Mollies

[Brendanpat]

These are my fish and water tests . sorry about the pictures they don't stay still for long . Could I have help in identifying them all and advice about water readings please ?

 

[Essjay]

Your ancistrus aren't ancistrus, they're otocinclus. Yes they do stay small but they are shoaling fish so 2 isn't really enough. They are also soft water fish like cories.


I am puzzled by your GH and KH readings. Why do they almost double after a water change?

But even at the higher of your two reported levels, you water is soft. Mollies need a GH of over 250 ppm, and while swordtails and endlers don't need it quite as hard as mollies, they still need over 200 ppm.
Because of both your soft water and the potential size of swordtails and mollies, it would be better to rehome these fish. Endlers are the right size for the tank but they do need harder water.

But even at 120 ppm, there are several species which would be suitable for your tank.

 

[Brendanpat]

Your ancistrus aren't ancistrus, they're otocinclus. Yes they do stay small but they are shoaling fish so 2 isn't really enough. They are also soft water fish like cories.


I am puzzled by your GH and KH readings. Why do they almost double after a water change?

But even at the higher of your two reported levels, you water is soft. Mollies need a GH of over 250 ppm, and while swordtails and endlers don't need it quite as hard as mollies, they still need over 200 ppm.
Because of both your soft water and the potential size of swordtails and mollies, it would be better to rehome these fish. Endlers are the right size for the tank but they do need harder water.

But even at 120 ppm, there are several species which would be suitable for your tank.

I'm not sure it's hard to get an accurate reading with the tests strips I have . Would it soften over time when I havnt been changing enough of it weekly ?I have the white mollie and a gubby and the swordtail and the gold and black Mollie is it ? from I first set up 4 months or so ago and they are doing really well in that water ?

 

[Essjay]

GH usually stays constant in a tank unless you are doing something to alter it. For example having a limestone rock or a shell can increase GH as they are made of calcium carbonate. But to lower GH you usually have to mix tap water with pure water.

Fish can live in the 'wrong' water for months before problems begin. For example, mollies often develop a condition called the shimmies, which looks as though the fish is swimming on the spot.
Hard water fish have evolved to excrete most of the hardness minerals that get into their bodies from the water. In soft water, they still continue excreting these minerals, but there's not enough in the water to replace them so they start to suffer from calcium depletion. It takes a while before this depletion starts to affect the fish.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Yes, please do get sinking pellets for the cories and algae wafers for the otocinclus. Ottos will eat a lot of algae from around the tank, but they need algae wafers offered a couple of times a week too, and blanched veg like courgette or broccoli as a treat now and then. Too many people get otos expecting them to live on tank algae, the otos only eat certain kinds of algae, and they end up starving to death. They're lovely little fish when kept in a group of 5-6, and fed properly.

 

[Brendanpat]

GH usually stays constant in a tank unless you are doing something to alter it. For example having a limestone rock or a shell can increase GH as they are made of calcium carbonate. But to lower GH you usually have to mix tap water with pure water.

Fish can live in the 'wrong' water for months before problems begin. For example, mollies often develop a condition called the shimmies, which looks as though the fish is swimming on the spot.
Hard water fish have evolved to excrete most of the hardness minerals that get into their bodies from the water. In soft water, they still continue excreting these minerals, but there's not enough in the water to replace them so they start to suffer from calcium depletion. It takes a while before this depletion starts to affect the fish.

Which species would be best suited to softer water ?

 

[Brendanpat]

Yes, please do get sinking pellets for the cories and algae wafers for the otocinclus. Ottos will eat a lot of algae from around the tank, but they need algae wafers offered a couple of times a week too, and blanched veg like courgette or broccoli as a treat now and then. Too many people get otos expecting them to live on tank algae, the otos only eat certain kinds of algae, and they end up starving to death. They're lovely little fish when kept in a group of 5-6, and fed properly.

Thank you

 

[Brendanpat]

Thank you

I dropped some pellets in when I was feeding the others flakes . The Cory's didnt see them . Will they find them eventually?

 

[utahfish]

Thanks for the advice . I have 3 guppies 2 ancistrus and 1 endlers livebearer. That's 6 tiny fish . 1 swordtail 2 Cory's and 3 mollies . Surely my tank can support these ?

A 15 tank is too small for 2 bristlenose plecos. Plecos are territorial and also very messy dirty fish, they eat alot and poop alot, they get around 6 inches full grown which those two fish alone put you close to your stocking limit, not to mention they are bottom fish that will have a difficult time finding room with the corydora that are also bottom fish.
Id re home 1 of the bristlenose pleco if not both. Your water changing schedule will thank you.
One always wants to plan ones stocking levels around the max size of the fish not the size when purchased. If one just goes by the basic 1 inch per gallon rule your tank is way over stocked. When tanks are over atocked not only are nitrates higher and possibly ammonia but available oxygen for fish is in ahort supply, fish that lack oxygen just like people dont fare so well.
I imagine your low available oxygen levels in your tank are as just as much a culprit of your fish poor health as is the high nitrates and ammonia.
Figure out appropriate stocking levels and youll have healthier fish. The alternative is to do daily large water changes.

 

[Brendanpat]

A 15 tank is too small for 2 bristlenose plecos. Plecos are territorial and also very messy dirty fish, they eat alot and poop alot, they get around 6 inches full grown which those two fish alone put you close to your stocking limit, not to mention they are bottom fish that will have a difficult time finding room with the corydora that are also bottom fish.
Id re home 1 of the bristlenose pleco if not both. Your water changing schedule will thank you.
One always wants to plan ones stocking levels around the max size of the fish not the size when purchased. If one just goes by the basic 1 inch per gallon rule your tank is way over stocked. When tanks are over atocked not only are nitrates higher and possibly ammonia but available oxygen for fish is in ahort supply, fish that lack oxygen just like people dont fare so well.
I imagine your low available oxygen levels in your tank are as just as much a culprit of your fish poor health as is the high nitrates and ammonia.
Figure out appropriate stocking levels and youll have healthier fish. The alternative is to do daily large water changes.

Discovered they are not bristle noses but Otocinclus. Which stay small so that is a plus ?

 

[utahfish]

Discovered they are not bristle noses but Otocinclus. Which stay small so that is a plus ?

Yup ottos are great. Ive never had much luck with them but they are great little algae eaters.