Lauren4events
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- May 31, 2017
- Messages
- 3
Can someone please help me? One of my Dalmatian molly fish is going to die if I can't figure this out. I have a 60gallon tank, with 35+ other mollies (they keep having babies and I don't know what to do with them... but that is a problem for a different day). The tank has been established, levels are all perfect for nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, ph, alkalinity, hardness. Temperature is kept at 81. I use salt, bacteria, and tap water safe when doing water water changes. I keep up on cleaning the tank with a gravel vacuum, plus water changes every few weeks, and I clean the filter once a month (not at the same time as a water change).
Anyway, one of my mollies (who has always had a strangely shaped mouth) is now unable to eat. His mouth appears to be deformed and he cannot open it to eat. He goes to the top of the tank and tries non-stop get the food, but he can't. You can tell he wants to eat. It is very sad. I have crushed the food into small pieces, like I do for the fry... but he can't seem to even eat that. The poor thing is going to starve to death and I don't know what to do. I can't find any information on mouth deformity and the inability to open it. This began yesterday or the day before. I'm didn't notice it until yesterday. But it couldn't have been longer than a day or 2 because he is one of my favorite fish and I watch him all the time. I'm hoping for yesterday. Last night, I did a 40% water change, added the usual things I alwaysdo (plus extra bacteria because of the medicine) and jungle fungal clear fizztabs. Which is just a guess. I also put in herbal microbe-lift artemiss for bacterial diseases. The guy at the fish store said it was ok to use both. Is he correct? I'mstarting to second guess what he said. He also said I couldn't remove the carbonfrom my filters because they are the ones you keep fully sumberged in water andthey will break. But I'm also starting to question that information as well. I have always had the ones that were partiallyout of water. But made a switch a couple months ago. So I don't know much about these filters. Anyway, I don't know if I did the right thing or what I should do next? Should I still be removing the carbon. I don't want to put in medicine if it's not going to work because of the carbon. Or is it ok? If not, do I reside or wait a few days like it says? I don't want the fish to suffer and starve to death. I have the lights off and the tank mostly covered, except for a small part to make sure it doesn't get too hot or and that there is enough air. I did this because a couple of the other fishwere picking on the sick one. I wanted to keep it dark. So I haven't checked to see if he was any better. The lights stay off normally for a few more hours. Can someone please give me some advice?Please be very specific. I'm desperate and I don't want to make a mistake (oranother one if I already did).
Another thing to note, it appears some of the other fish have white inside theirmouths. Which I don't know how I missed before. I'm worried they all have mouth rot and I hope I'm not too late to savethem. Would mouth rot cause deformity this severe? Any information would mean a lot to me. Thank you in advance!
Anyway, one of my mollies (who has always had a strangely shaped mouth) is now unable to eat. His mouth appears to be deformed and he cannot open it to eat. He goes to the top of the tank and tries non-stop get the food, but he can't. You can tell he wants to eat. It is very sad. I have crushed the food into small pieces, like I do for the fry... but he can't seem to even eat that. The poor thing is going to starve to death and I don't know what to do. I can't find any information on mouth deformity and the inability to open it. This began yesterday or the day before. I'm didn't notice it until yesterday. But it couldn't have been longer than a day or 2 because he is one of my favorite fish and I watch him all the time. I'm hoping for yesterday. Last night, I did a 40% water change, added the usual things I alwaysdo (plus extra bacteria because of the medicine) and jungle fungal clear fizztabs. Which is just a guess. I also put in herbal microbe-lift artemiss for bacterial diseases. The guy at the fish store said it was ok to use both. Is he correct? I'mstarting to second guess what he said. He also said I couldn't remove the carbonfrom my filters because they are the ones you keep fully sumberged in water andthey will break. But I'm also starting to question that information as well. I have always had the ones that were partiallyout of water. But made a switch a couple months ago. So I don't know much about these filters. Anyway, I don't know if I did the right thing or what I should do next? Should I still be removing the carbon. I don't want to put in medicine if it's not going to work because of the carbon. Or is it ok? If not, do I reside or wait a few days like it says? I don't want the fish to suffer and starve to death. I have the lights off and the tank mostly covered, except for a small part to make sure it doesn't get too hot or and that there is enough air. I did this because a couple of the other fishwere picking on the sick one. I wanted to keep it dark. So I haven't checked to see if he was any better. The lights stay off normally for a few more hours. Can someone please give me some advice?Please be very specific. I'm desperate and I don't want to make a mistake (oranother one if I already did).
Another thing to note, it appears some of the other fish have white inside theirmouths. Which I don't know how I missed before. I'm worried they all have mouth rot and I hope I'm not too late to savethem. Would mouth rot cause deformity this severe? Any information would mean a lot to me. Thank you in advance!
