was the limp molly being stuck to the filter intake. Family member had to pick him off, he's now laying on the substrate on his side, breathing a little faster than normal.

I want to know if anyone can diagnose this (I tried asking if the swimming in place was an ich sign but no one replied) and if I can gradually begin to move the fish to my main today to avoid more deaths, if the molly does die.


Great, big huge lightning storm headed our way too, and I have no air pump. Why does all of this happen on the day when I only get 4 hours of sleep.

Thanks,
-Shaun

 

[rich311k]

I would euthanize the fish he is not going to make it. What are the parameters in the tank? It sounds like you need some water changes. I would not move any of the fish to the main, one is sick the others may all have it. What are the test readings in the tank?

 

[CaptainMako]

!!!

I just went out there as soon as I posted up top, and I found another molly doing the same thing. He's not completely on his side or breathing fast, but he was still doing it. I spooked him with the net to try and get him to move, and now he's laying next to the other sick molly.

There's six mollies, I am only counting five.

 

[rich311k]

Test your ammonia and nitrite please? it sounds to me like they are suffering from ammonia or nitrite burns.

 

[CaptainMako]

Urgh >_<

I'll go test right now. The temp is fine btw

 

[CaptainMako]

Ammo- Dark green, bad. Doesn't require a number to know, but I guess a little below 8.00

Ni- 0.00

Na- 0.00

I knew new tank syndrome occured quickly, but not that quickly. >:|

Will a PWC sort this out, at least for now? I'm not looking to cycle, because I'm just going to empty it and make it a saltwater after?

Any way to save the two mollies?

Should I move them to the cycled main?

 

[CaptainMako]

I have Aqueon Ammo-lock and stress zyme btw, should I put either in?

 

[rich311k]

Do some large changes right away. Some thing like 75% twice in a row, the recheck the ammonia. You may need another. Is there filter media you can take from your main tank to help stabilize this.

 

[CaptainMako]

I will do two 75% changes.

How long should I wait before testing?

Should I put Ammo-lock or Stress Zyme in after the changes?

I don't have anything in terms of filter media, because they are cartridges. Would an item with bacteria on it work?

 

[Aspencer]

First I suggest a big water change...as big as you can...Ammonia is way above safe levels, .25 ppm

 

[CaptainMako]

Other than this, the fish are okay. My other tank is pristine, can I move them there?

 

[rich311k]

They could be permanently effected to soon to tell. Moving them might save them or the shock of changing water and tanks might kill them. They are very weak fish right now.. Now that they are in this shape they may have or are very susceptible to ich and other nasties coming form compromised immune systems, so moving them could cause all your fish troubles.

 

[CaptainMako]

All right.

So I will do this water change, wait about half an hour, and test.
If it's bad, I can do another. Or I can use ammo lock to detox it, but I will probably forget that I did that and freak out when I check the tests, so I will change.

I can take an item from my main and put it in their, as well as use stress zyme to cycle the tank quickly. That isn't what I wanted at all, but I guess I have to do it now.

I'm just hoping it takes the fish a while to die, and I have a chance to save them.

How long should I QT them now?

 

[mdawg75]

When you do your PWC are you putting in a Dechlorinator, like Prime? Dont worry about the stresszyme worry about getting that Ammo down as suggested by Rich and Aspencer

 

[CaptainMako]

Used Prime, yes. It's done now. There's a crapton of old food and poop floating around, I wish I could vacuum it up, but my python won't get suction. Don't think it's broken, I'm just too stupid to use it.

I'm going to go try and cool off for a minute, I'll wait about half an hour, check the levels, and post them back here. The limp fish is still on the substrate, sort of "hopping" every time he draws water in. All the fish are now accounted for, and the other one seemed to move off the substrate.

 

[CaptainMako]

Haven't checked the levels yet, will soon. Just an update.

The limp molly died just a short time ago, he's out of the tank. :\

 

[CaptainMako]

Ammo - 0.50
Na - 0.00

Another water change should do it?
What volume?

I'll do a 50% percent I guess. :|

 

[CaptainMako]

I have some concerns about the gourami.

He looks great, he hasn't been inside as long as the other fish. If there were any I could save, it'd be him. I'm going to move him to a seperate container (should be fine for a while, surface breather) and think about whether or not I want to move him into the main.

 

[MartinBlank]

Please note that until this tank is cycled you will need to most likely do a major water change every single day to keep ammonia levels down.

I understand you don't really want it cycled as its only temporary, and that is fine, but just realize that you are going to probably want to do some major water changes every day until you move those fish.

Prime can also be used to lock ammonia down (temporarily) so it isn't harmful to fish.

 

[CaptainMako]

50% done.

Another molly looking to die soon. The rest are hiding from me. Gourami is the only one moving around. If I don't get input on him I'll just make a choice and live with it.