DIYFishkeeperJay
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- Jul 9, 2017
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Hi, I purchased a molly 3 weeks ago and he is experiencing weird behaviour that I don't know what it is. I placed him in a 120 gallon cycled tank along with other species. Whenever I saw him acting strange a few days ago, I transfered him to a quarantine tank. He is the only one in the tank having this issue. I had 2 female platies whom have died like this (most recent death is about 3 weeks ago and the other one died a month after the tank was first setup but she had a few fry).
Here's a brief history of my fishkeeping process in case it might help:
The first tank was setup in mid-febuary (10 gallon tank with 3 platies) this year and it had a chance to fully cycle before I upgraded to a 120 gallon. I used all the cycled media and water from the 10 gallon to jumpstart the cycling process in the 120 gallon which allowed me to add the 2 remaining platy, 4 fry and 1 albino catfish immediatly to the new tank in which they were very happy and pleased with the new setup. Over the course of a few weeks I started to stock the tank with new fish. I added a blue coral platy one day, a golden platy the next day. I also added 2 more albino cory cat to make a school. I also added a new red platy which resemble the same platy in which I had before whom have died of giving birth. A week after that I noticed my female sunburst platy had an odd behaviour, swimming diagonaly across the top of the tank. I put her in quarantine, tried to treat her for bladder disease added a pinch of salt and fed her with a pea that she didnt eat. 2 days later she died in the quarantine tank. A few days have gone by and no other fish were experiencing any odd behaviour. So I decided it was okay to start puting a bit more fish in the tank.
Thats when I got curious with mollies. I read that they can cross-breed with platies so I decided I'll give it a try and I purchased a male silver molly; He was zooming around the tank when I first got him then he gradually calmed down and intergraded with the platy nicely. The platies fry (which are about 3 months old now) actually liked to follow the molly around the tank. Until a week ago he would just stay at the top of the tank and look at its own reflection in the glass and then he diseapered. I didnt think much about it, just thought he was hiding in with the decoration, in a cave or something.
Yesterday I finally found him and that's when I saw that he didn't look "normal". So I setup a quarantine tank for him using the old 10g and filling half of it with the 120g water and the other half with new water. I gave her lifeguard all-in-1 treatment and a pea. He is only swimming diagonaly at the bottom of the tank and curving his body to turn. Its like if he forgot how to swim.
Here are some parameters for both tanks
pH: between 7.8-8.0
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: about 3ppm idk look in picture
tank temp: 79.5 in 120g and 79 in 10g
Volume and Frequency of water changes: 120g 3 times a week 15% and 10g I just set it up so didn't do one yet, maybe I should
Any reason for why this might happen? I just want happy fish and not have to worry about any diseases
Any help would be much appreciated because this will be the third fish going down this route and I really wish I could save her in quarantine.
*Sorry I cant post pictures, file is too large??
** Sorry if that was a long post, I just wanted you to know the full story.
Here's a brief history of my fishkeeping process in case it might help:
The first tank was setup in mid-febuary (10 gallon tank with 3 platies) this year and it had a chance to fully cycle before I upgraded to a 120 gallon. I used all the cycled media and water from the 10 gallon to jumpstart the cycling process in the 120 gallon which allowed me to add the 2 remaining platy, 4 fry and 1 albino catfish immediatly to the new tank in which they were very happy and pleased with the new setup. Over the course of a few weeks I started to stock the tank with new fish. I added a blue coral platy one day, a golden platy the next day. I also added 2 more albino cory cat to make a school. I also added a new red platy which resemble the same platy in which I had before whom have died of giving birth. A week after that I noticed my female sunburst platy had an odd behaviour, swimming diagonaly across the top of the tank. I put her in quarantine, tried to treat her for bladder disease added a pinch of salt and fed her with a pea that she didnt eat. 2 days later she died in the quarantine tank. A few days have gone by and no other fish were experiencing any odd behaviour. So I decided it was okay to start puting a bit more fish in the tank.
Thats when I got curious with mollies. I read that they can cross-breed with platies so I decided I'll give it a try and I purchased a male silver molly; He was zooming around the tank when I first got him then he gradually calmed down and intergraded with the platy nicely. The platies fry (which are about 3 months old now) actually liked to follow the molly around the tank. Until a week ago he would just stay at the top of the tank and look at its own reflection in the glass and then he diseapered. I didnt think much about it, just thought he was hiding in with the decoration, in a cave or something.
Yesterday I finally found him and that's when I saw that he didn't look "normal". So I setup a quarantine tank for him using the old 10g and filling half of it with the 120g water and the other half with new water. I gave her lifeguard all-in-1 treatment and a pea. He is only swimming diagonaly at the bottom of the tank and curving his body to turn. Its like if he forgot how to swim.
Here are some parameters for both tanks
pH: between 7.8-8.0
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: about 3ppm idk look in picture
tank temp: 79.5 in 120g and 79 in 10g
Volume and Frequency of water changes: 120g 3 times a week 15% and 10g I just set it up so didn't do one yet, maybe I should
Any reason for why this might happen? I just want happy fish and not have to worry about any diseases
Any help would be much appreciated because this will be the third fish going down this route and I really wish I could save her in quarantine.
*Sorry I cant post pictures, file is too large??
** Sorry if that was a long post, I just wanted you to know the full story.
