Bad Stock?

[inarnia]

A week ago I had a "salt and pepper" molly die. The fish was initially lethargic, then began lying on the bottom, then had difficulty staying upright, and then ceased to move and died. No external signs of illness anywhere, tank values fine (all I can say for certain is ammonia 0 ppm as I have not bought the master kit I want yet, but my LFS tested nitrites and pH and said both were "fine"), tank not overstocked and feeding (I think) fine.

Tonight it seems the other "salt and pepper" molly is going the same way. They were both from the same tank in the LFS (bought approx 2 months ago) and are the only two fish I bought from that tank. Could it be possible there is something 'wrong' with them, or is it something I've done?

 

[soybean]

How long has your tank been set up?

Did you cycle it?

How often do you do gravel vacs and waterchanges, and how much do you change?

When you get readings done at a shop, get them to write the exact readings down, 'fine' to them might not really be 'fine'.

 

[inarnia]

Hi,

I cycled by floating food flakes in the tank for three weeks (with no fish in) but I have been told by others that this might not have been sufficient. But it has been with fish in for over a month now and ammonia has stayed at 0 so I thought it was quite stable...

I gently squeeze the filter media in tank water twice a week and I change 20% water once a week and hoover the gravel a bit.

 

[SamWiseOG]

Hi, ive neve kept mollies but I have heard they require some salt to thrive...not sure if it would kill them to not hsve salt in their water but just a possibility.

 

[dh058977]

Hi, ive neve kept mollies but I have heard they require some salt to thrive...not sure if it would kill them to not hsve salt in their water but just a possibility.

Mollys do just fine in freshwater as well as brackish.

 

[soybean]

You need to get a nitrite and nitrate reading - an accurate one from a drop kit, not strip.

No need to be rinsing your sponges twice a week! Leave them until they're getting a bit clogged up - I think I do mine about every other month max!

In the meantime be doing some much larger waterchanges and see if that perks them up.