Black Molly laying on bottom of tank

[WILDER]

What are your nitrates in your tap water, still need to fetch your nitrates down.

 

[bearfreeman]

Hi Wilder,

Tap water NitrAte is reading 50. Is this too high? If so what do I do to bring it down? Am I right in thinking live plants [rather than the plastic ones I have] will reduce the NitrAte?

Black Molly a little more animated today - swimming higher in the tank but still mostly resting on the bottom. Just noticed one of the Red Plattys has a stump of a tail rather than a fan like tail. It's swimming about okay, but could this be fin rot? If so what's the best way forward?

Thanks very much for your much valued input.

Bear.

 

[bearfreeman]

Just saw one of the smaller minnows nipping the stumpy tail of the Red Platty, which seems to have its left side fin partly missing too.....

 

[WILDER]

If you have no scaless fish add some salt to the tank, and you will need anti internal bacteria med, 50 nitrates is not bad if you can't fetch it down any lower, live plants would help to fetch nitrates down, good luck.

 

[bearfreeman]

Black Molly swimming higher in tank today, time to add another dose of swim bladder stuff - BUT white fungus has appeared on Molly

 

[WILDER]

That's a second infection i'm afraid the odd are even lower once this happens, as it's hard to cure them with a second infection just carry on with the treatemnt, and do a salt bath for the fungus, good luck.

 

[bearfreeman]

I am in the process of setting up a hospital tank for the sick Molly. Snag is; apparently the swim bladder stuff needs salt in water, but the fungus infection stuff doesn't go in salt water. Just added some more salt to make up for recent water changes.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[WILDER]

You could just give her salt baths instead of adding it to the tank.

 

[bearfreeman]

How long do I leave the Molly in a salt bath?

 

[WILDER]

Usually half an hour, but I would start with 5 minutes first to see how she goes, if she start acting weird and rolling take her out.

 

[bearfreeman]

As there's salt in the tank already, we're giving the Molly a 'fungus infection' bath instead. Not so good today, lying motionless on the bottom.

 

[WILDER]

Sorry to hear that once a second infection kicks in it's harder to get them better again.

 

[bearfreeman]

Just checked and Black Molly has gone to fishy heaven..... Such a shame - just when the swim bladder problem was getting better the fungus appeared.

 

[WILDER]

Sorry, a least you tryed very hard to save the fish, sorry for your loss.

 

[bearfreeman]

Yup. Thanks very much for your [and others] advice. I guess if it happens again, we'll have all the various medications in, rather than having to wait until the following day to get them, and allowing the problems to get more of a hold.

Cheers,

Bear.