Whats Wrong With My Molly?

[Natasha74]

Hi All
 
I think my tank is probably still cycling - I do water changes every day varying from 30% to 95% depending on the nitrite levels.

Currently, I have no ammonia, Nitrate is below 50, Nitrite is very low (still a very pale lilac but only just), ph is fine.
 
I have lost one Molly already - it started to get a bit lethargic, lost the use of it's back half and then died. 
 
I have another Molly that is going the same way - I gave it some peas yesterday which it went mad for, but still no change. it cannot seem to move its back half and it has a slight kink to the body (which it didn't have when I got it) and it has some whitish patches too.  other Molly doesn't seem to be affected.
 
Any ideas what I can do for this little fish or will I lose it?
 
 

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Sorry, I don't know.  But I am having a similar problem, right now, with some of my platies with the body kinking and some strange wiggly swimming. (and mine is an established tank).

 

[Natasha74]

does it look like their back fins are not working Prairie?   My Molly is doing the wiggly swimming too - because it seems to not be using its back fin at all - just the two side ones.

 

[DoubleDutch]

Do you have nitrates in your tapwater? If not your tank is already cycled. Do you overfeed?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Natasha, yes, it is like they are making up for their tails not working right with extra wiggling.  Their tails aren't all the way open but aren't clamped either.

 

[the_lock_man]

Do you have nitrates in your tapwater? If not your tank is already cycled. Do you overfeed?

 
Most UK tapwater does have a certain level of nitrate in it. The legal maximum, IIRC, is 50ppm.

 

[DoubleDutch]

OK, this isn't the sign the tank is cycled then !!!! Are there only UK'ers at this forum (besides a lost Dutchman)? Nitrates are almost zero overhere !!

 

[PrairieSunflower]

There are people from all over, just seem to be more people in the UK.

 

[the_lock_man]

OK, this isn't the sign the tank is cycled then !!!! Are there only UK'ers at this forum (besides a lost Dutchman)? Nitrates are almost zero overhere !!

 
Goedendag, DoubleDutch! I recently spent a fantastic week in your lovely country with my son's football team, visited Arnhem, and played friendlies against a couple of local boys teams.
 
We're quite cosmopolitan here, plenty of Americans, Canadians, Aussies, New Zealanders and a Spaniard has been posting lately.

 

[alanwebse]

Mollies need hard, alkaline water... Some common species are brackish rather than freshwater organisms... They need quite clean water, with little metabolite accumulation.
You can add salt, especially with mollies, but just add it slowly. (Buy aquarium salt, don't use table salt). At first, maybe add a teaspoon for five gallons during a PWC, but eventually you can do up to maybe a heaping tablespoon per five gallons. Just follow the instructions on the thing, but do it slowwwly. Acclimation is everything!

Alan Young