New set up

[Vicky35]

Hi new to fish keeping had my tank cycling for a few weeks before adding 2 mollies & 5 neon tetra
Water levels were fine until a week later one of my mollies had around 30 babies
Then mum died my levels seemed to go haywire so lost both adult mollie & rehomed the fry but kept 4
My tetra are still fine. Worried one looks as though hump on her belly too. my ammonia level have come down but still showing nitrate so bought nico gloop as adviced pet shop. I’ve just put this in this morning hopefully helps do you advice of when to do water change and clean would be great

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello Vicky. Small tanks under 30 gallons need half the tank water removed and replaced a couple of times weekly. Tanks 30 gallons and larger need half the water changed weekly. If you're not doing this your fish can get sick.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[Essjay]

still showing nitrate

Do you mean nitrite or nitrate? Nitrite is the killer.

How did you cycle the tank before getting fish? Just want to check you had grown enough bacteria before getting fish. Then we can look for other reasons.
Your location - Fife as in Scotland? The majority of Scotland has soft to very soft water. Mollies need very hard water to thrive, so can I suggest then when your mollies eventually pass to stick with soft water fish like your tetras.


Ignore everything a fish shop worker says. The vast majority know nothing and are trained only in how to make a sale. The chances are the gloop they sold you won't do anything, I'm afraid. As 10 Tanks said, water changes are the best way to deal with ammonia and/or nitrite - a water change should be done whenever they read above zero.

 

[Vicky35]

Hello Vicky. Small tanks under 30 gallons need half the tank water removed and replaced a couple of times weekly. Tanks 30 gallons and larger need half the water changed weekly. If you're not doing this your fish can get sick.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[Vicky35]

Hi thanks for your reply my tank in 57 litre roughly 12.5 gallon I have done 50% water change Saturday just past. but to confirm when levels are ok should it not be 20/30% change once weekly ?just due to size of my tank ? pet shops tell you all different things

Only had about 5 weeks was cycled for 2 half weeks before adding fish actually think we may have took too much water out on first clean of tank which may not have helped the condition. Along with unsuspected fry .

Girl in pet shop that advised on getting level back to normal quicker for my current fish along with water changes weekly advised me to order nitrico from different supplier she has been long time fish keeper so I always ask for her now lol. Last sample I took ammonia levels were ok was nitrite still problem . Hence the gloop .

My partner checked our tap water too and was ok .
Also hoping my 4 baby mollies make it ok as this was so unsuspected for fist time can you request all male fish or female when purchasing ?

Sorry too many questions
I did research first but lot to learn along the way

 

[Essjay]

For fish like mollies, yes you can request all male or all female, but make sure you know how to tell the difference as many shop workers don't know, and check the fish in the bag before paying.
All males is the way to go for no babies. Females store sperm if they've been with a male and they can use that sperm to fertilise their eggs in a female-only tank, so lots more fry.

 

[Vicky35]

For fish like mollies, yes you can request all male or all female, but make sure you know how to tell the difference as many shop workers don't know, and check the fish in the bag before paying.
All males is the way to go for no babies. Females store sperm if they've been with a male and they can use that sperm to fertilise their eggs in a female-only tank, so lots more fry.

Thank you done water test says nitrite 0.5 and nitrate would say 25 my nitrico gloop was added this morning should I do a 50% water change just now or would you suggest just leave it a few days ?

 

[vince82]

can you request all male fish or female when purchasing ?

Yes, for livebearers in particular (which mollies are) it's very easy to tell them apart and all fish stores would do that for you. Not sure about general pet stores like petsmart.

On water change, worry about ammonia and nitrites, keep them lower with water changes as other people said, but unless you have a reason for doing a water change, it's not always necessary to do it on a schedule.
I would stick to a schedule only if you don't have a lot of plants.. but if you do have plants, you can totally change less often.

 

[Essjay]

The chances are the gloop will do nothing so I would do a water change now to get that nitrite level down to zero. There are only two products known to contain the correct species of nitrite eaters, and the use of these bacteria is copyrighted. The two are Tetra Safe Start and Dr Tim's One & Only.

Nitrate should be kept below 20 ppm. This is difficult when tap water nitrate is over 20 ppm, but when it is under 20 ppm, the tank level can be kept low by weekly 50% or more water changes once ammonia and nitrite stay at zero. Live plants also help keep nitrate low. Fish excrete ammonia and bacteria turn this ammonia into nitrite then nitrate. When there are live plants, these use ammonia as fertiliser and don't turn it into nitrite so there's nothing to turn into nitrate.




I would forget about buying more mollies - or platies, guppies or endlers. I have looked on Scottish Water's website and all Fife has very soft water so hard water fish like those will suffer. There is so much choice for soft water fish, and I would look at those instead.

 

[Vicky35]

Yes, for livebearers in particular (which mollies are) it's very easy to tell them apart and all fish stores would do that for you. Not sure about general pet stores like petsmart.

On water change, worry about ammonia and nitrites, keep them lower with water changes as other people said, but unless you have a reason for doing a water change, it's not always necessary to do it on a schedule.
I would stick to a schedule only if you don't have a lot of plants.. but if you do have plants, you can totally change less

Yes, for livebearers in particular (which mollies are) it's very easy to tell them apart and all fish stores would do that for you. Not sure about general pet stores like petsmart.

On water change, worry about ammonia and nitrites, keep them lower with water changes as other people said, but unless you have a reason for doing a water change, it's not always necessary to do it on a schedule.
I would stick to a schedule only if you don't have a lot of plants.. but if you do have plants, you can totally change less often.

Thanks for the information found better place to purchase fishes (proper aquarium)seem much more helpful & experienced . I do have a few plants
Hopefully it’s getting back to safer levels now check again tomorrow
Thanks everyone