unusual behaviour

[Galaxy]

Rather than the long reply by my learned friend above my advice would be simple. Try increasing the salt content of your water slightly. I have ten mollies and on two seaprate occasions two different black female mollies started acting strangely. Each time the fish started staying close to the bottom and not really swimming round with the others. staying in the one corner of the tank for hours on end. At feeding time she would only slowly respond and take only a little flake as it sank.

Both times this happened I did a partial water change increasing the amount of salt in the new water. Within a few hours I noticed the fish perking up. I know that this will be more difficult for you to control as you have other community fish besides mollies who may not like the salt. Maybe you should remove several of the mollies together into a more brackish tank for a few days. Salt can help cleanse the fish of a lingering illness which otherwise would be difficult to treat or even diagnose. If the fish perks up you could try returning them to the main tank.

I guess this turned into quite a lengthy reply after all. Oops!

 

[skimpy]

Fishdudein and Galaxy, Thank you both for your replies. (Fishdudein I'm sorry too, my reply was very emotion based, born from my own frustration with Trish and I do realise you were trying to help. You were not harsh, it was just the way I was feeling at the time.)

I do hear what you are both saying, but I can't seem to find out the information about wether I can use salt in my tank because I have a bristlenose, I am sure I read somewhere that salt would burn his skin.

Unfortunately I do not have a spare tank that I can use for a brackish set up so i am at my wits end as to know what to do. As much as I do not want Trish to be unhappy, or die, I do not want to do anything that will upset any of the other fish

Fish are all listed in my signature. Who can and who can't take salt.

Please help.

 

[clutterydrawer]

I have considered using salt but come back to the advice given originally. Therefore I am in the process of looking into it further. I also have a bristle nose and Oto and I believe (but not too sure yet) that they would not like the salt.

They would absolutely hate it. They are both types of plec and are very intolerant to salt. HTH.

 

[skimpy]

Thank you for your reply clutterydrawer it's what I thought.

So I'm between a rock and a hard place, can't use salt because of plec's and molly might do better with salt

 

[clutterydrawer]

is there no chance you could get another (smallish) tank for the mollies?

 

[skimpy]

Three problems with that:
1. cost (at present no money spare - well overspent)
2. space (don't have any)
3. The big problem, my partner (he'd go mad). It took weeks and weeks for me to pressure him into agreeing to get the baby tank that I got

 

[skimpy]

Just got home from work, and Trish has died. I am so upset, she is the first fish that I've lost. I know i've lost others that did not travel well and died within hours of bringing home from the lfs, but Trish is the first fish I've kept, got to know and now lost.

I do feel guilty, if only i was in the position to be able to get another tank, perhaps then I could have saved her.

I will have to keep a close eye on my other Molly's, i do hope that she died because something was wrong with her and not because of the lack of salt.

Thanks everyone who tried to help - i really do appreciate the advice you have all given.

 

[clutterydrawer]

oh no I wish you the best of luck with the others

 

[Galaxy]

Sorry for your loss Skimpy. I have read that mollies are a hardy fish generally and are happy with very little salt. But I have been told that Black Mollies in particular prefer Brackish water more than other Mollies. Are your other mollies black as well?

 

[black angel]

i just want to say that i have had mollies in the past and they too dies after a few short months. i added a bit of salt and the difference was amazing. if you can get it aqua tonic salt will work well for all of your fish.

 

[skimpy]

Thanks Galaxy and black angle,

I have two silver (female) and two black, (one male and one female). I do hope they will be OK especially the male who is a really beautiful fish, and very regal in his appearence and behaviour, hence his name Prince.

I'll just have to see how it goes for now.

 

[Joby]

Sorry to hear about Trish