strange deaths last thew months

[ad_smith]

i have lost 7 mollies and the last 4 months to unknown reasons

first their tail fin stops wroking
then they lay around on the bottom
then they stop eating
they they get really thin
then they actual as if they are better as i go to bed
then the next morning they are dead with really red gills

the whole process takes about 2 days

i tried upping the oxygen power
did a water change
fed them brine shrimp but this only prolonged the inevitable

does anyone know what is going on?

cheers

Adam

 

[sylvia]

You need to list water parameters and tell us what size tank this is, the other inhabitants and whether it is cycled (read the link in my signature).

 

[WILDER]

Yes please post test results in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph, red gills can be an indication of high nitrites.

 

[ad_smith]

hi

sorry for the late reply but ive been out tonight (gotta love been 18 )

the parameters i dont know coz i can't afford the test kits ( bit tight i know ) )

its a 6.5 gal with 3 mollies and a few guppies

its prefectly filtered ( water is crystal clear)

its been cycled about 6 months

hope this info helps altho without parameters it proably won't... i have done 2 water changes of about 20% in the last 2 days

 

[WILDER]

How often to you maintain your tank, do you do a gravel vac and change the water, as it sounds like poor water quality, i would take a sample of your tank water to the lfs to be tested, and tell them to write the results down, you will have to buy test kits in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph, as this tells you if you are doing enough maintanance on your tank, also what colour is their poo when they go to the toilet.

 

[ad_smith]

hi,

yeah i might purchase some test kits this weekend as it was my birthday yesterday so i got a bit of money

i dont gravel vac but i do stir up the gravel once a week to get all the crap up and get filtered out (this might not be i good idea, i dunno )

there poo differes from light brown to dark brown

 

[WILDER]

If the poo had been long white and stingy it could of been an indication of internal parasites.
your problems look like they are from poor water quality, as you are meant to vac the gravel once a week, and 10% or more on a water change depending on your tank size, if you haven't got a gravel vac for now stir the gravel up and remove the waste with a net, and do a water change, but a would recommend you buy test kits and a gravel vac as soon as possible.

 

[ad_smith]

righto

cheers for that

thank god there not big expensive fish... i found the bigger the fish the harder it is to see them die

 

[WILDER]

Good luck,water quality is the key to keeping fish healthy and alive.