Racergirl
Aquarium Advice Newbie
I need some help! I've stalked this forum for months learning every bit of anything I know about my tank and my fish! But I'm afraid I'm stumped:
I have a 35 gallon hexagon, external sunsun filter (I think it's for 100 Gal tank), I have bio balls, and stones, and lots of filter padding in the filter. Also it has a UV light which I keep on a few days a week. I have it ariated well with a large round stone, and a clam that releases air. I do use aquarium salt at about half the suggested rate on the bag.
The tank was established in January. By the end of February, my water readings were perfect (PH 7.0-7.2, Amonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0). I would do 25% water changes every few weeks. Haven't lost a fish in months, and I have the same crowd:1 placo, 3 bleeding hearts, 2 long skirts, 3 cardinal, 2 gouramis, 2 blood fin, 2 male mollies (1 sick now), 2 female mollies (1 now deceased), and 3 male guppies.
Food I use: TetraMin crips, flakes and bloodworms, with the ocassional algae tab for the dinosaur (the placo).
Now onto the turn of events:
I went out of town, and made the mistake of thinking (kicking myself now) that if I just give a little extra food they'd be fine for two days.
When I returned the bottom of the tank was covered in placo poo. He clearly gorged. Everyone else seemed fine, and my felmale molly looked huge (was she pregnant!?).
Day two after my return, I whip out the gravel cleaner to get rid of the crime scene from the dinosaur. By the time I realized the food that had tucked in all over the place (and turned into balls of fuzz), I'd pulled out around 50% of the water. That's when I spoted a baby fish! Halt! Go into save mode, I pulled out 6 babies, and felt terrible that my poor molly was being tortured while trying to have babies! I fill the tank with treated water (Prime), I let it sit for about 5 minutes with a water jet in it to mix in a bucket. Re-filled the tank. I cleaned external filter, being careful to only use safe de-chlorinated water.
Now for weeks My black male mollie has been racing around the tank and then for a bit resting on the bottom. He's looked fine, didnt'think much of it. Well, now that the tank has my focus, he's actually spending a lot of time on the bottom and looks to be struggling.
Day 2 after return, 6 baby fry are doing well, all other fish look good. Momma mollie looking good. Black male mollie looking much worse. Water all looks good (PH 7.0, A-0, Nitrite-0, Nitrate -5.0).
Day 3 find momma mollie dead, floating next to the breeding tank. Heart breaks. Start researching more.... Take another look at black male mollie....he has officially pineconed. Seperate him into a dish living in the tank, added air filter, and additional salt to his little sanctuary.
Day4 Black molly seems to like his little world. He sits on the bottom of the bowl he's in, eats in the morning, and chills. Seems to be becoming more active. All other fish seem fine. Check water: PH 7.2, A-0, Nitrite -0, Nitrate 40). Yikes. I take some water out, do a 25% water change. Continuing tending to the babies and the black mollie.
Day 6 - Mollie continues to seem oddly content. Doesn't seem stressed, and is breathing okay. Still sitting on the bottom of his bowl and still looking like a pinecone. All other fish look well. Test water: PH7.2, A-0, Nitrite -0, Nitrate 160!!!! Re-do test, I've rarely registered Nitrates ever, and now it's off the chart? Results are the same! I do a 30% water change.
Some other things to note, I've been using a baster to take water out of the Hospital tank within the main tank that I've made, so he's getting fresh water several times a day (I dispose of the water, but give him water from the main tank). And I'm keeping his salt levels high, because either it's keeping him stunned, or it's actually keeping him happy (I know every one is on a different take as far as salt goes).
1~What type of fish is afflicted? Mail Sailfin Mollie, no visible signs of illness. He would race around the tank and then rest on bottom. Time resting became more and more.
2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)? see long story above.
3~ How large is the tank? How long has the tank been set up? see above
4~What type of filtration are you using? sunsun 4 stage canister filter w/uv
5~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are their current sizes? size wise, they are all much bigger than when I got them (The Placo is at least 7 inches now from his 2 when I got him). Fish were all purchased in January-february.
6~When is the last time you did a water change and vacuum the gravel? How often do you do this? How much water do you remove at a time? I do gravel cleaning once a month. see above for last cleaning. I ususally do about a 30% water change when cleaning.
7~How long have you had the fish? If the fish is new, how did you acclimate it/them? They are all at least 5 months old.
8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.? No, nothing new.
9~What kind of food have you been feeding your fish, have you changed their diet recently? Nothing new, see above.
It's important to note, I've never had a spike in any water levels after a tank clean. I don't understand this, and I'm not sure at all what to do. Help!
I have a 35 gallon hexagon, external sunsun filter (I think it's for 100 Gal tank), I have bio balls, and stones, and lots of filter padding in the filter. Also it has a UV light which I keep on a few days a week. I have it ariated well with a large round stone, and a clam that releases air. I do use aquarium salt at about half the suggested rate on the bag.
The tank was established in January. By the end of February, my water readings were perfect (PH 7.0-7.2, Amonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0). I would do 25% water changes every few weeks. Haven't lost a fish in months, and I have the same crowd:1 placo, 3 bleeding hearts, 2 long skirts, 3 cardinal, 2 gouramis, 2 blood fin, 2 male mollies (1 sick now), 2 female mollies (1 now deceased), and 3 male guppies.
Food I use: TetraMin crips, flakes and bloodworms, with the ocassional algae tab for the dinosaur (the placo).
Now onto the turn of events:
I went out of town, and made the mistake of thinking (kicking myself now) that if I just give a little extra food they'd be fine for two days.
When I returned the bottom of the tank was covered in placo poo. He clearly gorged. Everyone else seemed fine, and my felmale molly looked huge (was she pregnant!?).
Day two after my return, I whip out the gravel cleaner to get rid of the crime scene from the dinosaur. By the time I realized the food that had tucked in all over the place (and turned into balls of fuzz), I'd pulled out around 50% of the water. That's when I spoted a baby fish! Halt! Go into save mode, I pulled out 6 babies, and felt terrible that my poor molly was being tortured while trying to have babies! I fill the tank with treated water (Prime), I let it sit for about 5 minutes with a water jet in it to mix in a bucket. Re-filled the tank. I cleaned external filter, being careful to only use safe de-chlorinated water.
Now for weeks My black male mollie has been racing around the tank and then for a bit resting on the bottom. He's looked fine, didnt'think much of it. Well, now that the tank has my focus, he's actually spending a lot of time on the bottom and looks to be struggling.
Day 2 after return, 6 baby fry are doing well, all other fish look good. Momma mollie looking good. Black male mollie looking much worse. Water all looks good (PH 7.0, A-0, Nitrite-0, Nitrate -5.0).
Day 3 find momma mollie dead, floating next to the breeding tank. Heart breaks. Start researching more.... Take another look at black male mollie....he has officially pineconed. Seperate him into a dish living in the tank, added air filter, and additional salt to his little sanctuary.
Day4 Black molly seems to like his little world. He sits on the bottom of the bowl he's in, eats in the morning, and chills. Seems to be becoming more active. All other fish seem fine. Check water: PH 7.2, A-0, Nitrite -0, Nitrate 40). Yikes. I take some water out, do a 25% water change. Continuing tending to the babies and the black mollie.
Day 6 - Mollie continues to seem oddly content. Doesn't seem stressed, and is breathing okay. Still sitting on the bottom of his bowl and still looking like a pinecone. All other fish look well. Test water: PH7.2, A-0, Nitrite -0, Nitrate 160!!!! Re-do test, I've rarely registered Nitrates ever, and now it's off the chart? Results are the same! I do a 30% water change.
Some other things to note, I've been using a baster to take water out of the Hospital tank within the main tank that I've made, so he's getting fresh water several times a day (I dispose of the water, but give him water from the main tank). And I'm keeping his salt levels high, because either it's keeping him stunned, or it's actually keeping him happy (I know every one is on a different take as far as salt goes).
1~What type of fish is afflicted? Mail Sailfin Mollie, no visible signs of illness. He would race around the tank and then rest on bottom. Time resting became more and more.
2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)? see long story above.
3~ How large is the tank? How long has the tank been set up? see above
4~What type of filtration are you using? sunsun 4 stage canister filter w/uv
5~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are their current sizes? size wise, they are all much bigger than when I got them (The Placo is at least 7 inches now from his 2 when I got him). Fish were all purchased in January-february.
6~When is the last time you did a water change and vacuum the gravel? How often do you do this? How much water do you remove at a time? I do gravel cleaning once a month. see above for last cleaning. I ususally do about a 30% water change when cleaning.
7~How long have you had the fish? If the fish is new, how did you acclimate it/them? They are all at least 5 months old.
8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.? No, nothing new.
9~What kind of food have you been feeding your fish, have you changed their diet recently? Nothing new, see above.
It's important to note, I've never had a spike in any water levels after a tank clean. I don't understand this, and I'm not sure at all what to do. Help!
