HELP my tank is doing poorly!

[teadragon15]

Hi guys, I'm new to the community. I have a 29 gallon tank with a handful of balloon mollies, one surviving sailfin molly, three guppies, and two surviving emerald eye rasboras.

I have kept tanks since I was 12 and this is my first tank in several years. I bought all the fish from Petsmart and I feel like that was a poor decision. I've struggled with ich for the last 2-3 weeks, first treating with quick cure and then with heat and salt. I changed the old water and added new chlorine free water every two to three days.

Things seemed to be better for a while, but now many fish's tails are drooping downwards. About six have died this week alone. The pH is about 8 or so. I just did a water change today.

I've never had so many issues ever! Any advice??

 

[severum mama]

Hello and welcome! It would help us if you can post water test results for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

 

[teadragon15]

Nitrite and ammonia are 0ppm. I don't see a nitrate bottle in my kit (which was inherited).

 

[severum mama]

An inherited kit... perhaps it is expired? Not necessarily, just trying to throw out ideas.

 

[teadragon15]

My aunt gave it to me, it's probably at least two years old.

 

[flitabout]

Check on the back of the clear plastic container. I just got mine a few months ago and it's good till April of 2018 so I am guessing you should be good. The heat treatment works as follows bring your temp up a degree an hour until you hit 86F. Keep it there for 10 at least 10days or 3days after you see the final symptoms. The salt is a trickier part I have seen people suggest anything from 1 tsp per 5gallons to 3 tbls per 5 gallons 1 tsp per gallon. So it's pretty out there! What I did was to go straight down the middle. I do 1 tbl per 5g Which if you didn't know is 3 tsp per 5 gallons. I dissolve the salt in tank water and then add the dissolved salt in 1 tbl at a time. 1tbls every 12 hours I have a 37g so I just rounded up to 40. So it took me 48 hours to acheive the desired salinity. The trick is to keep that salinity stable through your water changes. You have to add salt to your water that you are changing to keep the salinity up. But it has to match the original dose. Before doing a water change you have to top off the tank to make sure you are not overdosing your fish on salt. Do this for the same amount of time you have the heat up When you are done do a big water change at the end of the treatment about 75% and let the rest work it's way out in your regular weekly water changes. During the treatment do 50% water changes with heavy gravel vacuuming every 3-4 days.
I love this site it explains everything about the lifecycle and treatment of the ich. Probably better than I ever could!
Understanding and Treating Ich or White Spot

 

[teadragon15]

I've had 2-3 more fish go belly up since this post The water quality and temperature is fine! I really don't know what it could be anymore, since none are demonstrating outward signs of illness. Maybe I'll just chalk it up to bad quality fish from Petsmart and leave it at that.