Hi Everyone!! Im hoping someone could give me some advice or tips here. I have a 5 gal tank with 3 mollies and a algae eater. I recently did a water change and have noticed since then the mollies seem to be having seizures. Like they are flinching at something. Does anyone know what that could be? The algae eater is fine just the mollies. Any advice would be great.. Thanks.
Hello out there.
- Thread starter NJmom2002
- Start date
Welcome to the forum NJmom. To help you better, we need to know your water parameters, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates... If you don't have a test, I recommend you get one quickly (liquid is better than test strips.)
This may sound silly but did you remember to put in your water treatment when you did the water change? I only ask because I've done it a few times myself.
This may sound silly but did you remember to put in your water treatment when you did the water change? I only ask because I've done it a few times myself.
Well your levels are a little higher than they should be, this is probably due to your algae eater (which I am assuming is a common pleco). If he really is a common pleco, he needs to go back to the store, he is a messy little bugger who will cause a LOT of problems in that tank, not to mention he will get nearly as big as the tank itself.
Other than that, it seems you have gotten off to a better start than most of us here at MFT did, just need a couple bugs worked out.
Did you try to make the water you filled the tank with the same temp. as the water they already had? Sounds to me like they might just be in shock from fluxuating temps. If you got it about the same temp, this is obviously not the issue.
You should probably do another waterchange tomorrow and keep doing them daily untill you have ZERO Ammonia and NitrIte.
Other than that, it seems you have gotten off to a better start than most of us here at MFT did, just need a couple bugs worked out.
Did you try to make the water you filled the tank with the same temp. as the water they already had? Sounds to me like they might just be in shock from fluxuating temps. If you got it about the same temp, this is obviously not the issue.
You should probably do another waterchange tomorrow and keep doing them daily untill you have ZERO Ammonia and NitrIte.
Thanks Virgo Wolf. I have what looks like a catfsih. Its about 1 inch very thin and long. It grey with darker colored stripes on it. I dont think its a Pleco the big black ones if thats what it is I dont have one of those. It was labeled algae eater at the pet store..Any idea on what exactly that may be?? As far as the water it was a bit warmer and I had took out some of the water and added cooler water.. Could that be what it is? Im thinking I should have just taken them out but I didnt have anything to put them in. Is it ok to put them in one of those little bowls they sell in the sotre while cleaning? Like put some of the tank water in it and when Im done put them back in?
YES! Thats it.. I just searched the name and the pic is what I have. The one on the top. Chinese Algae Eater By the looks of it I think I might have to get a bigger tank.. Looks like its going to get too big but I have been looking at some 20 gallons anyway.
Ahh... probably a chinese algae eater... does it look like this > Chinese Algae Eater ? If so, not as bad as a common pleco, but still not the best of choices, if it were me, I'd take a CAE back too.
The temp change is probably what is stressing them out, next time just try to make the water as close to the same temp as possible, they'll be fine. You COULD, in theory, put them in a small bowl while you changed the water, but it's not really necessiary. Just make sure you use dechlorinator and make the temp about the same and save yourself the hastle of moving them every time.
Hope I helped you some.
Edit: LOL took too long to type I guess LOL.
The temp change is probably what is stressing them out, next time just try to make the water as close to the same temp as possible, they'll be fine. You COULD, in theory, put them in a small bowl while you changed the water, but it's not really necessiary. Just make sure you use dechlorinator and make the temp about the same and save yourself the hastle of moving them every time.
Hope I helped you some.
Edit: LOL took too long to type I guess LOL.
Yeah thats what it is.. Whats a good scavanger of a 5 gal? I have no idea.. I bought the tank for my 4yr old because she loves fish. I have one more question. Is it normal for them to scrape themselves on plants? I have live plants in the tank and one artifical one.. I just noticed that they seem to go real fast toward the plants and do like a flip on them.. Ive seen them hit the house too like that. Is that normal? Ok and one more question. I have a black pot belly and 2 silver sailfins. At first it was only the black molly (F) and the 1 Sailfin(M). Those two looked like they were dancing alot and the M looked to be sniffing the F butt.. Then I noticed her hiding all the time in the house and the male was outside just staying there.. Did they do the do in the tank? The black F doesnt move around much anymore and only eats when the flakes come to the bottom. I bought another female since the other one seemed to be harrassed and I noticed they all hang out in the back of the tank at the bottom. Does that mean anything?
It sounds like you're going to be a fish mommy soon! Those molly's and sailfin's have probably mated. If you don't want the babies, don't worry about anything and they will just become snacks for the bigger fish, if you do, that is another question entirely as you'll have to set up a fry tank. A 20 gallon would be perfect for your fish. I think the tank you have right now is a bit small for mollies and sailfins. Watch out for the Chinese Algae Eater. As he gets older, he'll get more aggressive.
When the fish "flash" off of objects in the tank. That means they are itchy. This could mean they have a common fish parasite called "ich" or it could just mean they are enjoying themselves. If they are doing it a lot, you may want to carefully look at them to see if they have any signs of white "specs" on their bodies or fins.
I think the tank you have right now is a bit small for mollies and sailfins. Watch out for the Chinese Algae Eater. As he gets older, he'll get more aggressive. When the fish "flash" off of objects in the tank. That means they are itchy. This could mean they have a common fish parasite called "ich" or it could just mean they are enjoying themselves. If they are doing it a lot, you may want to carefully look at them to see if they have any signs of white "specs" on their bodies or fins.
Thanks everyone for your help. After work tomorrow Im gonna find something to treat the ich. The only one I can see anything on is the black molly and her top and bottom fins are no longer out she seems to havethem up against her body and I noticed a little streak of white on the top of her.. Im hoping they will be ok though..
Hi everyone.. Turns out the black molly was pregnant I found some babies this morning.. The male ate a few but I was able to save 3. THere is still one left but its hiding behind the filter and I cant get to it. I put the babies in a little fish bowl that I had bought that I was going to use when doing water changes. My sister has a fish tank she wants to get rid of so Im going to get that today. Will it be safe to put the fry in there or should I let the awter sit for a few days?
If you're really keen on doing things this way (i.e. using a bowl), make sure that the water you put in the bowl comes directly out of your current tank. Stir the surface of the bowl's water a bit throughout the day until you get that other tank set up, just to make sure the water stays oxygenated adequately.
Personally, I would find a way to leave all of the mollies in your tank. You could either separate out the fry or adults and put them in a floating breeding trap.
Both of these measures will be stressful for some of your fish, however, so my first choice would be to leave the fish in the tank as is and add a bunch of cover for them so that the fry can stay hidden and survive.
I would then move the adult mollies into your new tank once it's set up, and keep the fry in your current tank.
What is the ich situation, by the way?
Are you sure it is in fact ich? You mentioned something about 'white streaks'---which doesn't sound like ich to me.
You need to look for actual whitish granular specks on them (these look like grains of salt).
Congrats on the molly fry!
Big Vine
Personally, I would find a way to leave all of the mollies in your tank. You could either separate out the fry or adults and put them in a floating breeding trap.
Both of these measures will be stressful for some of your fish, however, so my first choice would be to leave the fish in the tank as is and add a bunch of cover for them so that the fry can stay hidden and survive.
I would then move the adult mollies into your new tank once it's set up, and keep the fry in your current tank.
What is the ich situation, by the way?
Are you sure it is in fact ich? You mentioned something about 'white streaks'---which doesn't sound like ich to me.
You need to look for actual whitish granular specks on them (these look like grains of salt).
Congrats on the molly fry!
Big Vine
I took the water from the main tank and put it in the bowl.. I crushed up some brine shrimp and put that with the fry but they are staying at the bottom just hanging out.. I did see a few swimming around a minute ago though.. I lost one as far as I know of when the sailfin ate it up right in front of me and my daughter. She was a bit freaked out too. I took them out immediately after that. Im going to get the tank today and set it up ASAP.. My current tank has a house that they can sit in, live plants and one fake plant. I noticed they were hiding against the filter. Its black so at first I didnt even see them. They were also hiding against the snail too.
As for the ich. The only one i can see it on was the black molly. The one that was pregnant. She had what looked like white patches. One was on the top fin where it meets her body and the other was on her side. All of the fish were swimming and crashing into the plants and the house thing and they were sitting at the bottom not very active and breathing very fast.. Is that ich?
As for the ich. The only one i can see it on was the black molly. The one that was pregnant. She had what looked like white patches. One was on the top fin where it meets her body and the other was on her side. All of the fish were swimming and crashing into the plants and the house thing and they were sitting at the bottom not very active and breathing very fast.. Is that ich?
If you haven't already done so, I'd put a plant or two in the bowl with the fry---just so that they have some cover and aren't so stressed out in the open. Doesn't matter whether it's live or fake plant.
So you'll be moving the fry back to their original tank once you get the new one set up and put the adults in it? Sounds like a good plan.
As for the "white patches" and odd behavior that you described...
Has that gone away? If so, I wouldn't worry about it. Like others said earlier, it was probably brought on by stress as a result of water-changing.
And no, "white patches" does not sound like ich to me.
Ich appears as whitish-colored grains of salt. The "white patches" that you are seeing could be some sort of fin damage that the fish got from being pestered a bit by the male (or, alternatively if it was the male that has the "white patches," it could have been a female that got tired of him pestering her and nipped at him).
I don't mean to ramble on...
If you could provide pics, it would help. But otherwise, I would leave things as is.
Big Vine
So you'll be moving the fry back to their original tank once you get the new one set up and put the adults in it? Sounds like a good plan.
As for the "white patches" and odd behavior that you described...
Has that gone away? If so, I wouldn't worry about it. Like others said earlier, it was probably brought on by stress as a result of water-changing.
And no, "white patches" does not sound like ich to me.
Ich appears as whitish-colored grains of salt. The "white patches" that you are seeing could be some sort of fin damage that the fish got from being pestered a bit by the male (or, alternatively if it was the male that has the "white patches," it could have been a female that got tired of him pestering her and nipped at him).
I don't mean to ramble on...
If you could provide pics, it would help. But otherwise, I would leave things as is.
Big Vine