Molly needs salt?

[Misha]

My black mollly is in my five gallon aquarium with one of her offspring, some rasbora and two otocinclus . I had removed her from my 53 gallon because my Sailfin Molly (Gillbert) wouldn't stop harassing her and she developed some white patches due to what i think is stress. The amonia, nitrite and nitrate are always at zero in all my tanks. But now she still randomly has white patches appear, or white on the end of her tail fin or small patches on her mouth, and as soon as I see them develop, I put her in the five gallon hospital tank with malachite green for a few days and it does the trick. Or I give her salt water baths for thirty min which also really help. I do this because it is recurring. I don't know why. My parameters are perfect, I do weekly water changes. It's a fantastic little tank with a great light, built in filter with all the fixins' of a canister filter inside. Definitely not Walmart quality, that's the hospital tank. So I'm thinking that if the water were brackish, this problem wouldn't exist, however, the half-grown fry molly is fine in the same tank. I recently put in a crystal red shrimp, (and no, she doesn't try to eat it) so I am wondering...if I add salt to the water, will it hurt the shrimp, or the otos? I know it's not good for my live plants, but those I can sacrifice if I must. Or is it recurring because perhaps she's not entirely cured, even though she looks it, when I put her back in her regular tank? Should I just leave her in the hospital tank for a month? Any thoughts?

 

[Autumnsky]

Watch for any other sick fish. Or have there been any missing fish in the tank (which could have died of sickness)?

If all is well in the large tank with Gilbert, I would add 2 or 3 more females for Gilbert to have a choice of chasing and be able to let the girls have a break in who is getting chased. After making sure there are no other sick fish and using a QT on any new fish.

That is probably your best bet.

If you still think having salt in the tank is worthwhile...

You can start with a 1/3 - 1/2 tsp salt per gallon to your tank. Making sure that you use salt with no additives. Add it gradually over a couple days. how below...

After dissoving it into some hot water, add some cool water and when tank temp add your water conditioner like Prime. Add in 1/8 per ~ 6-8 hours. You can calculate a concentrate for dosing and keep it in a gallon jug too which can be easier than remembering to make new salt water concentrate each pwc time. Salt does not evaporate so remember not to use it for just refilling evaporated water, only for equal amounts removed for a pwc.

You could even start with a lower amount, say 1/4 tsp per G, just to see if it seems to help. She might just need an antibiotic treatment if no other fish are sick.

 

[Misha]

Molly

Thank you so much! I was thinking of putting the Molly and her half-grown offspring in the big tank and see what happens, I've been waiting for the fry molly to be more adult-size first. No, there aren't any sick fish, the water is great, this is why I can't figure out her illness. Perhaps moving her from her tank to sick tank, to baths is stressing her. I'm still so new at this! But I'm still concerned about the shrimp and the otocinclus in salt. Will the small amounts harm them? Opinons on the internet vary about it, making it somewhat confusing. Thanks again.

 

[Autumnsky]

Do you have hard or soft water? Do you know the parameters? Ph, KH/GH, TDS?

 

[Misha]

Oh wow, now we're going into territory that I have not learnt yet! My nitrite, nitrate and ammonia are always at 0. My PH is high in all the tanks. I've added peat moss to the filter to lower it, and I have spider wood.I took the carbon out because I read somewhere on a forum that plants do better without it.

Ph, KH/GH, TDS is all new to me! I am assuming this applies for plants. I just buy hardy plants. They seem to do better in the 5 gallon, probably because the light is amazing. I've only been keeping fish for just under a year and still have much to learn. (I've had fish in the past, but didn't take it seriously,now I do, very much so!) I top off the 5 gallon with bottled water when I can, for my otocinclus, for my "fish guy" says they like soft water, but they are doing well for four months now. How does the soft/hard water apply to the Molly? She's starting to develop small patches of white on her mouth again, so I'll be giving her a salt water dip for half hour tomorrow. If that doesn't help, back in the hospital tank she goes. I'm still leary about putting salt in with the shrimp and otos.

 

[Autumnsky]

Molly likes harder water differing kinds may prefer it slightly on the harder side 7.0 -8.5 pH.

Knowing what your pH is would be a big help. Try testing out of the tap, and then let it sit 24-48 hours and test again to see.

The KH/GH will be for fish and buffering capacity of the water. It is a little like a class in Science/Chemistry. Don't expect to get it all on the first read. I am still needing to read about it to make it more clear. I'm learning!

 

[Misha]

Well I've acquainted myself a little bit with KH and GH. I've tested my tap-water and it is 7.6, both times. It did not change after 24 hrs. I also tested my two tanks, both are at 7.6. However, the five gallon, the high PH is 8.2. Now I am still not clear about High PH and PH. But the five gallon is the one I was trying to lower the PH in for the otocinclus. But they seem perfectly fine. I also learnt that soft water fish are more adaptable to hard water than hard water fish are to soft. Thanks for making me research KH and GH, I learnt more! So the molly is ok in that tank, although I still want her out and into the large tank with her half-grown fry if Gillbert will not torment them to death. I just received Quick Cure that I had ordered and am trying that out on her now in the sick tank. I have read that malachite green and formalin together work well. I was thinking of getting a KH and GH tester, but I think that is more for when I have PH issues, which I don't anymore, in six months I have managed to bring it down using peat moss in the filter. Thank you for your help. I'm just glad someone responded!!

 

[Autumnsky]

It is fun to learn, lol! Glad you have info for the future!

Malachite green and formalin can/will kill inverts, snails or shrimp so beware if you have those. Also it may cause issues in the future if you want inverts in that tank.

 

[Misha]

She's in the sick tank all alone, When I was still brand new at this (still am, but learning fast...I hope) I had issues with the big tank and fungus. I didn't realize I should be vacuuming the tank every week along with water changes. So I had put Pimafix in it. It smelt like medicine, and I hated the thought of medicating fish that didn't need it. So my small five gallon Walmart tank became the hospital tank. I also researched meds and now have a variety of different kinds for different diseases. The problem I'm having is identifying the illness. I thought a fungus is a fungus is a fungus. But not so!

So the hospital tank is an awesome thing to have. The molly looks better this morning, really wish I knew what the cause is of her recurring white patches, I can only guess it's stress. All this trouble for a little molly. Fish are fun

 

[UntimelyLord]

I also tested my two tanks, both are at 7.6. However, the five gallon, the high PH is 8.2. Now I am still not clear about High PH and PH.

Hi! "High pH" isn't different from pH, it's just how the parameter testing kits are worded-- if your pH reads 7.6 (or the highest on the "regular pH" test) then it may actually be higher than that test can handle, so then you need to use the "high pH" test, which is just a pH test that can handle higher pH. So your pH in the five gallon is actually 8.2. If this tank is filled with water from the tap, your tap water may be pH 8.2 as well. I'm not sure if you've tested your tap using the "high pH" kit but you might want to if that's something that concerns you. However, it's usually much better to not try to alter your pH and just stick with what you have, since trying to alter the pH can lead to pH swings that are actually much worse for your fish than having a steady high pH. So personally, I wouldn't worry about your pH being 8.2 as long as the fish are acclimated to it.

 

[Autumnsky]

She's in the sick tank all alone, When I was still brand new at this (still am, but learning fast...I hope) I had issues with the big tank and fungus. I didn't realize I should be vacuuming the tank every week along with water changes. So I had put Pimafix in it. It smelt like medicine, and I hated the thought of medicating fish that didn't need it. So my small five gallon Walmart tank became the hospital tank. I also researched meds and now have a variety of different kinds for different diseases. The problem I'm having is identifying the illness. I thought a fungus is a fungus is a fungus. But not so!

So the hospital tank is an awesome thing to have. The molly looks better this morning, really wish I knew what the cause is of her recurring white patches, I can only guess it's stress. All this trouble for a little molly. Fish are fun

Very fun, lol!

Does you medicine talk about gram negative or gram positive treatment efficacy?

 

[Misha]

Oh wow! Thank you for clarifying that for me, It did have me confused. And I will test the tap water using the High PH. And ok, so then I'll stop trying to lower the PH in the five gallon. I had problems keeping the little otocinclus alive when first I bought them and my fish guy told me they prefer a lower PH, however, I also soon discovered that if I bought them from my fish guy verses Pet Smart, and picked the largest ones, they lived, but I still tried to lower the ph using peat moss in the filter. It doesn't seem to be working... and I have read to stay away from the PH chemicals, because like you said it will just fluctuate constantly. The otos are doing well in that high PH and at least I know it's not the PH level that's affecting my molly., Your response was much appreciated. Thanks!