Strange Behavior

[Dxbeast8508]

I am fairly new to keeping mollies. I have had my tank a little over 4 months now and everything seemed to be doing okay. The other day an acquaintance of a friend was giving away some java fern and moss and my friend asked me if she could could me any. Of course I said yes, I wouldn't pass up the chance for some free lie plants that otherwise cost me an arm and a leg in the store. She said she had a pretty established tank and I felt comfortable with getting these plants. It has been about 4 days since i did my water change and added these plants. I tested my water today and it tested perfect. Some of my bigger mollies have rapid heavy breathing and are floating backwards like doing a back flip and then come back and swim like normal. Also I have noticed one of them scratching themselves on the gravel, plants and decorations. What could be happening here? Did I get infected plants? My smaller tank got some of the plants as well and my tetra seem fine. What can I do to see what the problem is or what can i do to help? I have two filters running and my water tests were perfect and my temp is just right. I am worried I made a huge mistake adding those plants.

I also rinsed them before I added them...

 

[Dxbeast8508]

Update, I think it might be ich. There are some tiny white dots on fins and body of a few fish. Is there any other illnesses that could mimic ich? What should I treat with; I have live plants.

 

[LyndaB]

I don't believe plants can host ich. I've never heard of it, but that doesn't mean it isn't a possibility.

Raise the temp slowly to 86.

Add an airstone if you don't already have one.

Do gravel vacs every 2-3 days.

Do this until 1 week after last spot is visible on fish.

 

[Dxbeast8508]

I don't believe plants can host ich. I've never heard of it, but that doesn't mean it isn't a possibility.

Raise the temp slowly to 86.

Add an airstone if you don't already have one.

Do gravel vacs every 2-3 days.

Do this until 1 week after last spot is visible on fish.

So I don't need to add any kind of medications? Just clean gravel and raise temp? These are mollies, a tetra and a pleco.

 

[LyndaB]

Always try the natural method first. It's also helpful if you've caught the ich early on.

Ich gets worse before it gets better. If you maintain the schedule above, you should end up okay.

Also, regarding meds, plecos react negatively to many ich meds. It's always best to go natural.

 

[Dxbeast8508]

Always try the natural method first. It's also helpful if you've caught the ich early on.

Ich gets worse before it gets better. If you maintain the schedule above, you should end up okay.

Also, regarding meds, plecos react negatively to many ich meds. It's always best to go natural.

Thank you, I have already started the natural method. I have been going up one degree every 8-12 hours. And I added an airstone. Will do gravel vacs as well. Thanks everyone.

 

[pocket22]

May have skin flukes, too.

 

[Dxbeast8508]

May have skin flukes, too.

I'm almost positive it's ich. Looks like salt sprinkled on them. Nothing wrong with gills or scales. They act perfectly healthy except for the salt looking dots on them.

 

[pocket22]

U said they rub against stuff too? Thats skin flukes. Keep me posted

 

[Dxbeast8508]

U said they rub against stuff too? Thats skin flukes. Keep me posted

Well that was in my mollie tank. I have a 15g with a rubber lip and tetra in the 15g. They for sure have ich and I haven't seen any flashing with them. However, there are no signs of ich in my mollie tank and one of them was flashing. I have been keeping an eye on the mollies and I don't see anything wrong with them except they keep trying to float upside down like trying to do a backflip and my water is really cloudy. I do regular water changes and monitor my water conditions. It's like all of a sudden both of my tanks crashed. I haven't had any problem with them before. Ahh!

 

[pocket22]

Dropsy and high ammonia is making the water cloudy. Water changes and ammonia remover should work